Explore Cities/Compare Cities/Makassar vs Ulaanbaatar

Makassar vs Ulaanbaatar

Side-by-side comparison for digital nomads

Makassar 52% cheaper Ulaanbaatar +42 Mbps N/A / Moderate

Makassar

Arief Hidayat/Unsplash

Ulaanbaatar

Bree Evans/Unsplash

Nomad Cost

$839

Makassar

$1,743

Ulaanbaatar

Internet

Mbps

Safety

N/A

Makassar

Moderate

Ulaanbaatar

Air Quality

5/5

Makassar

5/5

Ulaanbaatar

Healthcare

N/A

Makassar

High

Ulaanbaatar

Population

1.3m

Makassar

1.4m

Ulaanbaatar

Makassar (Indonesia) and Ulaanbaatar (Mongolia) 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

Makassar is significantly cheaper for digital nomads at $839/mo — 52% less than Ulaanbaatar's $1743/mo. Over 12 months, the difference adds up to $10848.

For families, Makassar costs $1800.101453918562/mo compared to Ulaanbaatar's $1822.532519128899/mo.

Internet & Infrastructure

Ulaanbaatar leads on internet connectivity at 74 Mbps (ranked #113 globally) versus Makassar's 32 Mbps (#0). The speed gap is notable for video-heavy remote work.

Quality of Life

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

Healthcare quality is rated similarly in both Makassar and Ulaanbaatar.

Monthly Weather Comparison

The best time to visit Makassar is August (around 35 degrees, 0mm rain, score 374), while Ulaanbaatar peaks in July (26 degrees, 0mm rain, score 426). Timing your stay around these months can make a big difference in your experience.

Cost of Living

MakassarUlaanbaatar

Nomad$839/mo$1,743/mo

Expat$683/mo$886/mo

Local$514/mo$521/mo

Family$1,800/mo$1,823/mo

Internet & Infrastructure

MakassarUlaanbaatar

City Speed

32 Mbps

74 Mbps#113

Country Speed32 Mbps75 Mbps

Environment & Health

MakassarUlaanbaatar

Air Quality Score5/55/5

PollutionN/AHigh

ClimateN/ALow

Humidity8574

Quality of Life

MakassarUlaanbaatar

SafetyN/AModerate

HealthcareN/AHigh

Monthly Weather Comparison

Makassar

Ulaanbaatar

Jan

36°

11mm87

-17°

0mm378

Feb

37°

4mm210

-18°

0mm378

Mar

37°

6mm179

-5°

0mm378

Apr

38°

3mm282

6°

0mm388

May

38°

1mm346

15°

0mm398

Jun

36°

1mm348

22°

1mm394

Jul

35°

0mm372

26°

0mm426

Aug

35°

0mm374

23°

1mm413

Sep

37°

0mm354

15°

0mm386

Oct

37°

1mm330

3°

0mm378

Nov

37°

6mm271

-4°

0mm378

Dec

33°

16mm41

-17°

0mm378

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 Ulaanbaatar?

Clean air with a 5/5 air quality score
Family-friendly at $1822.532519128899/mo for families
Peak season in July — 26 degrees, score 426

Overall Verdict

Overall, Ulaanbaatar edges ahead for most digital nomads — at $1743/mo it runs 52% cheaper than Makassar's $839/mo, with 74 Mbps internet for reliable remote work.

Granular Price Comparison

Makassar Ulaanbaatar

ItemMakassarUlaanbaatarDiff

🍽️Restaurants8 items

Meal, inexpensive restaurant$1.3$4.4

70%

Meal for 2, mid-range (3-course)$9.72$29.35

67%

McMeal or equivalent combo$3.24$4.4

26%

Cappuccino (regular)$1.78$2.1

15%

Domestic beer (0.5L draught)$2.07$1.47

29%

Imported beer (0.33L bottle)$2.92$2.2

25%

Coke/Pepsi (0.33L)$0.5$0.74

32%

Water (0.33L)$0.26$0.35

26%

🛒Markets19 items

Milk (1L)$1.24$1.01

19%

White bread (500g)$1$0.55

45%

White rice (1kg)$0.82$1.11

26%

Eggs (12)$1.47$1.68

12%

Chicken fillets (1kg)$3.65$3.61

Beef round (1kg)$7.45$5.14

31%

Local cheese (1kg)$5.94$5.69

Apples (1kg)$2.51$2.41

Bananas (1kg)$0.86$2.48

65%

Oranges (1kg)$2.28$2.79

18%

Tomatoes (1kg)$0.8$3.13

74%

Potatoes (1kg)$1.02$0.44

57%

Onions (1kg)$1.73$0.82

53%

Lettuce (1 head)$1.04$0.98

Water (1.5L bottle)$0.45$0.45

Wine, mid-range bottle$12.96$7.34

43%

Domestic beer (0.5L bottle)$2.27$0.81

64%

Imported beer (0.33L bottle)$3.52$1.22

65%

Cigarettes (pack of 20)$2.07$1.61

22%

🚌Transport8 items

One-way local transport ticket$0.32$0.15

53%

Monthly transport pass$9.72$6.53

33%

Taxi start (normal tariff)$0.58$0.44

24%

Taxi per 1km$0.45$0.44

Taxi 1hr waiting$3.57$4.26

16%

Gasoline (1L)$0.81$0.79

Volkswagen Golf (new)$24,955.34$16,877.19

32%

Toyota Corolla (new)$31,761.34$15,849.88

50%

⚡Utilities3 items

Utilities, 85m² apartment/mo$51.2$63.85

20%

Internet 60+ Mbps/mo$41.59$12.53

70%

Mobile prepaid per minute$0.18$0.02

89%

🏋️Sport & Leisure3 items

Fitness club, monthly$25.12$57.6

56%

Tennis court rent (1hr weekend)$9.18$13.5

32%

Cinema, 1 ticket$2.92$2.94

👶Childcare2 items

Preschool, full-day private/mo$53.8$106.4

49%

International primary school/yr$4,861.43$8,414.14

42%

👗Clothing4 items

Jeans (Levi's 501 or similar)$45.36$46.05

Summer dress (chain store)$22.69$24.46

Nike running shoes (mid-range)$75.35$68.24

Men's leather business shoes$47.97$82.67

42%

🏠Rent4 items

1-bedroom apartment, city centre$170.15$298.08

43%

1-bedroom apartment, outside centre$77.78$181.6

57%

3-bedroom apartment, city centre$421.32$684.87

38%

3-bedroom apartment, outside centre$162.05$438.45

63%

🏗️Buy2 items

Price per m², city centre$1,296.38$1,417.26

Price per m², outside centre$421.32$781.49

46%

💰Finance2 items

Average monthly net salary$231.19$315.53

27%

Mortgage interest rate (20yr fixed)$10.67$8.33

22%

Lower is better for all cost items.

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

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