Kota Kinabalu at a glance
- Kota Kinabalu is the cheapest of Malaysia's 4 priced cities: $523 a month in essentials, 25% below Kuala Lumpur at $698.
- The average net salary of $584 covers that 1.1×.
- 105.3 men per 100 women aged 20–39, measured at unit level.
- PM2.5 averages 10.7 µg/m³ a year, 2× the WHO guideline of 5.
Green is the better side of each figure. Every line is computed from the tables below.
Monthly cost breakdown
Rent outside centre plus utilities, groceries, dining and local transport make up the essentials figure. Not a full lifestyle budget. The middle column is the median across the 5 Malaysia cities we track, so every row says whether Kota Kinabalu is the cheap side of its own market or the dear one. Green is the better side of each row.
| Essentials, monthlyrent outside centre + bills + food + transit | $523 | $646 | $123 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent, 1-bed outside centremonthly, USD | $189 | $366 | 1.94× as much |
| Rent, 1-bed city centremonthly, USD | $430 | $505 | $75 |
| Groceriesmonthly, one person | $111 | $104 | $7 |
| Dining outmonthly, one person | $84 | $84 | same |
| Utilitiesmonthly: power, water, heating, internet | $97 | $90 | $7 |
| Local transportmonthly pass or fare equivalent | $42 | $12 | 3.50× as much |
| Average net salarymonthly, after tax; average, not median | $584 | $1,070 | 1.83× as much |
| Rent, 3-bed outside centremonthly, USD | $372 | $605 | 1.63× as much |
| Rent, 3-bed city centremonthly, USD | $672 | $898 | 1.34× as much |
Single person, USD. Data updated August 6, 2026.
Everyday prices
What single items cost in Kota Kinabalu, in USD. The monthly figures above are built from these. Cheaper side of each row in green.
Eating out
| Meal, inexpensive restaurant | $3.66 | $3.66 | same |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meal for 2, mid-range, three courses | $19.53 | $19.53 | same |
| McMeal at McDonald's | $4.88 | $4.88 | same |
| Cappuccino, regular | $2.64 | $2.80 | $0.16 |
| Domestic beer, 0.5 L draught | $2.44 | $4.39 | 1.80× as much |
| Imported beer, 0.33 L bottle | $3.66 | $4.64 | 1.27× as much |
| Coke/Pepsi, 0.33 L | $0.57 | $0.74 | 1.30× as much |
| Water, 0.33 L bottle | $0.31 | $0.46 | 1.48× as much |
Groceries
| Milk, 1 L | $1.77 | $1.90 | $0.13 |
|---|---|---|---|
| White bread, 500 g | $1.30 | $1.07 | $0.23 |
| White rice, 1 kg | $2.32 | $1.71 | 1.36× as much |
| Eggs, 12 | $2.67 | $2.27 | $0.40 |
| Local cheese, 1 kg | $28.08 | $15.72 | 1.79× as much |
| Chicken fillets, 1 kg | $3.66 | $4.57 | $0.91 |
| Apples, 1 kg | $2.20 | $3.05 | 1.39× as much |
| Bananas, 1 kg | $1.40 | $1.70 | $0.30 |
| Tomatoes, 1 kg | $1.95 | $1.63 | $0.32 |
| Potatoes, 1 kg | $1.71 | $1.37 | $0.34 |
| Onions, 1 kg | $2.08 | $1.46 | 1.42× as much |
| Water, 1.5 L bottle | $0.46 | $0.52 | $0.06 |
Transport & bills
| One-way ticket, local transport | $1.95 | $0.73 | 2.67× as much |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly transit pass | $42.46 | $12.21 | 3.48× as much |
| Taxi start | $1.95 | $1.22 | 1.60× as much |
| Taxi, 1 km | $0.24 | $0.73 | 3.04× as much |
| Gasoline, 1 L | $0.71 | $0.78 | $0.07 |
| Basic utilities, 85 m² flat | $69.09 | $63.99 | $5.10 |
| Internet, 60 Mbps+ | $27.43 | $27.43 | same |
| Mobile plan, monthly | $9.42 | $9.37 | $0.05 |
Leisure
| Gym, monthly | $51.27 | $40.28 | 1.27× as much |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cinema, one seat | $5.25 | $4.88 | $0.37 |
Dating-age sex ratio
Kota Kinabalu has 105.3 men per 100 women aged 20–39 (unit level). That is the lowest of the 6 Malaysia cities we track. Malaysia's national figure is 116.6, so Kota Kinabalu runs 11 below the country as a whole.
Every Malaysia region by male-to-female ratio →
A supply figure, 20–39. The dating-pool model is in Pro.
How Kota Kinabalu ranks against every city we track
Kota Kinabalu sits ahead of 85% of the 542 cities we track on cost of living. On city-centre rent it is ahead of 75% of 553. Its weakest measure is local salary, ahead of only 23% of 545.
Longer is better on every row: bar length is where Kota Kinabalu sits among all the cities carrying that measure, which is why the count differs by row.
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Photo: FILMR Production, CC BY 3.0.
