Cheapest priced cityKota Kinabalu$523 essentials/mo
Priciest priced cityKuala Lumpur$698 essentials/mo
Average 1-bed outside centre$312across 5 priced cities
Kota Kinabalu vs the worldCheaper than 458 of the 535 priced cities we trackessentials, single person, USD
Tourist stay signal90-day visa-free entry for most Western passports (US/UK/EU/AU/CA/JP/KR); 30 days for ASEAN, China, India and ~100 others. No in-country extension for most nationalities.as of 2026-07
City-by-city monthly costs
Essentials are sourced rent outside centre plus utilities, groceries, dining, and local transport. They are not a full lifestyle budget.
| Kota Kinabalu | $523 | 105.3 unit | $189 | $430 | $111 | $84 | $97 | $42 | $584 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| George Town | $614 | 106.8 unit | $366 | $505 | $96 | $74 | $67 | $11 | $1,074 |
| Johor Bahru | $678 | 125.6 unit | $391 | $519 | $102 | $92 | $81 | $12 | $1,070 |
| Kuala Lumpur | $698 | 120.6 unit | $369 | $605 | $117 | $110 | $90 | $12 | $1,542 |
| Ipoh | n/a | 124.4 unit | $244 | $366 | $104 | $79 | $90 | n/a | $952 |
Single person, USD. Data updated August 6, 2026.
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Photo: Renek78, CC0.
