Cost of Living Comparison Between Kota Kinabalu and Veliky Novgorod Cost of Living Comparison Between Kota Kinabalu and Veliky Novgorod

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $937 in Kota Kinabalu versus $791 in Veliky Novgorod.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,460 in Kota Kinabalu versus $1,333 in Veliky Novgorod.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,983 in Kota Kinabalu versus $1,875 in Veliky Novgorod.

Living in Kota Kinabalu is roughly 18% more expensive than in Veliky Novgorod, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Kota Kinabalu 32% lower, Veliky Novgorod 42% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.64 MYR 14.72

$9.99 ₽871

-63.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$20.15 MYR 81.5

$39.90 ₽3,479

-49.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.03 MYR 20.35

$5.16 ₽450

-2.52%

Cappuccino

$2.76 MYR 11.16

$2.14 ₽187

28.97%

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

$0.56 MYR 2.25

$1.35 ₽118

-58.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 MYR 1.35

$0.51 ₽44.45

-35.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.50 MYR 10.10

$1.37 ₽119

82.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 MYR 14.85

$2.00 ₽175

83.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 MYR 7.46

$1.10 ₽96.0

67.27%

White Bread (500g)

$1.36 MYR 5.49

$0.71 ₽62.2

91.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.31 MYR 9.34

$1.63 ₽142

41.72%

Eggs

$3.60 MYR 14.56

$1.27 ₽111

183.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$28.42 MYR 115

$10.56 ₽921

169.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 MYR 14.69

$5.81 ₽507

-37.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.78 MYR 27.42

$5.94 ₽518

14.14%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 MYR 9.25

$1.48 ₽129

54.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.39 MYR 5.61

$1.56 ₽136

-10.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 MYR 7.81

$1.74 ₽151

10.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MYR 8.19

$3.14 ₽274

-35.35%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MYR 7.18

$0.72 ₽62.7

147.22%

Onion (1kg)

$2.16 MYR 8.72

$0.61 ₽53.1

254.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MYR 4.19

$1.30 ₽113

-20.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.44 MYR 1.77

$0.77 ₽66.9

-42.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.78 MYR 19.31

$2.95 ₽258

62.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.33 MYR 66.0

$5.71 ₽498

185.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.69 MYR 14.91

$0.68 ₽59.3

442.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MYR 10.21

$0.95 ₽82.7

166.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.95 MYR 7.90

$0.54 ₽47.00

261.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$42.28 MYR 171

$32.61 ₽2,843

29.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.95 MYR 7.89

$1.70 ₽148

14.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.24 MYR 0.97

$0.19 ₽16.68

26.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.51 ₽306

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.70 MYR 2.83

$0.82 ₽71.6

-14.63%

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

$41.7K MYR 168.8K

$17.5K ₽1.5M

137.98%

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

$35.6K MYR 143.8K

$33.0K ₽2.9M

7.86%

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

$68.8 MYR 278

$43.69 ₽3,809

57.36%

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

$9.77 MYR 39.48

$5.10 ₽445

91.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.19 MYR 130

$5.66 ₽493

468.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.7 MYR 213

$30.98 ₽2,701

70.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.06 MYR 12.37

$20.87 ₽1,820

-85.34%

Cinema Ticket

$5.41 MYR 21.86

$5.10 ₽445

6.08%

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

$144 MYR 581

$428 ₽37.3K

-66.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,144 MYR 28.9K

$14.6K ₽1.3M

-51.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.5 MYR 342

$35.23 ₽3,071

139.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.58 MYR 152

$29.51 ₽2,573

27.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.5 MYR 382

$97.8 ₽8,528

-3.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$48.80 MYR 197

$68.7 ₽5,986

-28.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$429 MYR 1,733

$318 ₽27.7K

34.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$195 MYR 788

$228 ₽19.8K

-14.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$680 MYR 2,750

$643 ₽56.0K

5.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$378 MYR 1,529

$469 ₽40.9K

-19.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,845 MYR 7,458

$1,435 ₽125.1K

28.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,092 MYR 4,417

$1,139 ₽99.3K

-4.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$582 MYR 2,354

$699 ₽60.9K

-16.66%

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: August 30, 2026

Last update for Veliky Novgorod: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $429 in Kota Kinabalu and $318 in Veliky Novgorod. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Veliky Novgorod pays 20% 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 $40.00 in Veliky Novgorod. Groceries flip the comparison at $292 vs $182, with Veliky Novgorod cheaper for home cooking.

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 18% 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 20% 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: $429 in Kota Kinabalu versus $318 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 30% less than in Kota Kinabalu. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $144 in Kota Kinabalu versus $428 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 $937 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 18% less than in Kota Kinabalu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.