Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kota Kinabalu and Dhaka

For one person, living is cheaper in Dhaka: $426 a month against $917 in Kota Kinabalu, rent and utilities included – about $5,900 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
21

Cost of Living Index in Dhaka
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Dhaka Living Index

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Kota Kinabalu

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$917

/mo nomad

Dhaka

🇧🇩 Bangladesh

$426

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $917 in Kota Kinabalu versus $426 in Dhaka.

Kota Kinabalu $917
Dhaka $426

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,429 in Kota Kinabalu versus $735 in Dhaka.

Kota Kinabalu $1,429
Dhaka $735

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,941 in Kota Kinabalu versus $1,043 in Dhaka.

Kota Kinabalu $1,941
Dhaka $1,043

Living in Kota Kinabalu is roughly 115% more expensive than in Dhaka, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Kota Kinabalu 32% lower, Dhaka 68% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.57 MYR 14.59

$2.49 ৳305

43.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.54 MYR 79.8

$13.06 ৳1,604

49.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.92 MYR 20.09

$4.83 ৳594

1.86%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.93 ৳606

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.10 ৳504

Cappuccino

$2.63 MYR 10.74

$2.34 ৳287

12.39%

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

$0.60 MYR 2.44

$0.30 ৳37.38

100.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 MYR 1.22

$0.16 ৳19.96

87.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.39 MYR 9.75

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.74 MYR 15.27

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 MYR 7.11

$0.80 ৳98.1

117.50%

White Bread (500g)

$1.28 MYR 5.23

$0.65 ৳79.3

96.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.26 MYR 9.23

$0.71 ৳87.2

218.31%

Eggs

$3.46 MYR 14.13

$1.21 ৳149

185.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$28.33 MYR 116

$8.67 ৳1,065

226.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.69 MYR 15.05

$3.21 ৳395

14.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.68 MYR 27.27

$6.70 ৳823

-0.30%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 MYR 9.15

$2.73 ৳335

-17.95%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 MYR 5.84

$0.88 ৳108

62.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 MYR 7.91

$2.37 ৳291

-18.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 MYR 8.13

$0.65 ৳79.5

206.15%

Potato (1kg)

$1.67 MYR 6.81

$0.24 ৳29.19

595.83%

Onion (1kg)

$2.13 MYR 8.71

$0.49 ৳60.6

334.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.94 MYR 3.84

$0.32 ৳38.87

193.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.47 MYR 1.93

$0.30 ৳37.30

56.67%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$12.07 ৳1,483

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.51 ৳677

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.66 ৳818

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.92 MYR 20.10

$3.23 ৳396

52.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.84 MYR 64.7

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.63 MYR 14.81

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 MYR 10.07

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.91 MYR 7.80

$0.42 ৳52.1

354.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.92 MYR 171

$22.54 ৳2,769

85.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.91 MYR 7.82

$1.19 ৳147

60.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 MYR 0.94

$0.40 ৳48.58

-42.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.35 ৳411

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.76 MYR 3.11

$1.15 ৳141

-33.91%

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

$42.1K MYR 172.1K

$30.3K ৳3.7M

39.11%

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

$35.6K MYR 145.5K

$33.0K ৳4.1M

7.87%

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

$70.5 MYR 288

$46.32 ৳5,690

52.16%

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

$9.69 MYR 39.56

$4.33 ৳531

123.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.36 MYR 132

$10.63 ৳1,306

204.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.3 MYR 214

$16.37 ৳2,011

219.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.09 MYR 12.64

$16.14 ৳1,982

-80.86%

Cinema Ticket

$5.22 MYR 21.31

$4.13 ৳508

26.39%

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

$141 MYR 575

$90.7 ৳11.1K

55.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,995 MYR 28.6K

$2,649 ৳325.4K

164.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$81.5 MYR 333

$16.48 ৳2,024

394.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.64 MYR 150

$21.00 ৳2,579

74.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.7 MYR 382

$50.3 ৳6,173

86.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$48.75 MYR 199

$36.46 ৳4,478

33.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$425 MYR 1,735

$152 ৳18.6K

180.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$193 MYR 788

$73.6 ৳9,041

162.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$679 MYR 2,771

$436 ৳53.5K

55.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$368 MYR 1,501

$214 ৳26.3K

71.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,848 MYR 7,546

$1,622 ৳199.2K

13.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,099 MYR 4,489

$761 ৳93.5K

44.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$592 MYR 2,419

$249 ৳30.6K

137.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.9

10.48

-62.79%

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

Last update for Kota Kinabalu: October 3, 2026

Last update for Dhaka: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Kota Kinabalu

$288 31.1%

Dhaka

$123 28.5% 57.4% $165

Accommodation & Living

Kota Kinabalu

$193 20.9%

Dhaka

$74 17.1% 61.9% $119

Clothing & Footwear

Kota Kinabalu

$117 12.7%

Dhaka

$56 13% 52.3% $61

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kota Kinabalu

$113 12.2%

Dhaka

$61 14.3% 45.5% $51

Eating Out

Kota Kinabalu

$98 10.6%

Dhaka

$64 15% 34.4% $34

Sport & Entertainment

Kota Kinabalu

$63 6.8%

Dhaka

$25 5.7% 60.7% $38

Getting Around

Kota Kinabalu

$53 5.7%

Dhaka

$27 6.4% 47.9% $25

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $425 in Kota Kinabalu and $152 in Dhaka. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kota Kinabalu pays 138% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $20.00 in Kota Kinabalu vs $13.00 in Dhaka for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $123 per month, with Dhaka cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Kota Kinabalu

🇧🇩 Dhaka

🕒 Local time

18:41 6:41 PM

16:41 4:41 PM

2 h behind Kota Kinabalu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

500,425

21,741,000 Capital

💱 Currency

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

Bangladeshi Taka BDT ৳

📈 Exchange rate

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.219 EUR

1,000 BDT = 8.14 USD

1,000 BDT = 7.27 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BDT, 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).

Bangladeshi Taka exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 123 BDT (1,000 BDT = 8.14 USD). 1 EUR = 138 BDT (1,000 BDT = 7.27 EUR).

USD to MYR in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Kota Kinabalu Dhaka 3,380 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Kota Kinabalu
Dhaka

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 Dhaka: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dhaka is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 115% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 138% higher in Kota Kinabalu, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $425 in Kota Kinabalu versus $152 in Dhaka. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $917 per month in Kota Kinabalu versus $426 in Dhaka – a 115% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Dhaka runs roughly 86% less than in Kota Kinabalu. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $426 in Dhaka versus $917 in Kota Kinabalu, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Dhaka but tight or insufficient in Kota Kinabalu. The gap between the two cities makes Dhaka the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Dhaka is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Kota Kinabalu, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Kota Kinabalu and Dhaka are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Dhaka gentler on the wallet – expenses run 115% less than in Kota Kinabalu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.