Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Da Nang and Kota Kinabalu

For one person, living is cheaper in Da Nang: $844 a month against $917 in Kota Kinabalu, rent and utilities included – about $880 less a year. The total is higher in Kota Kinabalu despite lower rent and utilities.

42

Cost of Living Index in Da Nang
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Da Nang Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Kota Kinabalu
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Kota Kinabalu Living Index

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Da Nang

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$844

/mo nomad

Kota Kinabalu

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$917

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Da Nang and in Kota Kinabalu

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Da Nang and in Kota Kinabalu actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $844 per month in Da Nang vs $917 in Kota Kinabalu, rent included.

Da Nang $844
Kota Kinabalu $917

A couple spends around $1,386 per month in Da Nang vs $1,429 in Kota Kinabalu, rent included.

Da Nang $1,386
Kota Kinabalu $1,429

A family of three spends $1,928 per month in Da Nang vs $1,941 in Kota Kinabalu, rent included.

Da Nang $1,928
Kota Kinabalu $1,941

Da Nang is about 8% cheaper than Kota Kinabalu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Da Nang and Kota Kinabalu are more affordable than the global median – Da Nang 37% lower, Kota Kinabalu 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.27 ₫58.7K

$3.57 MYR 14.59

-36.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.51 ₫504.8K

$19.54 MYR 79.8

-0.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.62 ₫119.6K

$4.92 MYR 20.09

-6.10%

Cappuccino

$1.73 ₫44.8K

$2.63 MYR 10.74

-34.22%

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

$0.65 ₫16.9K

$0.60 MYR 2.44

8.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 ₫8,179

$0.30 MYR 1.22

6.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.37 ₫35.5K

$2.39 MYR 9.75

-42.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 ₫58.2K

$3.74 MYR 15.27

-39.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.58 ₫41.0K

$1.74 MYR 7.11

-9.20%

White Bread (500g)

$1.27 ₫32.8K

$1.28 MYR 5.23

-0.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.04 ₫26.9K

$2.26 MYR 9.23

-53.98%

Eggs

$1.50 ₫38.8K

$3.46 MYR 14.13

-56.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.12 ₫339.5K

$28.33 MYR 116

-53.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.17 ₫107.9K

$3.69 MYR 15.05

13.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.26 ₫239.6K

$6.68 MYR 27.27

38.62%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 ₫70.2K

$2.24 MYR 9.15

20.98%

Banana (1kg)

$1.14 ₫29.6K

$1.43 MYR 5.84

-20.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.33 ₫34.4K

$1.94 MYR 7.91

-31.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.53 ₫39.6K

$1.99 MYR 8.13

-23.12%

Potato (1kg)

$1.14 ₫29.5K

$1.67 MYR 6.81

-31.74%

Onion (1kg)

$1.31 ₫34.0K

$2.13 MYR 8.71

-38.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 ₫26.1K

$0.94 MYR 3.84

7.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ₫12.7K

$0.47 MYR 1.93

4.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.55 ₫40.2K

$4.92 MYR 20.10

-68.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.80 ₫201.8K

$15.84 MYR 64.7

-50.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 ₫22.8K

$3.63 MYR 14.81

-75.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 ₫54.3K

$2.47 MYR 10.07

-14.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 ₫8,147

$1.91 MYR 7.80

-83.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$5.06 ₫130.9K

$41.92 MYR 171

-87.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.05 ₫27.1K

$1.91 MYR 7.82

-45.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ₫14.7K

$0.23 MYR 0.94

147.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.44 ₫503.0K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.89 ₫23.1K

$0.76 MYR 3.11

17.11%

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

$30.2K ₫780.7M

$42.1K MYR 172.1K

-28.41%

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

$27.9K ₫721.7M

$35.6K MYR 145.5K

-21.73%

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

$78.0 ₫2.0M

$70.5 MYR 288

10.66%

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

$6.34 ₫164.0K

$9.69 MYR 39.56

-34.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.23 ₫213.0K

$32.36 MYR 132

-74.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$22.58 ₫584.2K

$52.3 MYR 214

-56.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.43 ₫140.5K

$3.09 MYR 12.64

75.73%

Cinema Ticket

$3.13 ₫81.0K

$5.22 MYR 21.31

-40.04%

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

$161 ₫4.2M

$141 MYR 575

13.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.7K ₫380.7M

$6,995 MYR 28.6K

110.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.61 ₫1.2M

$81.5 MYR 333

-44.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.84 ₫720.5K

$36.64 MYR 150

-24.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 ₫2.6M

$93.7 MYR 382

8.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$81.1 ₫2.1M

$48.75 MYR 199

66.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$516 ₫13.4M

$425 MYR 1,735

21.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$341 ₫8.8M

$193 MYR 788

76.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,047 ₫27.1M

$679 MYR 2,771

54.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$783 ₫20.3M

$368 MYR 1,501

112.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,790 ₫98.1M

$1,848 MYR 7,546

105.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,306 ₫33.8M

$1,099 MYR 4,489

18.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$350 ₫9.1M

$592 MYR 2,419

-40.87%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.72

3.9

174.87%

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

Last update for Da Nang: October 5, 2026

Last update for Kota Kinabalu: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Da Nang

$341 39.8%

Kota Kinabalu

$193 20.9% 43.4% $148

Groceries & Markets

Da Nang

$200 23.4%

Kota Kinabalu

$288 31.1% 43.6% $87

Clothing & Footwear

Da Nang

$115 13.5%

Kota Kinabalu

$117 12.7% 1.6% $1.9

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Da Nang

$93 10.8%

Kota Kinabalu

$113 12.2% 21.6% $20

Eating Out

Da Nang

$68 8%

Kota Kinabalu

$98 10.6% 43.9% $30

Sport & Entertainment

Da Nang

$29 3.4%

Kota Kinabalu

$63 6.8% 118% $34

Getting Around

Da Nang

$10 1.2%

Kota Kinabalu

$53 5.7% 416% $42

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $516 in Da Nang versus $425 in Kota Kinabalu. 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 69% higher in Kota Kinabalu, 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 Da Nang versus $20.00 in Kota Kinabalu. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $200 vs $288 – making Da Nang the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇻🇳 Da Nang

🇲🇾 Kota Kinabalu

🕒 Local time

21:22 9:22 PM

22:22 10:22 PM

1 h ahead of Da Nang

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,245,200

500,425

💱 Currency

Vietnamese Dong VND ₫

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 VND = 3.86 USD

100,000 VND = 3.45 EUR

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.219 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MYR, USD, EUR to VND – Vietnamese Dong Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇻🇳 Vietnamese Dong (₫)

Vietnamese Dong exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 25,879 VND (100,000 VND = 3.86 USD). 1 EUR = 28,999 VND (100,000 VND = 3.45 EUR).

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 4.08 MYR (1 MYR = 0.245 USD). 1 EUR = 4.58 MYR (1 MYR = 0.219 EUR).

USD to VND in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Da Nang Kota Kinabalu 1,410 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Da Nang
Kota Kinabalu

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Da Nang vs Kota Kinabalu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $844 in Da Nang, $917 in Kota Kinabalu – roughly 9% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,266 per month in Da Nang and $1,375 in Kota Kinabalu. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 44% more in Kota Kinabalu, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $20.00 in Da Nang and $20.00 in Kota Kinabalu. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Da Nang, where all-in costs run around $844, than in Kota Kinabalu at $917. In Da Nang it covers expenses comfortably, while in Kota Kinabalu it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Da Nang has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $844 in Da Nang to $917 in Kota Kinabalu. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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 Da Nang. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Kota Kinabalu makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.