Explore Cities/Compare Cities/Makassar vs Pyongyang

Makassar vs Pyongyang

Side-by-side comparison for digital nomads

Makassar 56% cheaper Makassar +30 Mbps N/A / N/A

Makassar

Arief Hidayat/Unsplash

Pyongyang

Random Institute/Unsplash

Nomad Cost

$839

Makassar

$1,913

Pyongyang

Internet

Mbps

Safety

N/A

Makassar

N/A

Pyongyang

Air Quality

5/5

Makassar

5/5

Pyongyang

Healthcare

N/A

Makassar

N/A

Pyongyang

Population

1.3m

Makassar

2.6m

Pyongyang

Makassar (Indonesia) and Pyongyang (North Korea) are both in Asia, offering different takes on the nomad lifestyle. Here is how they compare across the metrics that matter most.

Cost of Living

The monthly savings are substantial — Makassar at $839/mo costs 56% less than Pyongyang at $1913/mo, adding up to $12888 over a year.

For families, Makassar costs $1800.101453918562/mo compared to Pyongyang's $4243.35/mo.

Internet & Infrastructure

For bandwidth-intensive work, Makassar has a clear edge at 32 Mbps (#0 globally) compared to Pyongyang's 2 Mbps (#0).

Quality of Life

Both Makassar and Pyongyang share the same safety rating — travelers can feel equally comfortable in either city.

Healthcare quality is rated similarly in both Makassar and Pyongyang.

Monthly Weather Comparison

The best time to visit Makassar is August (around 35 degrees, 0mm rain, score 374), while Pyongyang peaks in June (30 degrees, 0mm rain, score 378). Timing your stay around these months can make a big difference in your experience.

Cost of Living

MakassarPyongyang

Nomad$839/mo$1,913/mo

Expat$683/mo$1,931/mo

Local$514/mo$1,212/mo

Family$1,800/mo$4,243/mo

Internet & Infrastructure

MakassarPyongyang

City Speed

32 Mbps

2 Mbps

Country Speed32 Mbps0 Mbps

Environment & Health

MakassarPyongyang

Air Quality Score5/55/5

PollutionN/AN/A

ClimateN/AN/A

Humidity8535

Quality of Life

MakassarPyongyang

SafetyN/AN/A

HealthcareN/AN/A

Monthly Weather Comparison

Makassar

Pyongyang

Jan

36°

11mm87

-3°

0mm318

Feb

37°

4mm210

1°

0mm318

Mar

37°

6mm179

7°

0mm326

Apr

38°

3mm282

18°

0mm358

May

38°

1mm346

22°

0mm343

Jun

36°

1mm348

30°

0mm378

Jul

35°

0mm372

34°

4mm275

Aug

35°

0mm374

37°

1mm350

Sep

37°

0mm354

31°

0mm363

Oct

37°

1mm330

19°

0mm338

Nov

37°

6mm271

8°

0mm328

Dec

33°

16mm41

-4°

0mm318

Who Should Choose Makassar?

Great for budget nomads — monthly costs around $839
Clean air with a 5/5 air quality score
Family-friendly at $1800.101453918562/mo for families
Peak season in August — 35 degrees, score 374

Who Should Choose Pyongyang?

Clean air with a 5/5 air quality score
Major city energy with 2.6m residents
Peak season in June — 30 degrees, score 378

Overall Verdict

The data favors Makassar as the more well-rounded choice. At $839/mo versus Pyongyang's $1913/mo, that is a 56% saving that adds up significantly on an extended stay.

Granular Price Comparison

Makassar Pyongyang

ItemMakassarPyongyangDiff

🍽️Restaurants8 items

Meal, inexpensive restaurant$1.3$4.27

70%

Meal for 2, mid-range (3-course)$9.72$20.49

53%

McMeal or equivalent combo$3.24$3.13

Cappuccino (regular)$1.78$1.81

Domestic beer (0.5L draught)$2.07—

—

Imported beer (0.33L bottle)$2.92—

—

Coke/Pepsi (0.33L)$0.5$1.68

70%

Water (0.33L)$0.26$1.99

87%

🛒Markets19 items

Milk (1L)$1.24$0.26

79%

White bread (500g)$1$0.55

45%

White rice (1kg)$0.82$4.4

81%

Eggs (12)$1.47$1.74

16%

Chicken fillets (1kg)$3.65$6.61

45%

Beef round (1kg)$7.45$11.01

32%

Local cheese (1kg)$5.94—

—

Apples (1kg)$2.51$2.2

12%

Bananas (1kg)$0.86$2.2

61%

Oranges (1kg)$2.28$2.2

Tomatoes (1kg)$0.8$2.2

64%

Potatoes (1kg)$1.02$2.2

54%

Onions (1kg)$1.73$2.2

21%

Lettuce (1 head)$1.04$1

Water (1.5L bottle)$0.45$0.3

33%

Wine, mid-range bottle$12.96$6

54%

Domestic beer (0.5L bottle)$2.27—

—

Imported beer (0.33L bottle)$3.52—

—

Cigarettes (pack of 20)$2.07$18.88

89%

🚌Transport8 items

One-way local transport ticket$0.32$0.65

51%

Monthly transport pass$9.72—

—

Taxi start (normal tariff)$0.58$2

71%

Taxi per 1km$0.45$0.5

10%

Taxi 1hr waiting$3.57—

—

Gasoline (1L)$0.81$1.28

37%

Volkswagen Golf (new)$24,955.34$27,250

Toyota Corolla (new)$31,761.34$25,470

20%

⚡Utilities3 items

Utilities, 85m² apartment/mo$51.2—

—

Internet 60+ Mbps/mo$41.59—

—

Mobile prepaid per minute$0.18—

—

🏋️Sport & Leisure3 items

Fitness club, monthly$25.12—

—

Tennis court rent (1hr weekend)$9.18—

—

Cinema, 1 ticket$2.92$18.02

84%

👶Childcare2 items

Preschool, full-day private/mo$53.8—

—

International primary school/yr$4,861.43—

—

👗Clothing4 items

Jeans (Levi's 501 or similar)$45.36$27.23

40%

Summer dress (chain store)$22.69—

—

Nike running shoes (mid-range)$75.35$48.03

36%

Men's leather business shoes$47.97—

—

🏠Rent4 items

1-bedroom apartment, city centre$170.15—

—

1-bedroom apartment, outside centre$77.78$198.78

61%

3-bedroom apartment, city centre$421.32—

—

3-bedroom apartment, outside centre$162.05—

—

🏗️Buy2 items

Price per m², city centre$1,296.38$4,700

72%

Price per m², outside centre$421.32$6,400

93%

💰Finance2 items

Average monthly net salary$231.19$3,000

92%

Mortgage interest rate (20yr fixed)$10.67—

—

Lower is better for all cost items.

Data from Open-Meteo (weather) and global internet speed rankings. Updated monthly.

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