Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kota Kinabalu and Veliky Novgorod

For one person, living is cheaper in Veliky Novgorod: $791 a month against $921 in Kota Kinabalu, rent and utilities included – about $1,600 less a year. The total is higher in Kota Kinabalu despite lower rent and utilities.

45

Cost of Living Index in Kota Kinabalu
Learn more

Kota Kinabalu Living Index
38

Cost of Living Index in Veliky Novgorod
Learn more

Veliky Novgorod Living Index

Jump to prices

Kota Kinabalu

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$921

/mo nomad

Veliky Novgorod

🇷🇺 Russia

$791

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Kota Kinabalu and in Veliky Novgorod

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $921 in Kota Kinabalu versus $791 in Veliky Novgorod.

Kota Kinabalu $921
Veliky Novgorod $791

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,421 in Kota Kinabalu versus $1,322 in Veliky Novgorod.

Kota Kinabalu $1,421
Veliky Novgorod $1,322

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,921 in Kota Kinabalu versus $1,853 in Veliky Novgorod.

Kota Kinabalu $1,921
Veliky Novgorod $1,853

Living in Kota Kinabalu is roughly 16% more expensive than in Veliky Novgorod, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Kota Kinabalu 32% lower, Veliky Novgorod 41% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.64 MYR 14.86

$8.52 ₽711

-57.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.52 MYR 79.6

$41.72 ₽3,482

-53.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.82 MYR 19.65

$5.26 ₽439

-8.37%

Cappuccino

$2.57 MYR 10.50

$2.10 ₽175

22.38%

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

$0.59 MYR 2.41

$0.73 ₽61.0

-19.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 MYR 1.20

$0.37 ₽31.26

-21.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.50 MYR 10.19

$1.04 ₽86.6

140.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 MYR 15.28

$1.84 ₽153

103.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 MYR 7.02

$1.10 ₽91.5

56.36%

White Bread (500g)

$1.30 MYR 5.28

$0.69 ₽57.7

88.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.31 MYR 9.43

$1.70 ₽142

35.88%

Eggs

$3.52 MYR 14.37

$1.27 ₽106

177.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$28.38 MYR 116

$10.67 ₽891

165.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.69 MYR 15.06

$6.24 ₽521

-40.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.91 MYR 28.19

$5.89 ₽491

17.32%

Apples (1kg)

$2.25 MYR 9.20

$1.57 ₽131

43.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 MYR 5.81

$1.65 ₽138

-13.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.91 MYR 7.78

$1.64 ₽137

16.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.93 MYR 7.88

$3.18 ₽265

-39.31%

Potato (1kg)

