Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kota Kinabalu and Delhi

For one person, living is cheaper in Delhi: $520 a month against $917 in Kota Kinabalu, rent and utilities included – about $4,800 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Kota Kinabalu
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Kota Kinabalu Living Index
25

Cost of Living Index in Delhi
Learn more

Delhi Living Index

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Kota Kinabalu

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$917

/mo nomad

Delhi

🇮🇳 India

$520

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Kota Kinabalu and in Delhi

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 Delhi actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $917 per month in Kota Kinabalu vs $520 in Delhi, rent included.

Kota Kinabalu $917
Delhi $520

A couple spends around $1,429 per month in Kota Kinabalu vs $858 in Delhi, rent included.

Kota Kinabalu $1,429
Delhi $858

A family of three spends $1,941 per month in Kota Kinabalu vs $1,195 in Delhi, rent included.

Kota Kinabalu $1,941
Delhi $1,195

Kota Kinabalu costs about 76% more than Delhi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Kota Kinabalu and Delhi are more affordable than the global median – Kota Kinabalu 32% lower, Delhi 61% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.57 MYR 14.59

$3.67 ₹355

-2.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.54 MYR 79.8

$20.95 ₹2,027

-6.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.92 MYR 20.09

$3.74 ₹362

31.55%

Cappuccino

$2.63 MYR 10.74

$2.33 ₹226

12.88%

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

$0.60 MYR 2.44

$0.37 ₹35.82

62.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 MYR 1.22

$0.20 ₹18.91

50.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.39 MYR 9.75

$2.02 ₹195

18.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.74 MYR 15.27

$3.19 ₹308

17.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 MYR 7.11

$0.68 ₹65.9

155.88%

White Bread (500g)

$1.28 MYR 5.23

$0.52 ₹50.2

146.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.26 MYR 9.23

$0.83 ₹80.0

172.29%

Eggs

$3.46 MYR 14.13

$1.07 ₹104

223.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$28.33 MYR 116

$4.43 ₹428

539.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.69 MYR 15.05

$3.37 ₹326

9.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.68 MYR 27.27

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 MYR 9.15

$1.99 ₹192

12.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 MYR 5.84

$0.72 ₹70.1

98.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 MYR 7.91

$1.02 ₹98.4

90.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 MYR 8.13

$0.52 ₹50.1

282.69%

Potato (1kg)

$1.67 MYR 6.81

$0.27 ₹25.96

518.52%

Onion (1kg)

$2.13 MYR 8.71

$0.37 ₹35.42

475.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.94 MYR 3.84

$0.43 ₹41.64

118.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.47 MYR 1.93

$0.31 ₹30.39

51.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.92 MYR 20.10

$4.92 ₹476

Wine (Bottle)

$15.84 MYR 64.7

$8.34 ₹808

89.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.63 MYR 14.81

$1.64 ₹159

121.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 MYR 10.07

$2.70 ₹261

-8.52%

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

$6.15 ₹596

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.91 MYR 7.80

$0.46 ₹44.04

315.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.92 MYR 171

$15.29 ₹1,480

174.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.91 MYR 7.82

$1.03 ₹99.8

85.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 MYR 0.94

$0.27 ₹26.38

-14.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.53 ₹148

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.76 MYR 3.11

$1.05 ₹102

-27.62%

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

$42.1K MYR 172.1K

$10.5K ₹1.0M

302.71%

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

$35.6K MYR 145.5K

$18.4K ₹1.8M

94.01%

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

$70.5 MYR 288

$42.67 ₹4,129

65.17%

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

$9.69 MYR 39.56

$4.04 ₹391

139.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.36 MYR 132

$6.75 ₹653

379.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.3 MYR 214

$19.40 ₹1,878

169.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.09 MYR 12.64

$8.06 ₹780

-61.66%

Cinema Ticket

$5.22 MYR 21.31

$5.08 ₹492

2.76%

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

$141 MYR 575

$100 ₹9,696

40.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,995 MYR 28.6K

$2,268 ₹219.5K

208.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$81.5 MYR 333

$24.14 ₹2,336

237.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.64 MYR 150

$28.38 ₹2,747

29.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.7 MYR 382

$53.3 ₹5,160

75.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$48.75 MYR 199

$44.13 ₹4,271

10.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$425 MYR 1,735

$264 ₹25.5K

60.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$193 MYR 788

$154 ₹14.9K

25.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$679 MYR 2,771

$736 ₹71.2K

-7.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$368 MYR 1,501

$397 ₹38.5K

-7.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,848 MYR 7,546

$2,494 ₹241.4K

-25.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,099 MYR 4,489

$1,017 ₹98.4K

8.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$592 MYR 2,419

$585 ₹56.7K

1.20%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.9

8.33

-53.18%

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

Last update for Kota Kinabalu: October 3, 2026

Last update for Delhi: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Kota Kinabalu

$288 31.1%

Delhi

$108 20.8% 62.4% $180

Accommodation & Living

Kota Kinabalu

$193 20.9%

Delhi

$154 29.7% 20.1% $39

Clothing & Footwear

Kota Kinabalu

$117 12.7%

Delhi

$67 13% 42.4% $50

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kota Kinabalu

$113 12.2%

Delhi

$53 10.3% 52.5% $59

Eating Out

Kota Kinabalu

$98 10.6%

Delhi

$87 16.8% 10.9% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Kota Kinabalu

$63 6.8%

Delhi

$30 5.7% 52.9% $33

Getting Around

Kota Kinabalu

$53 5.7%

Delhi

$20 3.8% 62.9% $33

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $425 in Kota Kinabalu versus $264 in Delhi. 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 1% 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 $21.00 in Delhi. Groceries tell a different story – $288 in Kota Kinabalu vs $108 in Delhi – so Delhi wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Kota Kinabalu

🇮🇳 Delhi

🕒 Local time

19:38 7:38 PM

17:08 5:08 PM

2 h 30 min behind Kota Kinabalu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

500,425

16,787,941 Capital

💱 Currency

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

Indian Rupee INR ₹

📈 Exchange rate

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.219 EUR

1,000 INR = 10.33 USD

1,000 INR = 9.22 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

INR, 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 = 0.219 EUR).

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 96.78 INR (100 INR = 1.03 USD). 1 EUR = 108 INR (1,000 INR = 9.22 EUR).

USD to MYR in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Kota Kinabalu Delhi 4,800 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Kota Kinabalu
Delhi

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 Delhi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $917 in Kota Kinabalu, $520 in Delhi – roughly 76% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,375 per month in Kota Kinabalu and $780 in Delhi. 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 $20.00 in Kota Kinabalu and $21.00 in Delhi. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $917 in Kota Kinabalu and $520 in Delhi. That's a gap of about 76%.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Delhi, where all-in costs run around $520, than in Kota Kinabalu at $917. In Delhi it covers expenses comfortably, while in Kota Kinabalu it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Kota Kinabalu has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $520 in Delhi 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 Delhi. 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.