Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sydney and Makassar

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.

155

Cost of Living Index in Sydney
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Sydney Living Index
31

Cost of Living Index in Makassar
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Makassar Living Index

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Sydney

🇦🇺 Australia

$3,152

/mo nomad

Makassar

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$641

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sydney and in Makassar

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

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

Sydney $3,152
Makassar $641

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

Sydney $4,710
Makassar $985

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

Sydney $6,268
Makassar $1,328

Living in Sydney is roughly 392% more expensive than in Makassar, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.57 A$25.29

$1.72 Rp 31.0K

921.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$91.5 A$132

$8.88 Rp 159.8K

930.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.96 A$17.21

$3.15 Rp 56.7K

279.68%

Cappuccino

$4.07 A$5.85

$1.92 Rp 34.5K

111.98%

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

$2.85 A$4.10

$0.50 Rp 9,030

470.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 A$3.24

$0.36 Rp 6,497

525.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.60 A$10.94

$2.49 Rp 44.8K

205.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.43 A$10.69

$3.30 Rp 59.4K

125.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 A$2.38

$1.59 Rp 28.6K

4.40%

White Bread (500g)

$2.78 A$4.00

$0.98 Rp 17.7K

183.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 A$3.49

$0.62 Rp 11.2K

290.32%

Eggs

$5.64 A$8.12

$1.50 Rp 27.0K

276.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.71 A$16.85

$6.29 Rp 113.3K

86.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.66 A$13.89

$3.44 Rp 61.9K

180.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.75 A$24.10

$5.24 Rp 94.3K

219.66%

Apples (1kg)

$4.07 A$5.85

$2.35 Rp 42.3K

73.19%

Banana (1kg)

$3.25 A$4.68

$1.36 Rp 24.5K

138.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.44 A$4.96

$1.90 Rp 34.3K

81.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.28 A$6.16

$1.86 Rp 33.4K

130.11%

Potato (1kg)

$3.28 A$4.72

$1.25 Rp 22.6K

162.40%

Onion (1kg)

$2.30 A$3.30

$1.57 Rp 28.2K

46.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.30 A$3.31

$0.73 Rp 13.2K

215.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 A$1.74

$0.42 Rp 7,526

188.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$43.71 A$62.9

$2.63 Rp 47.4K

1561.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.88 A$19.97

$22.11 Rp 398.0K

-37.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.90 A$5.62

$1.81 Rp 32.7K

115.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 A$5.63

$3.00 Rp 54.0K

30.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.04 A$4.38

$0.27 Rp 4,854

1025.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$150 A$216

$4.30 Rp 77.5K

3393.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.38 A$4.86

$0.49 Rp 8,781

589.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 A$2.24

$0.35 Rp 6,271

345.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.01 A$57.6

$2.66 Rp 47.9K

1404.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.40 A$2.01

$0.74 Rp 13.3K

89.19%

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

$29.1K A$41.9K

$23.9K Rp 430.8M

21.69%

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

$30.1K A$43.4K

$30.9K Rp 557.0M

-2.63%

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

$223 A$320

$89.0 Rp 1.6M

150.22%

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

$27.16 A$39.08

$2.71 Rp 48.7K

902.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.8 A$80.3

$24.90 Rp 448.1K

124.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$74.6 A$107

$21.47 Rp 386.5K

247.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.99 A$34.52

$8.40 Rp 151.1K

185.60%

Cinema Ticket

$17.56 A$25.27

$3.36 Rp 60.5K

422.62%

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

$2,196 A$3,160

$93.5 Rp 1.7M

2249.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.2K A$40.6K

$3,746 Rp 67.4M

652.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$78.4 A$113

$26.95 Rp 485.2K

191.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$68.4 A$98.5

$23.52 Rp 423.3K

190.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 A$160

$75.3 Rp 1.4M

47.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$134 A$193

$40.00 Rp 720.0K

236.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,500 A$3,598

$232 Rp 4.2M

977.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,709 A$2,460

$148 Rp 2.7M

1053.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,946 A$7,117

$546 Rp 9.8M

805.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,022 A$4,349

$360 Rp 6.5M

740.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.2K A$18.9K

$1,159 Rp 20.9M

1036.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,370 A$12.0K

$803 Rp 14.5M

942.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,113 A$5,919

$214 Rp 3.8M

1824.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.84

9.46

-38.27%

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

Last update for Sydney: October 11, 2026

Last update for Makassar: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sydney

$1.7K 54.2%

Makassar

$148 23.1% 91.3% $1.6K

Groceries & Markets

Sydney

$379 12%

Makassar

$197 30.7% 48% $182

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sydney

$306 9.7%

Makassar

$117 18.2% 61.9% $189

Eating Out

Sydney

$299 9.5%

Makassar

$69 10.7% 77% $230

Clothing & Footwear

Sydney

$177 5.6%

Makassar

$75 11.6% 57.8% $102

Getting Around

Sydney

$174 5.5%

Makassar

$7.6 1.2% 95.6% $166

Sport & Entertainment

Sydney

$110 3.5%

Makassar

$28 4.4% 74.3% $82

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,500 in Sydney and $232 in Makassar. 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: $91.0 in Sydney vs $9.00 in Makassar for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $379 vs $197 per month, with Makassar cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Sydney

🇮🇩 Makassar

🕒 Local time

07:46 7:46 AM

04:46 4:46 AM

3 h behind Sydney

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,840,600

1,427,619

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.695 USD

1 AUD = 0.618 EUR

100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

IDR, USD, EUR to AUD – Australian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇺 Australian Dollar ($)

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).

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 18,000 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD). 1 EUR = 20,238 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

USD to AUD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Sydney Makassar 4,580 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

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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

Sydney vs Makassar: 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.

Average pay runs 1824% higher in Sydney, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,500 in Sydney versus $232 in Makassar. 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 $2,196 in Sydney versus $93.5 in Makassar. 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, Sydney and Makassar 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.