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 $759 per month in Chengdu vs $710 in Kota Bharu, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,226 per month in Chengdu vs $1,067 in Kota Bharu, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,692 per month in Chengdu vs $1,423 in Kota Bharu, rent included.

Chengdu costs about 7% more than Kota Bharu, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Chengdu and Kota Bharu are more affordable than the global median – Chengdu 44% lower, Kota Bharu 48% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.91 ¥19.50

$2.27 MYR 9.28

28.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.82 ¥133

$15.02 MYR 61.5

31.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.34 ¥35.76

$4.87 MYR 19.92

9.65%

Cappuccino

$2.89 ¥19.38

$2.11 MYR 8.62

36.97%

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

$0.50 ¥3.36

$0.47 MYR 1.92

6.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.28 ¥1.88

$0.28 MYR 1.15

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.46 ¥9.78

$2.42 MYR 9.91

-39.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.44 ¥16.36

$4.30 MYR 17.61

-43.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.80 ¥12.07

$1.57 MYR 6.44

14.65%

White Bread (500g)

$1.67 ¥11.16

$0.87 MYR 3.55

91.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.93 ¥6.25

$0.82 MYR 3.37

13.41%

Eggs

$1.54 ¥10.29

$1.56 MYR 6.38

-1.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.12 ¥94.6

$15.33 MYR 62.8

-7.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.50 ¥23.43

$2.98 MYR 12.21

17.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.43 ¥76.6

$6.59 MYR 26.99

73.44%

Apples (1kg)

$1.85 ¥12.40

$2.45 MYR 10.01

-24.49%

Banana (1kg)

$1.27 ¥8.48

$1.49 MYR 6.11

-14.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.06 ¥7.12

$2.33 MYR 9.53

-54.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.25 ¥8.35

$1.09 MYR 4.46

14.68%

Potato (1kg)

$0.70 ¥4.71

$0.93 MYR 3.82

-24.73%

Onion (1kg)

$0.73 ¥4.86

$0.84 MYR 3.44

-13.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.68 ¥4.58

$0.78 MYR 3.17

-12.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ¥3.70

$0.48 MYR 1.98

14.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.78 ¥25.30

$3.40 MYR 13.94

11.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.45 ¥36.47

$21.50 MYR 88.0

-74.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.76 ¥5.12

$2.50 MYR 10.25

-69.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.47 ¥9.81

$3.61 MYR 14.76

-59.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.46 ¥3.11

$0.76 MYR 3.12

-39.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$24.55 ¥164

$12.12 MYR 49.63

102.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.32 ¥8.82

$1.21 MYR 4.96

9.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.29 ¥1.91

$0.50 MYR 2.06

-42.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.45 ¥29.77

$3.78 MYR 15.49

17.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 ¥8.30

$0.52 MYR 2.14

138.46%

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

$19.6K ¥130.9K

$31.5K MYR 128.8K

-37.85%

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

$17.6K ¥118.1K

$28.5K MYR 116.6K

-38.07%

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

$41.28 ¥276

$50.2 MYR 206

-17.79%

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

$9.61 ¥64.4

$8.12 MYR 33.23

18.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$12.79 ¥85.6

$27.57 MYR 113

-53.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.65 ¥178

$49.13 MYR 201

-45.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ¥74.1

Cinema Ticket

$5.93 ¥39.73

$4.40 MYR 17.99

34.77%

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

$411 ¥2,751

$124 MYR 509

230.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ¥98.9K

$5,033 MYR 20.6K

193.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$29.38 ¥197

$54.6 MYR 223

-46.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.00 ¥201

$19.45 MYR 79.6

54.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$60.5 ¥405

$73.5 MYR 301

-17.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$51.1 ¥342

$85.4 MYR 350

-40.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$485 ¥3,247

$247 MYR 1,012

96.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$261 ¥1,747

$122 MYR 500

113.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$860 ¥5,759

$695 MYR 2,843

23.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$561 ¥3,754

$218 MYR 891

157.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,788 ¥25.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,965 ¥13.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,276 ¥8,543

$291 MYR 1,189

339.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.38

4.43

-23.70%

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

Last update for Chengdu: September 13, 2026

Last update for Kota Bharu: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $485 in Chengdu versus $247 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 339% 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 $20.00 in Chengdu versus $15.00 in Kota Bharu. Groceries tell a different story – $197 in Chengdu vs $227 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: $759 in Chengdu, $710 in Kota Bharu – roughly 7% apart. Chengdu costs more across the board, with Groceries & Markets showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,139 per month in Chengdu and $1,065 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 $20.00 in Chengdu and $15.00 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 $759 in Chengdu and $710 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 $759 in Chengdu and $710 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.