Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Delhi and Sandakan, Sabah

For one person, living is cheaper in Delhi: $526 a month against $934 in Sandakan, Sabah, rent and utilities included – about $4,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

25

Cost of Living Index in Delhi
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Delhi Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Sandakan, Sabah
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Sandakan, Sabah Living Index

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Delhi

🇮🇳 India

$526

/mo nomad

Sandakan, Sabah

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$934

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Delhi and in Sandakan, Sabah

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

A single person spends $526 per month in Delhi vs $934 in Sandakan, Sabah, rent included.

Delhi $526
Sandakan, Sabah $934

A couple spends around $882 per month in Delhi vs $1,397 in Sandakan, Sabah, rent included.

Delhi $882
Sandakan, Sabah $1,397

A family of three spends $1,239 per month in Delhi vs $1,860 in Sandakan, Sabah, rent included.

Delhi $1,239
Sandakan, Sabah $1,860

Delhi is about 44% cheaper than Sandakan, Sabah, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Delhi and Sandakan, Sabah are more affordable than the global median – Delhi 61% lower, Sandakan, Sabah 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.70 ₹352

$3.75 MYR 15.28

-1.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$21.33 ₹2,026

$19.24 MYR 78.5

10.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.69 ₹351

$4.77 MYR 19.45

-22.64%

Cappuccino

$2.30 ₹218

$2.83 MYR 11.53

-18.73%

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

$0.39 ₹36.82

$0.79 MYR 3.23

-50.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.15 ₹14.05

$0.40 MYR 1.63

-62.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.05 ₹195

$3.77 MYR 15.39

-45.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.13 ₹297

$4.48 MYR 18.27

-30.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.69 ₹65.9

$1.82 MYR 7.44

-62.09%

White Bread (500g)

$0.58 ₹54.6

$1.04 MYR 4.26

-44.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.78 ₹74.0

$1.49 MYR 6.09

-47.65%

Eggs

$1.15 ₹109

$2.05 MYR 8.37

-43.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.28 ₹407

$13.38 MYR 54.6

-68.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.52 ₹334

$4.36 MYR 17.77

-19.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.69 MYR 39.54

Apples (1kg)

$1.93 ₹184

$3.28 MYR 13.39

-41.16%

Banana (1kg)

$0.79 ₹75.1

$1.67 MYR 6.83

-52.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.01 ₹95.6

$2.42 MYR 9.85

-58.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.53 ₹50.0

$1.53 MYR 6.25

-65.36%

Potato (1kg)

$0.28 ₹26.21

$1.31 MYR 5.35

-78.63%

Onion (1kg)

$0.37 ₹35.46

$1.18 MYR 4.82

-68.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.44 ₹41.89

$1.12 MYR 4.57

-60.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.31 ₹29.89

$0.53 MYR 2.15

-41.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.95 ₹470

$4.50 MYR 18.35

10.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.57 ₹814

$19.33 MYR 78.9

-55.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ₹152

$3.02 MYR 12.30

-46.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₹253

$4.55 MYR 18.55

-41.54%

Buffalo Round (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) (1kg)

$6.40 ₹608

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 ₹48.63

$0.72 MYR 2.92

-29.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.59 ₹1,481

$12.43 MYR 50.7

25.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.04 ₹98.4

$1.19 MYR 4.85

-12.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.27 ₹25.79

$0.50 MYR 2.05

-46.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.54 ₹146

$7.51 MYR 30.63

-79.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 ₹106

$0.80 MYR 3.28

38.75%

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

$11.5K ₹1.1M

$41.3K MYR 168.5K

-72.21%

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

$18.9K ₹1.8M

$34.3K MYR 140.0K

-45.03%

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

$42.45 ₹4,031

$48.48 MYR 198

-12.44%

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

$4.20 ₹399

$9.82 MYR 40.07

-57.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$6.89 ₹654

$27.45 MYR 112

-74.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$20.09 ₹1,908

$39.94 MYR 163

-49.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.89 ₹749

$7.11 MYR 29.01

10.97%

Cinema Ticket

$5.31 ₹504

$4.94 MYR 20.14

7.49%

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

$101 ₹9,571

$190 MYR 776

-47.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,315 ₹219.8K

$7,001 MYR 28.6K

-66.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$24.64 ₹2,340

$56.6 MYR 231

-56.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.82 ₹2,737

$34.71 MYR 142

-16.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$53.6 ₹5,088

$81.6 MYR 333

-34.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$44.17 ₹4,194

$75.7 MYR 309

-41.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$271 ₹25.8K

$403 MYR 1,644

-32.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$157 ₹14.9K

$299 MYR 1,221

-47.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$744 ₹70.6K

$681 MYR 2,779

9.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$405 ₹38.4K

$489 MYR 1,994

-17.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,574 ₹244.4K

$2,002 MYR 8,167

28.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,003 ₹95.2K

$1,079 MYR 4,402

-7.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$615 ₹58.4K

$1,220 MYR 4,976

-49.55%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.33

4.06

105.17%

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

Last update for Delhi: October 18, 2026

Last update for Sandakan, Sabah: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Delhi

$157 29.9%

Sandakan, Sabah

$299 32.1% 90.7% $142

Groceries & Markets

Delhi

$110 20.8%

Sandakan, Sabah

$258 27.6% 135% $148

Eating Out

Delhi

$87 16.5%

Sandakan, Sabah

$111 11.9% 27.4% $24

Clothing & Footwear

Delhi

$68 12.9%

Sandakan, Sabah

$112 12% 64.4% $44

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Delhi

$54 10.2%

Sandakan, Sabah

$86 9.2% 60.2% $32

Sport & Entertainment

Delhi

$31 5.8%

Sandakan, Sabah

$50 5.3% 62.2% $19

Getting Around

Delhi

$20 3.8%

Sandakan, Sabah

$19 2% 5.2% $1.1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $271 in Delhi versus $403 in Sandakan, Sabah. 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 98% higher in Sandakan, Sabah, 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 $21.00 in Delhi versus $19.00 in Sandakan, Sabah. Groceries tell a different story – $110 in Delhi vs $258 in Sandakan, Sabah – so Delhi wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇮🇳 Delhi

🇲🇾 Sandakan, Sabah

🕒 Local time

03:32 3:32 AM

06:02 6:02 AM

2 h 30 min ahead of Delhi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

16,787,941 Capital

439,050

💱 Currency

Indian Rupee INR ₹

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 INR = 10.53 USD

1,000 INR = 9.37 EUR

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.218 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MYR, USD, EUR to INR – Indian Rupee Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇳 Indian Rupee (₹)

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 94.96 INR (100 INR = 1.05 USD). 1 EUR = 107 INR (1,000 INR = 9.37 EUR).

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 4.08 MYR (1 MYR = 0.245 USD). 1 EUR = 4.59 MYR (1 MYR = 0.218 EUR).

USD to INR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Delhi Sandakan, Sabah 4,990 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Delhi
Sandakan, Sabah

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

Delhi vs Sandakan, Sabah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $526 in Delhi, $934 in Sandakan, Sabah – roughly 78% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $789 per month in Delhi and $1,401 in Sandakan, Sabah. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Delhi, 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 $21.00 in Delhi and $19.00 in Sandakan, Sabah. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $526 in Delhi and $934 in Sandakan, Sabah. That's a gap of about 78%.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $526 in Delhi and $934 in Sandakan, Sabah, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Delhi – 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 Delhi. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Sandakan, Sabah makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.