Explore Cities/Compare Cities/Makassar vs Qingdao

Makassar vs Qingdao

Side-by-side comparison for digital nomads

Makassar 42% cheaper Qingdao +212 Mbps N/A / High

Makassar

Arief Hidayat/Unsplash

Qingdao

R HAI/Unsplash

Nomad Cost

$839

Makassar

$1,459

Qingdao

Internet

Mbps

244

Mbps

Safety

N/A

Makassar

High

Qingdao

Air Quality

5/5

Makassar

5/5

Qingdao

Healthcare

N/A

Makassar

Moderate

Qingdao

Population

1.3m

Makassar

2.7m

Qingdao

Makassar (Indonesia) and Qingdao (China) 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 42% less than Qingdao at $1459/mo, adding up to $7440 over a year.

For families, Makassar costs $1800.101453918562/mo compared to Qingdao's $1334.125974672344/mo.

Internet & Infrastructure

For bandwidth-intensive work, Qingdao has a clear edge at 244 Mbps (#0 globally) compared to Makassar's 32 Mbps (#0).

Quality of Life

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

Healthcare quality is rated similarly in both Makassar and Qingdao.

Monthly Weather Comparison

The best time to visit Makassar is August (around 35 degrees, 0mm rain, score 374), while Qingdao peaks in June (28 degrees, 0mm rain, score 433). Timing your stay around these months can make a big difference in your experience.

Cost of Living

MakassarQingdao

Nomad$839/mo$1,459/mo

Expat$683/mo$1,017/mo

Local$514/mo$381/mo

Family$1,800/mo$1,334/mo

Internet & Infrastructure

MakassarQingdao

City Speed

32 Mbps

244 Mbps

Country Speed32 Mbps244 Mbps

Environment & Health

MakassarQingdao

Air Quality Score5/55/5

PollutionN/AModerate

ClimateN/AHigh

Humidity8545

Quality of Life

MakassarQingdao

SafetyN/AHigh

HealthcareN/AModerate

Monthly Weather Comparison

Makassar

Qingdao

Jan

36°

11mm87

-0°

0mm373

Feb

37°

4mm210

-1°

0mm373

Mar

37°

6mm179

6°

0mm383

Apr

38°

3mm282

15°

0mm393

May

38°

1mm346

21°

0mm413

Jun

36°

1mm348

28°

0mm433

Jul

35°

0mm372

32°

11mm361

Aug

35°

0mm374

37°

1mm409

Sep

37°

0mm354

31°

0mm433

Oct

37°

1mm330

19°

0mm413

Nov

37°

6mm271

11°

0mm383

Dec

33°

16mm41

1°

0mm373

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 Qingdao?

Great for budget nomads — monthly costs around $1459
Excellent for video calls and large uploads with 244 Mbps
High safety rating for peace of mind
Clean air with a 5/5 air quality score
Family-friendly at $1334.125974672344/mo for families
Major city energy with 2.7m residents
Peak season in June — 28 degrees, score 433

Overall Verdict

The data favors Qingdao as the more well-rounded choice. At $1459/mo versus Makassar's $839/mo, that is a 42% saving that adds up significantly on an extended stay.

Granular Price Comparison

Makassar Qingdao

ItemMakassarQingdaoDiff

🍽️Restaurants8 items

Meal, inexpensive restaurant$1.3$2.99

57%

Meal for 2, mid-range (3-course)$9.72$21.35

54%

McMeal or equivalent combo$3.24$4.7

31%

Cappuccino (regular)$1.78$3.08

42%

Domestic beer (0.5L draught)$2.07$0.85

59%

Imported beer (0.33L bottle)$2.92$2.14

27%

Coke/Pepsi (0.33L)$0.5$0.43

14%

Water (0.33L)$0.26$0.28

🛒Markets19 items

Milk (1L)$1.24$2.04

39%

White bread (500g)$1$1.16

14%

White rice (1kg)$0.82$0.82

Eggs (12)$1.47$1.37

Chicken fillets (1kg)$3.65$4.19

13%

Beef round (1kg)$7.45$11.58

36%

Local cheese (1kg)$5.94$11.45

48%

Apples (1kg)$2.51$1.29

49%

Bananas (1kg)$0.86$1.61

47%

Oranges (1kg)$2.28$1.37

40%

Tomatoes (1kg)$0.8$1.27

37%

Potatoes (1kg)$1.02$0.66

35%

Onions (1kg)$1.73$0.54

69%

Lettuce (1 head)$1.04$0.45

57%

Water (1.5L bottle)$0.45$0.55

18%

Wine, mid-range bottle$12.96$12.81

Domestic beer (0.5L bottle)$2.27$0.65

71%

Imported beer (0.33L bottle)$3.52$1.71

51%

Cigarettes (pack of 20)$2.07$2.28

🚌Transport8 items

One-way local transport ticket$0.32$0.43

26%

Monthly transport pass$9.72$23.49

59%

Taxi start (normal tariff)$0.58$1.42

59%

Taxi per 1km$0.45$0.28

38%

Taxi 1hr waiting$3.57$4.27

16%

Gasoline (1L)$0.81$1.16

30%

Volkswagen Golf (new)$24,955.34$17,082.58

32%

Toyota Corolla (new)$31,761.34$16,513.16

48%

⚡Utilities3 items

Utilities, 85m² apartment/mo$51.2$34.17

33%

Internet 60+ Mbps/mo$41.59$11.25

73%

Mobile prepaid per minute$0.18$0.02

89%

🏋️Sport & Leisure3 items

Fitness club, monthly$25.12$20.17

20%

Tennis court rent (1hr weekend)$9.18$9.4

Cinema, 1 ticket$2.92$7.12

59%

👶Childcare2 items

Preschool, full-day private/mo$53.8$222.07

76%

International primary school/yr$4,861.43$25,310.69

81%

👗Clothing4 items

Jeans (Levi's 501 or similar)$45.36$50.34

10%

Summer dress (chain store)$22.69$30.87

26%

Nike running shoes (mid-range)$75.35$66

12%

Men's leather business shoes$47.97$76.52

37%

🏠Rent4 items

1-bedroom apartment, city centre$170.15$306.31

44%

1-bedroom apartment, outside centre$77.78$170.01

54%

3-bedroom apartment, city centre$421.32$699.91

40%

3-bedroom apartment, outside centre$162.05$322.65

50%

🏗️Buy2 items

Price per m², city centre$1,296.38$5,338.31

76%

Price per m², outside centre$421.32$2,514.94

83%

💰Finance2 items

Average monthly net salary$231.19$977.5

76%

Mortgage interest rate (20yr fixed)$10.67$5

53%

Lower is better for all cost items.

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

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