Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Makassar and Seoul

For one person, living is cheaper in Makassar: $641 a month against $1,794 in Seoul, rent and utilities included – about $13,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

31

Cost of Living Index in Makassar
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Makassar Living Index
88

Cost of Living Index in Seoul
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Seoul Living Index

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Makassar

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$641

/mo nomad

Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,794

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Makassar and in Seoul

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Makassar and in Seoul actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $641 in Makassar versus $1,794 in Seoul.

Makassar $641
Seoul $1,794

Estimated couple costs with rent: $985 in Makassar versus $2,863 in Seoul.

Makassar $985
Seoul $2,863

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,328 in Makassar versus $3,931 in Seoul.

Makassar $1,328
Seoul $3,931

Living in Makassar costs roughly 64% less than in Seoul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Makassar is 53% below, Seoul is 33% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.72 Rp 31.0K

$8.80 ₩11.7K

-80.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$8.88 Rp 159.8K

$68.4 ₩90.9K

-87.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.15 Rp 56.7K

$7.54 ₩10.0K

-58.22%

Cappuccino

$1.92 Rp 34.5K

$4.23 ₩5,624

-54.61%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.50 Rp 9,030

$1.63 ₩2,167

-69.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 Rp 6,497

$0.74 ₩985

-51.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 Rp 44.8K

$3.64 ₩4,843

-31.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.30 Rp 59.4K

$6.15 ₩8,175

-46.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.59 Rp 28.6K

$2.01 ₩2,679

-20.90%

White Bread (500g)

$0.98 Rp 17.7K

$3.13 ₩4,164

-68.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.62 Rp 11.2K

$4.32 ₩5,744

-85.65%

Eggs

$1.50 Rp 27.0K

$3.61 ₩4,794

-58.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.29 Rp 113.3K

$17.83 ₩23.7K

-64.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.44 Rp 61.9K

$10.45 ₩13.9K

-67.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.24 Rp 94.3K

$25.80 ₩34.3K

-79.69%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 Rp 42.3K

$7.66 ₩10.2K

-69.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.36 Rp 24.5K

$3.38 ₩4,499

-59.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 Rp 34.3K

$5.81 ₩7,723

-67.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.86 Rp 33.4K

$6.41 ₩8,520

-70.98%

Potato (1kg)

$1.25 Rp 22.6K

$3.75 ₩4,983

-66.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.57 Rp 28.2K

$2.54 ₩3,375

-38.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.73 Rp 13.2K

$2.84 ₩3,782

-74.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.42 Rp 7,526

$1.11 ₩1,472

-62.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.63 Rp 47.4K

$3.35 ₩4,455

-21.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$22.11 Rp 398.0K

$18.49 ₩24.6K

19.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.81 Rp 32.7K

$2.40 ₩3,185

-24.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 Rp 54.0K

$3.37 ₩4,480

-10.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,854

$1.14 ₩1,521

-76.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$4.30 Rp 77.5K

$46.11 ₩61.3K

-90.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.49 Rp 8,781

$3.49 ₩4,643

-85.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.35 Rp 6,271

$0.63 ₩840

-44.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.66 Rp 47.9K

$8.86 ₩11.8K

-69.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.74 Rp 13.3K

$1.51 ₩2,005

-50.99%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$23.9K Rp 430.8M

$29.3K ₩38.9M

-18.24%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$30.9K Rp 557.0M

$28.2K ₩37.5M

9.69%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$89.0 Rp 1.6M

$218 ₩289.2K

-59.10%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$2.71 Rp 48.7K

$35.15 ₩46.7K

-92.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.90 Rp 448.1K

$21.29 ₩28.3K

16.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$21.47 Rp 386.5K

$58.1 ₩77.2K

-63.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.40 Rp 151.1K

$16.10 ₩21.4K

-47.83%

Cinema Ticket

$3.36 Rp 60.5K

$11.31 ₩15.0K

-70.29%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$93.5 Rp 1.7M

$1,948 ₩2.6M

-95.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,746 Rp 67.4M

$22.9K ₩30.4M

-83.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$26.95 Rp 485.2K

$57.0 ₩75.8K

-52.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$23.52 Rp 423.3K

$33.39 ₩44.4K

-29.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.3 Rp 1.4M

$71.5 ₩95.0K

5.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$40.00 Rp 720.0K

$82.5 ₩109.7K

-51.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$232 Rp 4.2M

$901 ₩1.2M

-74.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$148 Rp 2.7M

$612 ₩813.5K

-75.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$546 Rp 9.8M

$2,526 ₩3.4M

-78.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$360 Rp 6.5M

$1,266 ₩1.7M

-71.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,159 Rp 20.9M

$29.4K ₩39.1M

-96.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$803 Rp 14.5M

$11.9K ₩15.8M

-93.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$214 Rp 3.8M

$3,650 ₩4.9M

-94.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.46

4.08

131.86%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Makassar: October 11, 2026

Last update for Seoul: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Groceries & Markets

Makassar

$197 30.7%

Seoul

$477 26.6% 142% $280

Accommodation & Living

Makassar

$148 23.1%

Seoul

$612 34.1% 313% $464

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Makassar

$117 18.2%

Seoul

$274 15.3% 135% $157

Clothing & Footwear

Makassar

$75 11.6%

Seoul

$110 6.1% 47.5% $35

Eating Out

Makassar

$69 10.7%

Seoul

$184 10.2% 168% $115

Sport & Entertainment

Makassar

$28 4.4%

Seoul

$81 4.5% 186% $52

Getting Around

Makassar

$7.6 1.2%

Seoul

$57 3.2% 653% $50

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $232 in Makassar and $901 in Seoul. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seoul pays 1607% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $9.00 in Makassar vs $68.0 in Seoul for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $197 vs $477 per month, with Makassar cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇩 Makassar

🇰🇷 Seoul

🕒 Local time

05:38 5:38 AM

06:38 6:38 AM

1 h ahead of Makassar

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,427,619

9,509,458 Capital

💱 Currency

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

South Korean Won KRW ₩

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR

10,000 KRW = 7.52 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

KRW, USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇩 Indonesian Rupiah (Rp)

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 18,000 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD). 1 EUR = 20,236 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

South Korean Won exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1,330 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.52 USD). 1 EUR = 1,495 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR).

USD to IDR in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Makassar Seoul 4,810 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Makassar
Seoul

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Makassar vs Seoul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Makassar wins on cost – living expenses run 180% lower than in Seoul. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Makassar the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 1607% lower in Seoul. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $232 in Makassar versus $901 in Seoul. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Makassar runs roughly 972% less than in Seoul. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $93.5 in Makassar versus $1,948 in Seoul. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $641 in Makassar versus $1,794 in Seoul, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Makassar but tight or insufficient in Seoul. The gap between the two cities makes Makassar the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Makassar and Seoul are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Makassar gentler on the wallet – expenses run 180% less than in Seoul. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.