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: $840 in Kota Kinabalu versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,352 in Kota Kinabalu versus $2,297 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,865 in Kota Kinabalu versus $3,329 in Phuket.

Living in Kota Kinabalu costs roughly 34% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Kota Kinabalu 37% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.50 MYR 13.89

$4.70 ฿153

-25.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.05 MYR 75.6

$45.37 ฿1,482

-58.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.67 MYR 18.53

$8.43 ฿275

-44.60%

Cappuccino

$2.60 MYR 10.32

$2.93 ฿95.6

-11.26%

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

$0.69 MYR 2.72

$0.69 ฿22.40

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 MYR 1.46

$0.37 ฿11.99

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.38 MYR 9.45

$2.41 ฿78.6

-1.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 MYR 13.91

$3.72 ฿122

-5.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MYR 6.66

$2.23 ฿72.9

-24.66%

White Bread (500g)

$1.24 MYR 4.91

$1.83 ฿59.8

-32.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 MYR 6.72

$2.17 ฿70.8

-21.66%

Eggs

$2.89 MYR 11.47

$2.21 ฿72.3

30.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$25.74 MYR 102

$19.74 ฿645

30.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.44 MYR 13.65

$3.63 ฿119

-5.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.43 MYR 29.45

$13.53 ฿442

-45.08%

Apples (1kg)

$2.56 MYR 10.16

$3.28 ฿107

-21.95%

Banana (1kg)

$1.16 MYR 4.62

$1.61 ฿52.6

-27.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.14 MYR 12.46

$2.41 ฿78.6

30.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.91 MYR 7.58

$2.08 ฿68.1

-8.17%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 MYR 6.02

$1.53 ฿49.93

-0.65%

Onion (1kg)

$1.71 MYR 6.79

$1.48 ฿48.36

15.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 MYR 4.49

$0.99 ฿32.29

14.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.47 MYR 1.88

$0.51 ฿16.67

-7.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.23 MYR 16.79

$4.41 ฿144

-4.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.30 MYR 64.6

$19.38 ฿633

-15.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.85 MYR 7.35

$1.78 ฿58.1

3.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.61 MYR 6.37

$2.71 ฿88.6

-40.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.51 MYR 6.00

$1.37 ฿44.79

10.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.03 MYR 163

$11.39 ฿372

260.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.90 MYR 7.54

$3.02 ฿98.6

-37.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.46 MYR 1.84

$0.99 ฿32.48

-53.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.75 MYR 22.80

$14.10 ฿461

-59.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.46 MYR 1.82

$1.36 ฿44.51

-66.18%

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

$29.6K MYR 117.2K

$28.2K ฿921.1K

4.83%

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

$27.1K MYR 107.6K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-17.50%

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

$51.6 MYR 205

$122 ฿3,975

-57.57%

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

$9.22 MYR 36.55

$13.57 ฿443

-32.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.25 MYR 128

$18.31 ฿598

76.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.54 MYR 173

$60.2 ฿1,967

-27.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$2.99 MYR 11.87

$17.14 ฿560

-82.56%

Cinema Ticket

$4.73 MYR 18.76

$8.69 ฿284

-45.57%

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

$132 MYR 523

$693 ฿22.6K

-80.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,506 MYR 17.9K

$15.7K ฿512.3K

-71.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.6 MYR 240

$59.5 ฿1,944

1.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$22.99 MYR 91.2

$34.77 ฿1,136

-33.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.4 MYR 283

$115 ฿3,743

-37.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$94.5 MYR 375

$83.3 ฿2,720

13.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$372 MYR 1,473

$613 ฿20.0K

-39.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$168 MYR 667

$437 ฿14.3K

-61.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$641 MYR 2,540

$2,094 ฿68.4K

-69.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$368 MYR 1,461

$1,509 ฿49.3K

-75.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,889 MYR 7,492

$3,749 ฿122.5K

-49.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,133 MYR 4,492

$2,616 ฿85.4K

-56.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$598 MYR 2,370

$508 ฿16.6K

17.64%

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: June 2, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $372 in Kota Kinabalu and $613 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kota Kinabalu pays 18% 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 $45.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $293 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 51% 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.

Kota Kinabalu pays 18% more on average, 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: $372 in Kota Kinabalu versus $613 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 260% less than in Phuket. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $132 in Kota Kinabalu versus $693 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $840 in Kota Kinabalu versus $1,265 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 $840 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 51% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.