$1.66 MYR 6.79

$0.68 ₽56.8

144.12%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 MYR 8.44

$0.62 ₽51.3

233.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.00 MYR 4.06

$1.26 ₽105

-20.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 MYR 1.95

$0.80 ₽66.5

-40.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.81 MYR 19.64

$2.96 ₽247

62.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.20 MYR 66.1

$5.90 ₽492

174.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.76 MYR 15.36

$0.74 ₽61.4

408.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 MYR 10.14

$0.91 ₽75.9

173.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.90 MYR 7.76

$0.53 ₽43.84

258.49%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$43.22 MYR 176

$33.40 ₽2,788

29.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.91 MYR 7.77

$1.82 ₽152

4.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 MYR 0.93

$0.17 ₽13.85

35.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.50 ₽292

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.71 MYR 2.89

$0.87 ₽72.5

-18.39%

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

$42.5K MYR 173.5K

$18.1K ₽1.5M

134.47%

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

$34.8K MYR 142.1K

$32.1K ₽2.7M

8.48%

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

$69.4 MYR 283

$44.70 ₽3,730

55.17%

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

$9.25 MYR 37.75

$5.33 ₽445

73.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.46 MYR 132

$5.84 ₽487

455.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.3 MYR 209

$33.20 ₽2,771

54.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.07 MYR 12.53

$21.55 ₽1,799

-85.75%

Cinema Ticket

$5.11 MYR 20.83

$5.27 ₽440

-3.04%

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

$138 MYR 565

$635 ₽53.0K

-78.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,981 MYR 28.5K

$17.2K ₽1.4M

-59.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$81.7 MYR 333

$35.26 ₽2,942

131.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.02 MYR 151

$29.96 ₽2,501

23.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.7 MYR 374

$100 ₽8,370

-8.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$48.12 MYR 196

$70.2 ₽5,862

-31.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$438 MYR 1,786

$356 ₽29.7K

22.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$190 MYR 775

$238 ₽19.9K

-20.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$676 MYR 2,759

$660 ₽55.0K

2.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$368 MYR 1,501

$480 ₽40.0K

-23.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,802 MYR 7,351

$1,713 ₽143.0K

5.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,089 MYR 4,444

$1,213 ₽101.3K

-10.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$578 MYR 2,356

$770 ₽64.3K

-25.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.9

19.5

-80.00%

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

Last update for Kota Kinabalu: October 12, 2026

Last update for Veliky Novgorod: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Kota Kinabalu

$290 31.5%

Veliky Novgorod

$186 23.5% 35.9% $104

Accommodation & Living

Kota Kinabalu

$190 20.6%

Veliky Novgorod

$238 30.1% 25.3% $48

Clothing & Footwear

Kota Kinabalu

$116 12.6%

Veliky Novgorod

$106 13.4% 8.8% $10

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kota Kinabalu

$111 12.1%

Veliky Novgorod

$56 7.1% 49.7% $55

Eating Out

Kota Kinabalu

$98 10.6%

Veliky Novgorod

$122 15.5% 25% $24

Sport & Entertainment

Kota Kinabalu

$61 6.7%

Veliky Novgorod

$44 5.5% 28.9% $18

Getting Around

Kota Kinabalu

$54 5.9%

Veliky Novgorod

$38 4.8% 29.2% $16

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $438 in Kota Kinabalu and $356 in Veliky Novgorod. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Veliky Novgorod pays 33% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $20.00 in Kota Kinabalu vs $42.00 in Veliky Novgorod. Groceries flip the comparison at $290 vs $186, with Veliky Novgorod cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Kota Kinabalu

🇷🇺 Veliky Novgorod

🕒 Local time

08:20 8:20 AM

03:20 3:20 AM

5 h behind Kota Kinabalu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

500,425

223,191

💱 Currency

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

Russian Ruble RUB ₽

📈 Exchange rate

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.218 EUR

100 RUB = 1.2 USD

100 RUB = 1.07 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

RUB, USD, EUR to MYR – Malaysian Ringgit Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇾 Malaysian Ringgit (RM)

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 4.08 MYR (1 MYR = 0.245 USD). 1 EUR = 4.59 MYR (1 MYR = 0.218 EUR).

Russian Ruble exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 83.46 RUB (100 RUB = 1.2 USD). 1 EUR = 93.83 RUB (100 RUB = 1.07 EUR).

USD to MYR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Kota Kinabalu Veliky Novgorod 9,140 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Kota Kinabalu
Veliky Novgorod

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 Veliky Novgorod: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Veliky Novgorod wins on cost – living expenses run 16% lower than in Kota Kinabalu. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Veliky Novgorod the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 33% lower in Veliky Novgorod. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $438 in Kota Kinabalu versus $356 in Veliky Novgorod. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Veliky Novgorod runs roughly 29% less than in Kota Kinabalu. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $138 in Kota Kinabalu versus $635 in Veliky Novgorod. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $791 in Veliky Novgorod versus $921 in Kota Kinabalu, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Veliky Novgorod but tight or insufficient in Kota Kinabalu. The gap between the two cities makes Veliky Novgorod the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Veliky Novgorod delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $791 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Veliky Novgorod hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Kota Kinabalu and Veliky Novgorod 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 Veliky Novgorod gentler on the wallet – expenses run 16% less than in Kota Kinabalu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.