I had the option to buy a “central” unit or several mini splits for my apartment. I chose several mini splits. The main reason is that they can fail independently, so I’m not stuck in an apartment that is hot everywhere.

But I think the main reason is that in places without central AC, people tend to want to incrementally upgrade. For example, you might get a mini split just for your bedroom, because that’s the room you require the most comfort during the hot days. Then when you start getting used to the comfort of the AC in the bedroom, you’ll want one in the living room. And so on.