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 $691 per month in Chengdu vs $661 in Kota Bharu, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,088 per month in Chengdu vs $1,134 in Kota Bharu, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,484 per month in Chengdu vs $1,608 in Kota Bharu, rent included.

Chengdu costs about 5% more than Kota Bharu, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both Chengdu and Kota Bharu are more affordable than the global median – Chengdu 48% lower, Kota Bharu 50% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.84 ¥19.16

$1.76 MYR 7.18

61.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.43 ¥158

$20.83 MYR 85.0

12.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.94 ¥33.36

$4.34 MYR 17.74

13.82%

Cappuccino

$2.79 ¥18.85

$2.41 MYR 9.85

15.77%

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

$0.43 ¥2.93

$0.49 MYR 1.98

-12.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ¥2.03

$0.25 MYR 1.02

20.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.14 ¥7.67

$4.33 MYR 17.68

-73.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 ¥14.23

$4.13 MYR 16.88

-48.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 ¥12.11

$1.50 MYR 6.14

19.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.45 ¥9.77

$0.81 MYR 3.29

79.01%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.91 ¥6.17

$0.84 MYR 3.42

8.33%

Eggs

$1.92 ¥12.97

$1.55 MYR 6.31

23.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.62 ¥91.9

$15.22 MYR 62.2

-10.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ¥24.65

$2.84 MYR 11.60

28.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.42 ¥77.1

$6.22 MYR 25.40

83.60%

Apples (1kg)

$1.84 ¥12.40

$1.45 MYR 5.92

26.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.23 ¥8.30

$1.38 MYR 5.64

-10.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.44 ¥9.72

$1.42 MYR 5.80

1.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.06 ¥7.18

$0.91 MYR 3.73

16.48%

Potato (1kg)

$0.71 ¥4.80

$0.78 MYR 3.18

-8.97%

Onion (1kg)

$0.70 ¥4.74

$1.20 MYR 4.91

-41.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.60 ¥4.02

$0.90 MYR 3.69

-33.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 ¥3.84

$0.43 MYR 1.77

32.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.40 ¥22.92

$3.05 MYR 12.47

11.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.44 ¥36.72

$21.66 MYR 88.4

-74.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 ¥6.36

$1.40 MYR 5.70

-32.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 ¥12.71

$3.40 MYR 13.87

-44.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.43 ¥2.92

$0.73 MYR 2.98

-41.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.82 ¥188

$11.75 MYR 47.99

136.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.22 ¥8.25

$0.74 MYR 3.01

64.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 ¥1.91

$0.54 MYR 2.19

-48.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.28 ¥28.87

$3.59 MYR 14.68

19.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.12 ¥7.56

$0.49 MYR 2.00

128.57%

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

$18.7K ¥126.0K

$31.1K MYR 127.1K

-40.08%

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

$16.7K ¥112.5K

$27.8K MYR 113.4K

-40.01%

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

$44.08 ¥298

$38.50 MYR 157

14.49%

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

$11.44 ¥77.2

$8.40 MYR 34.31

36.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.59 ¥78.2

$26.20 MYR 107

-55.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$23.88 ¥161

$36.55 MYR 149

-34.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.59 ¥78.2

$5.99 MYR 24.46

93.49%

Cinema Ticket

$5.43 ¥36.66

$4.30 MYR 17.57

26.28%

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

$342 ¥2,310

$120 MYR 490

184.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.3K ¥83.0K

$6,138 MYR 25.1K

100.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.64 ¥247

$52.7 MYR 215

-30.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.88 ¥262

$19.22 MYR 78.5

102.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$66.4 ¥448

$60.5 MYR 247

9.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$51.5 ¥347

$53.6 MYR 219

-4.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$310 ¥2,095

$256 MYR 1,045

21.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$180 ¥1,216

$141 MYR 574

28.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$611 ¥4,125

$856 MYR 3,494

-28.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$324 ¥2,187

$477 MYR 1,948

-32.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,792 ¥25.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,909 ¥12.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,258 ¥8,491

$290 MYR 1,183

334.09%

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: July 25, 2026

Last update for Kota Bharu: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $310 in Chengdu versus $256 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 334% 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 $23.00 in Chengdu versus $21.00 in Kota Bharu. Groceries tell a different story – $197 in Chengdu vs $208 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: $691 in Chengdu, $661 in Kota Bharu – roughly 5% apart. Chengdu costs more across the board, with Getting Around showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,037 per month in Chengdu and $991 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 $23.00 in Chengdu and $21.00 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 $691 in Chengdu and $661 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 $691 in Chengdu and $661 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.