Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kota Kinabalu and Chiang Mai

For one person, living costs are similar in Kota Kinabalu and in Chiang Mai: $917 and $906 a month, rent and utilities included.

45

Cost of Living Index in Kota Kinabalu
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Kota Kinabalu Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Kota Kinabalu

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$917

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$906

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Kota Kinabalu and in Chiang Mai

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

A single person spends $917 per month in Kota Kinabalu vs $906 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Kota Kinabalu $917
Chiang Mai $906

A couple spends around $1,429 per month in Kota Kinabalu vs $1,385 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Kota Kinabalu $1,429
Chiang Mai $1,385

A family of three spends $1,941 per month in Kota Kinabalu vs $1,864 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Kota Kinabalu $1,941
Chiang Mai $1,864

Kota Kinabalu costs about 1% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Kota Kinabalu and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Kota Kinabalu 32% lower, Chiang Mai 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.57 MYR 14.59

$2.13 ฿71.4

67.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.54 MYR 79.8

$19.40 ฿649

0.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.92 MYR 20.09

$5.47 ฿183

-10.05%

Cappuccino

$2.63 MYR 10.74

$1.68 ฿56.4

56.55%

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

$0.60 MYR 2.44

$0.66 ฿22.10

-9.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 MYR 1.22

$0.34 ฿11.52

-11.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.39 MYR 9.75

$2.42 ฿81.0

-1.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.74 MYR 15.27

$3.73 ฿125

0.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 MYR 7.11

$2.06 ฿68.9

-15.53%

White Bread (500g)

$1.28 MYR 5.23

$1.46 ฿48.78

-12.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.26 MYR 9.23

$1.35 ฿45.09

67.41%

Eggs

$3.46 MYR 14.13

$2.27 ฿76.0

52.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$28.33 MYR 116

$16.31 ฿546

73.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.69 MYR 15.05

$2.70 ฿90.3

36.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.68 MYR 27.27

$9.20 ฿308

-27.39%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 MYR 9.15

$2.39 ฿80.1

-6.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 MYR 5.84

$1.04 ฿34.66

37.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 MYR 7.91

$1.60 ฿53.7

21.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 MYR 8.13

$1.44 ฿48.37

38.19%

Potato (1kg)

$1.67 MYR 6.81

$1.30 ฿43.59

28.46%

Onion (1kg)

$2.13 MYR 8.71

$1.11 ฿37.29

91.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.94 MYR 3.84

$0.70 ฿23.55

34.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.47 MYR 1.93

$0.51 ฿16.99

-7.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.92 MYR 20.10

$4.13 ฿138

19.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.84 MYR 64.7

$17.78 ฿595

-10.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.63 MYR 14.81

$1.63 ฿54.7

122.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 MYR 10.07

$2.87 ฿96.0

-13.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.91 MYR 7.80

$0.86 ฿28.76

122.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.92 MYR 171

$53.2 ฿1,780

-21.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.91 MYR 7.82

$1.22 ฿40.81

56.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 MYR 0.94

$0.56 ฿18.81

-58.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.31 ฿77.5

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.76 MYR 3.11

$1.50 ฿50.2

-49.33%

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

$42.1K MYR 172.1K

$20.9K ฿698.3K

102.04%

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

$35.6K MYR 145.5K

$26.7K ฿895.0K

33.29%

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

$70.5 MYR 288

$61.3 ฿2,051

15.05%

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

$9.69 MYR 39.56

$12.50 ฿419

-22.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.36 MYR 132

$20.36 ฿682

58.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.3 MYR 214

$37.94 ฿1,270

37.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.09 MYR 12.64

$3.77 ฿126

-18.04%

Cinema Ticket

$5.22 MYR 21.31

$6.60 ฿221

-20.91%

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

$141 MYR 575

$774 ฿25.9K

-81.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,995 MYR 28.6K

$14.4K ฿483.2K

-51.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$81.5 MYR 333

$54.8 ฿1,835

48.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.64 MYR 150

$25.26 ฿846

45.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.7 MYR 382

$90.6 ฿3,032

3.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$48.75 MYR 199

$73.3 ฿2,453

-33.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$425 MYR 1,735

$459 ฿15.4K

-7.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$193 MYR 788

$294 ฿9,835

-34.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$679 MYR 2,771

$919 ฿30.8K

-26.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$368 MYR 1,501

$552 ฿18.5K

-33.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,848 MYR 7,546

$1,917 ฿64.2K

-3.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,099 MYR 4,489

$1,445 ฿48.4K

-23.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$592 MYR 2,419

$592 ฿19.8K

0.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.9

5.57

-29.98%

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

Last update for Kota Kinabalu: October 3, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Kota Kinabalu

$288 31.1%

Chiang Mai

$236 25.6% 17.9% $52

Accommodation & Living

Kota Kinabalu

$193 20.9%

Chiang Mai

$294 31.8% 52.3% $101

Clothing & Footwear

Kota Kinabalu

$117 12.7%

Chiang Mai

$110 11.9% 6.4% $7.5

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kota Kinabalu

$113 12.2%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2% 16.4% $18

Eating Out

Kota Kinabalu

$98 10.6%

Chiang Mai

$77 8.4% 21.1% $21

Sport & Entertainment

Kota Kinabalu

$63 6.8%

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5% 18.5% $12

Getting Around

Kota Kinabalu

$53 5.7%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 15.2% $8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $425 in Kota Kinabalu versus $459 in Chiang Mai. 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 0% 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 Kota Kinabalu versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $288 vs $236 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Kota Kinabalu

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

12:42 12:42 PM

11:42 11:42 AM

1 h behind Kota Kinabalu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

500,425

127,240

💱 Currency

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.218 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to MYR – Malaysian Ringgit Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇾 Malaysian Ringgit (RM)

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 = 0.218 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 33.48 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.55 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to MYR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Kota Kinabalu Chiang Mai 2,340 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Kota Kinabalu
Chiang Mai

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

Kota Kinabalu vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kota Kinabalu costs about 1% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,375 per month in Kota Kinabalu and $1,359 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $141 per month in Kota Kinabalu and $774 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 22% 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 $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Chiang Mai, where all-in costs run around $906, than in Kota Kinabalu at $917. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Kota Kinabalu it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $906 versus $917 in Kota Kinabalu. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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 Chiang Mai. 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.