Cost of Living Comparison Between Kota Kinabalu and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Kota Kinabalu and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $848 in Kota Kinabalu versus $1,250 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,331 in Kota Kinabalu versus $2,284 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,814 in Kota Kinabalu versus $3,317 in Phuket.

Living in Kota Kinabalu costs roughly 32% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Kota Kinabalu 36% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.52 MYR 14.41

$4.55 ฿153

-22.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.53 MYR 75.8

$46.18 ฿1,554

-59.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.62 MYR 18.88

$8.84 ฿298

-47.74%

Cappuccino

$2.70 MYR 11.04

$3.06 ฿103

-11.76%

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

$0.65 MYR 2.64

$0.73 ฿24.42

-10.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 MYR 1.60

$0.40 ฿13.40

-2.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.40 MYR 9.80

$2.43 ฿81.8

-1.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 MYR 14.42

$3.78 ฿127

-6.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.76 MYR 7.19

$2.26 ฿76.0

-22.12%

White Bread (500g)

$1.21 MYR 4.95

$1.81 ฿60.9

-33.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.75 MYR 7.17

$2.25 ฿75.8

-22.22%

Eggs

$2.78 MYR 11.35

$2.25 ฿75.6

23.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$26.05 MYR 107

$19.51 ฿656

33.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.61 MYR 14.77

$3.65 ฿123

-1.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.06 MYR 28.87

$13.05 ฿439

-45.90%

Apples (1kg)

$2.52 MYR 10.29

$3.23 ฿109

-21.98%

Banana (1kg)

$1.16 MYR 4.76

$1.62 ฿54.4

-28.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.20 MYR 13.07

$2.38 ฿80.2

34.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.98 MYR 8.10

$2.03 ฿68.2

-2.46%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 MYR 6.17

$1.53 ฿51.6

-1.31%

Onion (1kg)

$1.77 MYR 7.26

$1.50 ฿50.5

18.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 MYR 4.63

$0.98 ฿32.93

15.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 MYR 2.07

$0.52 ฿17.40

-1.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.17 MYR 17.07

$4.44 ฿149

-6.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.66 MYR 64.0

$18.32 ฿616

-14.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.92 MYR 7.84

$1.86 ฿62.7

3.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 MYR 6.62

$2.68 ฿90.2

-39.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.56 MYR 6.36

$1.41 ฿47.49

10.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.74 MYR 167

$11.70 ฿394

248.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.86 MYR 7.60

$3.11 ฿105

-40.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.47 MYR 1.90

$1.04 ฿35.08

-54.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MYR 23.61

$14.11 ฿475

-59.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.46 MYR 1.89

$1.31 ฿44.13

-64.89%

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

$29.4K MYR 120.0K

$27.8K ฿936.0K

5.52%

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

$27.2K MYR 111.4K

$33.2K ฿1.1M

-18.02%

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

$52.5 MYR 215

$122 ฿4,120

-57.15%

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

$9.29 MYR 38.00

$13.59 ฿457

-31.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.03 MYR 135

$18.70 ฿629

76.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.88 MYR 179

$60.5 ฿2,035

-27.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$2.99 MYR 12.22

$16.98 ฿572

-82.39%

Cinema Ticket

$4.56 MYR 18.63

$9.07 ฿305

-49.72%

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

$128 MYR 525

$706 ฿23.8K

-81.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,486 MYR 18.3K

$15.8K ฿531.8K

-71.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.4 MYR 243

$58.6 ฿1,970

1.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$23.13 MYR 94.6

$35.36 ฿1,190

-34.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.8 MYR 290

$115 ฿3,885

-38.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.8 MYR 384

$83.7 ฿2,818

12.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$378 MYR 1,546

$626 ฿21.1K

-39.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$168 MYR 687

$445 ฿15.0K

-62.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$650 MYR 2,658

$2,040 ฿68.7K

-68.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$362 MYR 1,483

$1,492 ฿50.2K

-75.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,793 MYR 7,334

$3,483 ฿117.2K

-48.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,086 MYR 4,440

$2,577 ฿86.7K

-57.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 MYR 2,432

$500 ฿16.8K

18.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.8

5.33

-28.71%

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

Last update for Kota Kinabalu: July 12, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $378 in Kota Kinabalu and $626 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kota Kinabalu pays 19% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $19.00 in Kota Kinabalu vs $46.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $270 vs $289 per month, with Kota Kinabalu cheaper across the board.

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 Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kota Kinabalu wins on cost – living expenses run 47% lower than in Phuket. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Kota Kinabalu the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 19% 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: $378 in Kota Kinabalu versus $626 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Kota Kinabalu runs roughly 248% less than in Phuket. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $128 in Kota Kinabalu versus $706 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $848 in Kota Kinabalu versus $1,250 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Kota Kinabalu but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Kota Kinabalu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Kota Kinabalu delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $848 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Kota Kinabalu hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Kota Kinabalu and Phuket 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 Kota Kinabalu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 47% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.