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 $670 per month in Chengdu vs $643 in Kota Bharu, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,074 per month in Chengdu vs $1,124 in Kota Bharu, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,478 per month in Chengdu vs $1,605 in Kota Bharu, rent included.

Chengdu costs about 4% more than Kota Bharu, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both Chengdu and Kota Bharu are more affordable than the global median – Chengdu 50% lower, Kota Bharu 52% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.84 ¥19.42

$1.74 MYR 6.89

63.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.02 ¥165

$21.18 MYR 83.7

13.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.78 ¥32.72

$4.18 MYR 16.53

14.35%

Cappuccino

$2.77 ¥19.01

$2.33 MYR 9.20

18.88%

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

$0.43 ¥2.95

$0.45 MYR 1.77

-4.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ¥2.08

$0.27 MYR 1.07

11.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.13 ¥7.75

$4.26 MYR 16.85

-73.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 ¥13.97

$4.28 MYR 16.90

-52.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.82 ¥12.45

$1.51 MYR 5.95

20.53%

White Bread (500g)

$1.45 ¥9.92

$0.81 MYR 3.19

79.01%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.92 ¥6.32

$0.85 MYR 3.34

8.24%

Eggs

$1.94 ¥13.28

$1.47 MYR 5.82

31.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.50 ¥92.5

$15.28 MYR 60.4

-11.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.52 ¥24.11

$2.88 MYR 11.37

22.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.22 ¥76.8

$6.21 MYR 24.51

80.68%

Apples (1kg)

$1.92 ¥13.16

$1.40 MYR 5.52

37.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.23 ¥8.39

$1.40 MYR 5.53

-12.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.49 ¥10.24

$1.45 MYR 5.72

2.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.08 ¥7.40

$0.87 MYR 3.43

24.14%

Potato (1kg)

$0.69 ¥4.75

$0.82 MYR 3.22

-15.85%

Onion (1kg)

$0.71 ¥4.84

$1.20 MYR 4.73

-40.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.56 ¥3.84

$0.91 MYR 3.61

-38.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ¥4.14

$0.44 MYR 1.73

36.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.39 ¥23.21

$2.98 MYR 11.79

13.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.58 ¥38.20

$19.39 MYR 76.6

-71.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.00 ¥6.88

$1.42 MYR 5.61

-29.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.79 ¥12.26

$3.52 MYR 13.90

-49.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.43 ¥2.96

$0.69 MYR 2.73

-37.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.53 ¥189

$12.01 MYR 47.45

129.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 ¥8.79

$0.73 MYR 2.90

75.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.26 ¥1.77

$0.54 MYR 2.14

-51.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.26 ¥29.16

$3.45 MYR 13.64

23.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.18 ¥8.07

$0.47 MYR 1.84

151.06%

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

$18.7K ¥127.9K

$31.1K MYR 122.8K

-39.92%

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

$16.3K ¥111.9K

$27.3K MYR 107.7K

-40.04%

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

$43.81 ¥300

$39.38 MYR 156

11.25%

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

$11.49 ¥78.7

$8.08 MYR 31.92

42.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.73 ¥80.3

$26.98 MYR 107

-56.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.26 ¥166

$36.25 MYR 143

-33.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.27 ¥77.2

$5.81 MYR 22.93

93.98%

Cinema Ticket

$5.73 ¥39.23

$4.30 MYR 16.98

33.26%

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

$340 ¥2,326

$119 MYR 470

185.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.2K ¥83.4K

$6,108 MYR 24.1K

99.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$37.27 ¥255

$52.6 MYR 208

-29.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.16 ¥268

$19.07 MYR 75.3

105.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$65.7 ¥450

$61.6 MYR 243

6.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$50.4 ¥345

$52.0 MYR 205

-3.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$308 ¥2,112

$262 MYR 1,035

17.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$181 ¥1,242

$141 MYR 559

28.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$622 ¥4,258

$868 MYR 3,430

-28.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$330 ¥2,263

$470 MYR 1,856

-29.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,887 ¥26.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,045 ¥14.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,210 ¥8,287

$302 MYR 1,191

301.25%

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: April 25, 2026

Last update for Kota Bharu: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $308 in Chengdu versus $262 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 301% 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 $21.00 in Kota Bharu. Groceries tell a different story – $197 in Chengdu vs $203 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: $670 in Chengdu, $643 in Kota Bharu – roughly 4% apart. Chengdu costs more across the board, with Getting Around showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,006 per month in Chengdu and $964 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 $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 $670 in Chengdu and $643 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 $670 in Chengdu and $643 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.