Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Makassar and Sydney

For one person, living is cheaper in Makassar: $641 a month against $3,152 in Sydney, rent and utilities included – about $30,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

31

Cost of Living Index in Makassar
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Makassar Living Index
155

Cost of Living Index in Sydney
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Sydney Living Index

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Makassar

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$641

/mo nomad

Sydney

🇦🇺 Australia

$3,152

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Makassar and in Sydney

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 Sydney actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $641 in Makassar versus $3,152 in Sydney.

Makassar $641
Sydney $3,152

Estimated couple costs with rent: $985 in Makassar versus $4,710 in Sydney.

Makassar $985
Sydney $4,710

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,328 in Makassar versus $6,268 in Sydney.

Makassar $1,328
Sydney $6,268

Living in Makassar costs roughly 80% less than in Sydney, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Makassar is 53% below, Sydney is 133% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.72 Rp 30.9K

$17.57 A$25.29

-90.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$8.88 Rp 159.2K

$91.5 A$132

-90.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.15 Rp 56.5K

$11.96 A$17.21

-73.66%

Cappuccino

$1.92 Rp 34.4K

$4.07 A$5.85

-52.83%

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

$0.50 Rp 9,001

$2.85 A$4.10

-82.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 Rp 6,476

$2.25 A$3.24

-84.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 Rp 44.6K

$7.60 A$10.94

-67.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.30 Rp 59.2K

$7.43 A$10.69

-55.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.59 Rp 28.5K

$1.66 A$2.38

-4.22%

White Bread (500g)

$0.98 Rp 17.6K

$2.78 A$4.00

-64.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.62 Rp 11.2K

$2.42 A$3.49

-74.38%

Eggs

$1.50 Rp 26.9K

$5.64 A$8.12

-73.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.29 Rp 112.9K

$11.71 A$16.85

-46.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.44 Rp 61.7K

$9.66 A$13.89

-64.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.24 Rp 94.0K

$16.75 A$24.10

-68.72%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 Rp 42.1K

$4.07 A$5.85

-42.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.36 Rp 24.5K

$3.25 A$4.68

-58.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 Rp 34.2K

$3.44 A$4.96

-44.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.86 Rp 33.3K

$4.28 A$6.16

-56.54%

Potato (1kg)

$1.25 Rp 22.5K

$3.28 A$4.72

-61.89%

Onion (1kg)

$1.57 Rp 28.1K

$2.30 A$3.30

-31.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.73 Rp 13.1K

$2.30 A$3.31

-68.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.42 Rp 7,502

$1.21 A$1.74

-65.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.63 Rp 47.3K

$43.71 A$62.9

-93.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$22.11 Rp 396.8K

$13.88 A$19.97

59.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.81 Rp 32.6K

$3.90 A$5.62

-53.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 Rp 53.9K

$3.91 A$5.63

-23.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,839

$3.04 A$4.38

-91.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$4.30 Rp 77.2K

$150 A$216

-97.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.49 Rp 8,754

$3.38 A$4.86

-85.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.35 Rp 6,251

$1.56 A$2.24

-77.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.66 Rp 47.7K

$40.01 A$57.6

-93.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.74 Rp 13.2K

$1.40 A$2.01

-47.14%

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

$23.9K Rp 429.4M

$29.1K A$41.9K

-17.82%

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

$30.9K Rp 555.2M

$30.1K A$43.4K

2.70%

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

$89.0 Rp 1.6M

$223 A$320

-60.04%

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

$2.71 Rp 48.5K

$27.16 A$39.08

-90.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.90 Rp 446.7K

$55.8 A$80.3

-55.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$21.47 Rp 385.3K

$74.6 A$107

-71.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.40 Rp 150.6K

$23.99 A$34.52

-64.99%

Cinema Ticket

$3.36 Rp 60.3K

$17.56 A$25.27

-80.87%

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

$93.5 Rp 1.7M

$2,196 A$3,160

-95.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,746 Rp 67.2M

$28.2K A$40.6K

-86.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$26.95 Rp 483.6K

$78.4 A$113

-65.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$23.52 Rp 422.0K

$68.4 A$98.5

-65.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.3 Rp 1.4M

$111 A$160

-32.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$40.00 Rp 717.7K

$134 A$193

-70.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$232 Rp 4.2M

$2,500 A$3,598

-90.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$148 Rp 2.7M

$1,709 A$2,460

-91.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$546 Rp 9.8M

$4,946 A$7,117

-88.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$360 Rp 6.5M

$3,022 A$4,349

-88.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,159 Rp 20.8M

$13.2K A$18.9K

-91.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$803 Rp 14.4M

$8,370 A$12.0K

-90.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$214 Rp 3.8M

$4,113 A$5,919

-94.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.46

5.84

61.99%

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

Last update for Makassar: October 11, 2026

Last update for Sydney: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Makassar

$197 30.7%

Sydney

$379 12% 92.2% $182

Accommodation & Living

Makassar

$148 23.1%

Sydney

$1.7K 54.2% 1054% $1.6K

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Makassar

$117 18.2%

Sydney

$306 9.7% 162% $189

Clothing & Footwear

Makassar

$75 11.6%

Sydney

$177 5.6% 137% $102

Eating Out

Makassar

$69 10.7%

Sydney

$299 9.5% 335% $230

Sport & Entertainment

Makassar

$28 4.4%

Sydney

$110 3.5% 289% $82

Getting Around

Makassar

$7.6 1.2%

Sydney

$174 5.5% 2181% $166

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $232 in Makassar and $2,500 in Sydney. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sydney pays 1824% 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 $91.0 in Sydney for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $197 vs $379 per month, with Makassar cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇩 Makassar

🇦🇺 Sydney

🕒 Local time

02:53 2:53 AM

05:53 5:53 AM

3 h ahead of Makassar

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,427,619

4,840,600

💱 Currency

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 IDR = 5.57 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.96 EUR

1 AUD = 0.695 USD

1 AUD = 0.618 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AUD, USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇩 Indonesian Rupiah (Rp)

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 17,943 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.57 USD). 1 EUR = 20,174 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.96 EUR).

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1.44 AUD (1 AUD = 0.695 USD). 1 EUR = 1.62 AUD (1 AUD = 0.618 EUR).

USD to IDR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Makassar Sydney 4,580 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Makassar
Sydney

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 Sydney: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Makassar wins on cost – living expenses run 392% lower than in Sydney. 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 1824% lower in Sydney. 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 $2,500 in Sydney. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Makassar runs roughly 3394% less than in Sydney. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $93.5 in Makassar versus $2,196 in Sydney. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $641 in Makassar versus $3,152 in Sydney, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Makassar but tight or insufficient in Sydney. 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 Sydney 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 392% less than in Sydney. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.