Cost of Living Comparison Between Chengdu and Kota Bharu Cost of Living Comparison Between Chengdu and Kota Bharu

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $678 per month in Chengdu vs $658 in Kota Bharu, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,080 per month in Chengdu vs $1,137 in Kota Bharu, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,481 per month in Chengdu vs $1,616 in Kota Bharu, rent included.

Chengdu costs about 3% more than Kota Bharu, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both Chengdu and Kota Bharu are more affordable than the global median – Chengdu 49% lower, Kota Bharu 51% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.75 ¥18.55

$1.80 MYR 7.33

52.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.57 ¥159

$21.55 MYR 87.6

9.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.95 ¥33.44

$4.19 MYR 17.02

18.14%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ¥19.13

$2.41 MYR 9.82

17.43%

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

$0.43 ¥2.93

$0.49 MYR 1.97

-12.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ¥2.04

$0.27 MYR 1.11

11.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.13 ¥7.64

$4.28 MYR 17.41

-73.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 ¥13.76

$4.32 MYR 17.58

-52.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 ¥11.67

$1.57 MYR 6.37

10.19%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ¥9.85

$0.80 MYR 3.25

82.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.88 ¥5.92

$0.80 MYR 3.24

10.00%

Eggs

$1.92 ¥12.99

$1.47 MYR 5.96

30.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.60 ¥91.9

$14.93 MYR 60.7

-8.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.49 ¥23.61

$2.86 MYR 11.62

22.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.13 ¥75.2

$6.07 MYR 24.66

83.36%

Apples (1kg)

$1.84 ¥12.43

$1.40 MYR 5.68

31.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.18 ¥7.97

$1.42 MYR 5.78

-16.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.45 ¥9.79

$1.44 MYR 5.87

0.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.03 ¥6.93

$0.84 MYR 3.41

22.62%

Potato (1kg)

$0.65 ¥4.41

$0.77 MYR 3.14

-15.58%

Onion (1kg)

$0.70 ¥4.71

$1.16 MYR 4.71

-39.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.57 ¥3.85

$0.97 MYR 3.95

-41.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 ¥3.82

$0.41 MYR 1.66

39.02%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.32 ¥22.41

$3.08 MYR 12.51

7.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.42 ¥36.60

$19.51 MYR 79.3

-72.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.00 ¥6.78

$1.42 MYR 5.77

-29.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.81 ¥12.22

$3.39 MYR 13.77

-46.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.44 ¥2.97

$0.72 MYR 2.94

-38.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.20 ¥191

$11.64 MYR 47.30

142.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.24 ¥8.38

$0.69 MYR 2.81

79.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 ¥1.89

$0.53 MYR 2.17

-47.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 ¥29.01

$3.59 MYR 14.60

19.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.13 ¥7.64

$0.46 MYR 1.86

145.65%

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

$19.1K ¥129.0K

$30.1K MYR 122.5K

-36.62%

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

$16.4K ¥110.5K

$27.3K MYR 111.0K

-40.08%

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

$44.00 ¥297

$38.21 MYR 155

15.15%

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

$11.53 ¥77.9

$8.17 MYR 33.20

41.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.65 ¥78.7

$26.52 MYR 108

-56.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$23.99 ¥162

$37.31 MYR 152

-35.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.57 ¥78.1

$5.95 MYR 24.20

94.45%

Cinema Ticket

$5.65 ¥38.14

$4.20 MYR 17.08

34.52%

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

$342 ¥2,312

$116 MYR 473

194.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.2K ¥82.5K

$6,302 MYR 25.6K

93.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$37.58 ¥254

$52.2 MYR 212

-27.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.35 ¥266

$18.54 MYR 75.4

112.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$66.0 ¥446

$62.5 MYR 254

5.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$50.6 ¥342

$53.6 MYR 218

-5.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$312 ¥2,105

$254 MYR 1,034

22.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$180 ¥1,218

$143 MYR 580

26.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$624 ¥4,212

$860 MYR 3,495

-27.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$327 ¥2,208

$469 MYR 1,905

-30.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,850 ¥26.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,945 ¥13.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,264 ¥8,541

$296 MYR 1,203

327.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.21

4.16

1.20%

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

Last update for Chengdu: June 14, 2026

Last update for Kota Bharu: June 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $312 in Chengdu versus $254 in Kota Bharu. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 327% higher in Chengdu, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $24.00 in Chengdu versus $22.00 in Kota Bharu. Groceries tell a different story – $194 in Chengdu vs $202 in Kota Bharu – so Chengdu wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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

Chengdu vs Kota Bharu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $678 in Chengdu, $658 in Kota Bharu – roughly 3% apart. Chengdu costs more across the board, with Getting Around showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,017 per month in Chengdu and $987 in Kota Bharu. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Kota Bharu, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $24.00 in Chengdu and $22.00 in Kota Bharu. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $678 in Chengdu and $658 in Kota Bharu. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $678 in Chengdu and $658 in Kota Bharu, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Kota Bharu – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Kota Bharu. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Chengdu makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.