Explore Cities/Compare Cities/Makassar vs Shanghai

Makassar vs Shanghai

Side-by-side comparison for digital nomads

Makassar 55% cheaper Shanghai +255 Mbps N/A / High

Makassar

Arief Hidayat/Unsplash

Shanghai

Li Yang/Unsplash

Nomad Cost

$839

Makassar

$1,872

Shanghai

Internet

Mbps

287

Mbps

Safety

N/A

Makassar

High

Shanghai

Air Quality

5/5

Makassar

5/5

Shanghai

Healthcare

N/A

Makassar

High

Shanghai

Population

1.3m

Makassar

24.2m

Shanghai

Makassar (Indonesia) and Shanghai (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 55% less than Shanghai at $1872/mo, adding up to $12396 over a year.

For families, Makassar costs $1800.101453918562/mo compared to Shanghai's $3661.812890560195/mo.

Internet & Infrastructure

For bandwidth-intensive work, Shanghai has a clear edge at 287 Mbps (#7 globally) compared to Makassar's 32 Mbps (#0).

Quality of Life

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

Healthcare quality is rated similarly in both Makassar and Shanghai.

Monthly Weather Comparison

The best time to visit Makassar is August (around 35 degrees, 0mm rain, score 374), while Shanghai peaks in May (26 degrees, 0mm rain, score 465). Timing your stay around these months can make a big difference in your experience.

Cost of Living

MakassarShanghai

Nomad$839/mo$1,872/mo

Expat$683/mo$1,265/mo

Local$514/mo$1,046/mo

Family$1,800/mo$3,662/mo

Internet & Infrastructure

MakassarShanghai

City Speed

32 Mbps

287 Mbps#7

Country Speed32 Mbps244 Mbps

Environment & Health

MakassarShanghai

Air Quality Score5/55/5

PollutionN/AHigh

ClimateN/AHigh

Humidity8546

Quality of Life

MakassarShanghai

SafetyN/AHigh

HealthcareN/AHigh

Monthly Weather Comparison

Makassar

Shanghai

Jan

36°

11mm87

7°

0mm407

Feb

37°

4mm210

5°

2mm389

Mar

37°

6mm179

12°

0mm425

Apr

38°

3mm282

20°

2mm385

May

38°

1mm346

26°

0mm465

Jun

36°

1mm348

31°

3mm395

Jul

35°

0mm372

40°

0mm427

Aug

35°

0mm374

41°

0mm402

Sep

37°

0mm354

35°

0mm457

Oct

37°

1mm330

23°

0mm442

Nov

37°

6mm271

15°

0mm427

Dec

33°

16mm41

6°

0mm417

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 Shanghai?

Excellent for video calls and large uploads with 287 Mbps
High safety rating for peace of mind
Clean air with a 5/5 air quality score
Major city energy with 24.2m residents
Peak season in May — 26 degrees, score 465

Overall Verdict

The data favors Shanghai as the more well-rounded choice. At $1872/mo versus Makassar's $839/mo, that is a 55% saving that adds up significantly on an extended stay.

Granular Price Comparison

Makassar Shanghai

ItemMakassarShanghaiDiff

🍽️Restaurants8 items

Meal, inexpensive restaurant$1.3$5.69

77%

Meal for 2, mid-range (3-course)$9.72$39.86

76%

McMeal or equivalent combo$3.24$5.69

43%

Cappuccino (regular)$1.78$3.98

55%

Domestic beer (0.5L draught)$2.07$1.14

45%

Imported beer (0.33L bottle)$2.92$4.27

32%

Coke/Pepsi (0.33L)$0.5$0.53

Water (0.33L)$0.26$0.33

21%

🛒Markets19 items

Milk (1L)$1.24$2.74

55%

White bread (500g)$1$2.61

62%

White rice (1kg)$0.82$1.22

33%

Eggs (12)$1.47$2.22

34%

Chicken fillets (1kg)$3.65$4.86

25%

Beef round (1kg)$7.45$13.12

43%

Local cheese (1kg)$5.94$18.35

68%

Apples (1kg)$2.51$2.26

10%

Bananas (1kg)$0.86$1.6

46%

Oranges (1kg)$2.28$2.19

Tomatoes (1kg)$0.8$1.53

48%

Potatoes (1kg)$1.02$0.84

18%

Onions (1kg)$1.73$1.04

40%

Lettuce (1 head)$1.04$0.83

20%

Water (1.5L bottle)$0.45$0.64

30%

Wine, mid-range bottle$12.96$14.24

Domestic beer (0.5L bottle)$2.27$0.94

59%

Imported beer (0.33L bottle)$3.52$1.97

44%

Cigarettes (pack of 20)$2.07$3.56

42%

🚌Transport8 items

One-way local transport ticket$0.32$0.57

44%

Monthly transport pass$9.72$28.47

66%

Taxi start (normal tariff)$0.58$2.14

73%

Taxi per 1km$0.45$0.43

Taxi 1hr waiting$3.57$8.54

58%

Gasoline (1L)$0.81$1.2

32%

Volkswagen Golf (new)$24,955.34$19,929.68

20%

Toyota Corolla (new)$31,761.34$20,750.95

35%

⚡Utilities3 items

Utilities, 85m² apartment/mo$51.2$66

22%

Internet 60+ Mbps/mo$41.59$17.07

59%

Mobile prepaid per minute$0.18$0.03

83%

🏋️Sport & Leisure3 items

Fitness club, monthly$25.12$63.49

60%

Tennis court rent (1hr weekend)$9.18$14.95

39%

Cinema, 1 ticket$2.92$8.54

66%

👶Childcare2 items

Preschool, full-day private/mo$53.8$1,382.62

96%

International primary school/yr$4,861.43$26,379.45

82%

👗Clothing4 items

Jeans (Levi's 501 or similar)$45.36$70.49

36%

Summer dress (chain store)$22.69$34.92

35%

Nike running shoes (mid-range)$75.35$88.21

15%

Men's leather business shoes$47.97$123.51

61%

🏠Rent4 items

1-bedroom apartment, city centre$170.15$1,091.93

84%

1-bedroom apartment, outside centre$77.78$569.88

86%

3-bedroom apartment, city centre$421.32$2,952.7

86%

3-bedroom apartment, outside centre$162.05$1,561.59

90%

🏗️Buy2 items

Price per m², city centre$1,296.38$17,746.11

93%

Price per m², outside centre$421.32$9,416.35

96%

💰Finance2 items

Average monthly net salary$231.19$1,419.87

84%

Mortgage interest rate (20yr fixed)$10.67$5.03

53%

Lower is better for all cost items.

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

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