---
title: "Kupang vs Makassar for digital nomads"
url: https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/kupang-vs-makassar
description: "Under balanced weights Kupang edges it, 55 to 54, winning 2 of the 9 factors. Kupang is stronger on air quality; Makassar on nothing outright. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you."
dataset: 2026.11.2 (2026-11-09)
license: CC BY 4.0
---

# Kupang vs Makassar for digital nomads

Under balanced weights Kupang edges it, 55 to 54, winning 2 of the 9 factors. Kupang is stronger on air quality; Makassar on nothing outright. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you.

## Where they differ

- **Air quality.** Kupang leads on air quality, 88 to 76, against Makassar. PM2.5: 10.3 µg/m³ vs 15.9 µg/m³.
- **Getting there & around.** Makassar leads on getting there & around, 16 to 7, against Kupang. Non-stop airport destinations: 17 vs 42.
- **Climate.** Kupang leads on climate, 50 to 42, against Makassar. Comfortable months: 6 vs 5.

Where they are close: within five points on internet, cost of living, safety, healthcare, visa ease, quality of life.

**Pick Kupang if you want** cleaner air.

**Pick Makassar if you want** no clear edge over Kupang in the data.

## Factor scores (0–100, balanced weights)

| Metric | Kupang | Makassar | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Cost of living | 74 | 74 | tie |
| Safety | 67 | 67 | tie |
| Healthcare | 65 | 65 | tie |
| Internet | 44 | 45 | Makassar |
| Visa ease | 54 | 54 | tie |
| Getting there & around | 7 | 16 | Makassar |
| Climate | 50 | 42 | Kupang |
| Air quality | 88 | 76 | Kupang |
| Quality of life | 49 | 49 | tie |

## Cost

| Metric | Kupang | Makassar | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly cost, one person | $1,000 | $1,000 | tie |
| Central one-bedroom rent | no data | no data | — |

## Safety and health (country-level)

| Metric | Kupang | Makassar | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Homicides per 100k | 0.41 | 0.41 | tie |
| Political stability (0–100) | 52.7 | 52.7 | tie |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 67 | 67 | tie |
| Life expectancy | 72.7 yrs | 72.7 yrs | tie |

## Internet (M-Lab measured medians)

| Metric | Kupang | Makassar | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Download | 9.3 Mbps | 10.5 Mbps | Makassar |
| Upload | 4.3 Mbps | 4 Mbps | Kupang |

## Visa

| Metric | Kupang | Makassar | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Nomad visa | Remote worker visa (E33G) | Remote worker visa (E33G) | tie |
| Minimum income for the visa | $5,000/mo | $5,000/mo | tie |
| Entry, US passport | visa on arrival | visa on arrival | tie |
| Entry, EU passport | visa on arrival | visa on arrival | tie |
| Entry, UK passport | visa on arrival | visa on arrival | tie |

## Getting there and around

| Metric | Kupang | Makassar | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Non-stop airport destinations | 17 | 42 | Makassar |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 2 | 2 | tie |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 1 | 2 | Makassar |

## Climate and air

| Metric | Kupang | Makassar | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Comfortable months per year | 6 | 5 | Kupang |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 10.3 µg/m³ | 15.9 µg/m³ | Kupang |

## FAQ

### Which is cheaper, Kupang or Makassar?

Kupang and Makassar cost about the same: roughly $1,000 per month for one person.

### Is Kupang or Makassar safer?

Kupang and Makassar score the same on safety (67), based on national homicide rates and World Bank political-stability scores.

### Where is the internet faster, Kupang or Makassar?

Makassar: a measured median of 10.5 Mbps versus 9.3 Mbps (M-Lab, 2024).

City pages: [Kupang](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/kupang) · [Makassar](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/makassar). Sources: Cost of Living Global 2026 (city rows); 2026 Cost of Living Index (country level); Worldwide Governance Indicators — Political Stability and Absence of Violence (score 0–100); Victims of intentional homicide per 100,000 population (national data, latest year); UHC service coverage index; Life expectancy at birth (years), both sexes; M-Lab NDT statistics (city aggregates, 2024); Airport destinations (Wikipedia airline and destination tables); NASA POWER climatology (2001–2020 monthly means); SatPM2.5 satellite-derived annual PM2.5 (V6.GL.02.04); Human Development Index (HDR 2025, HDI 2023); EF English Proficiency Index 2024 (band); Walkability and transit ratings (editorial); Passport Index dataset (visa requirements, 199 passports × 199 destinations); OpenStreetMap restaurants (Overpass API); Nostos long-stay visa guides; Starlink availability map.

HTML page: https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/kupang-vs-makassar