Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Petaling Jaya and Sandakan, Sabah

For one person, living is cheaper in Sandakan, Sabah: $968 a month against $1,056 in Petaling Jaya, rent and utilities included – about $1,100 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Petaling Jaya outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

50

Cost of Living Index in Petaling Jaya
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Petaling Jaya Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Sandakan, Sabah
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Sandakan, Sabah Living Index

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Petaling Jaya

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$1,056

/mo nomad

Sandakan, Sabah

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$968

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Petaling Jaya and in Sandakan, Sabah

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Petaling Jaya and in Sandakan, Sabah actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,056 per month in Petaling Jaya vs $968 in Sandakan, Sabah, rent included.

Petaling Jaya $1,056
Sandakan, Sabah $968

A couple spends around $1,569 per month in Petaling Jaya vs $1,470 in Sandakan, Sabah, rent included.

Petaling Jaya $1,569
Sandakan, Sabah $1,470

A family of three spends $2,082 per month in Petaling Jaya vs $1,971 in Sandakan, Sabah, rent included.

Petaling Jaya $2,082
Sandakan, Sabah $1,971

Petaling Jaya costs about 9% more than Sandakan, Sabah, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Petaling Jaya and Sandakan, Sabah are more affordable than the global median – Petaling Jaya 22% lower, Sandakan, Sabah 29% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.57 MYR 14.53

$3.65 MYR 14.85

-2.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.39 MYR 99.3

$19.26 MYR 78.4

26.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.85 MYR 19.74

$4.56 MYR 18.56

6.36%

Cappuccino

$3.08 MYR 12.52

$3.07 MYR 12.51

0.33%

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

$0.85 MYR 3.46

$0.73 MYR 2.96

16.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.41 MYR 1.66

$0.43 MYR 1.75

-4.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 MYR 13.37

$4.24 MYR 17.28

-22.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.69 MYR 23.17

$3.93 MYR 16.00

44.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.93 MYR 7.86

$1.99 MYR 8.10

-3.02%

White Bread (500g)

$1.03 MYR 4.21

$1.18 MYR 4.79

-12.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.44 MYR 5.86

$1.49 MYR 6.07

-3.36%

Eggs

$1.77 MYR 7.20

$2.24 MYR 9.12

-20.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.71 MYR 39.52

$11.79 MYR 48.01

-17.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.28 MYR 13.35

$4.00 MYR 16.29

-18.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.73 MYR 39.62

$9.55 MYR 38.87

1.88%

Apples (1kg)

$3.51 MYR 14.28

$2.84 MYR 11.54

23.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.86 MYR 7.56

$1.63 MYR 6.62

14.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.73 MYR 11.12

$2.53 MYR 10.29

7.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.83 MYR 7.43

$1.56 MYR 6.36

17.31%

Potato (1kg)

$2.15 MYR 8.74

$1.39 MYR 5.65

54.68%

Onion (1kg)

$2.02 MYR 8.22

$1.38 MYR 5.63

46.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 MYR 5.90

$1.27 MYR 5.15

14.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 MYR 2.13

$0.48 MYR 1.94

8.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.56 MYR 18.58

$4.04 MYR 16.45

12.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 MYR 78.9

$21.89 MYR 89.1

-11.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.64 MYR 10.74

$3.12 MYR 12.72

-15.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 MYR 18.22

$4.29 MYR 17.44

4.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 MYR 5.10

$0.79 MYR 3.21

58.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.45 MYR 50.7

$10.67 MYR 43.43

16.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.19 MYR 4.84

$1.32 MYR 5.38

-9.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.35 MYR 1.44

$0.63 MYR 2.57

-44.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.75 MYR 35.62

$8.09 MYR 32.94

8.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.87 MYR 3.54

$0.82 MYR 3.32

6.10%

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

$45.9K MYR 186.7K

$46.8K MYR 190.3K

-1.87%

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

$35.3K MYR 143.8K

$39.7K MYR 161.5K

-10.97%

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

$49.61 MYR 202

$48.86 MYR 199

1.53%

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

$8.18 MYR 33.30

$10.09 MYR 41.07

-18.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.36 MYR 111

$28.65 MYR 117

-4.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.42 MYR 165

$36.98 MYR 151

9.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.03 MYR 12.33

$7.38 MYR 30.04

-58.94%

Cinema Ticket

$5.00 MYR 20.36

$5.08 MYR 20.68

-1.57%

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

$273 MYR 1,110

$242 MYR 986

12.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MYR 42.8K

$7,062 MYR 28.7K

48.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.6 MYR 210

$63.1 MYR 257

-18.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.45 MYR 120

$30.35 MYR 124

-2.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.0 MYR 318

$91.5 MYR 372

-14.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.2 MYR 355

$77.2 MYR 314

12.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$511 MYR 2,082

$379 MYR 1,543

34.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$426 MYR 1,736

$326 MYR 1,326

30.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$961 MYR 3,910

$631 MYR 2,567

52.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$699 MYR 2,846

$589 MYR 2,396

18.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,144 MYR 12.8K

$2,010 MYR 8,182

56.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$976 MYR 3,974

$1,149 MYR 4,677

-15.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,746 MYR 7,108

$1,210 MYR 4,926

44.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.51

4.06

11.08%

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

Last update for Petaling Jaya: October 25, 2026

Last update for Sandakan, Sabah: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Petaling Jaya

$426 40.4%

Sandakan, Sabah

$326 33.6% 23.6% $101

Groceries & Markets

Petaling Jaya

$249 23.6%

Sandakan, Sabah

$258 26.7% 3.5% $8.8

Eating Out

Petaling Jaya

$113 10.7%

Sandakan, Sabah

$113 11.7% 0.6% $0.6

Clothing & Footwear

Petaling Jaya

$111 10.5%

Sandakan, Sabah

$118 12.2% 6.5% $7.2

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Petaling Jaya

$85 8.1%

Sandakan, Sabah

$88 9.1% 2.9% $2.4

Sport & Entertainment

Petaling Jaya

$50 4.8%

Sandakan, Sabah

$47 4.9% 6.5% $3.3

Getting Around

Petaling Jaya

$20 1.9%

Sandakan, Sabah

$18 1.9% 10.3% $2.1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $511 in Petaling Jaya versus $379 in Sandakan, Sabah. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 44% higher in Petaling Jaya. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $24 in Petaling Jaya versus $19 in Sandakan, Sabah. Groceries tell a different story – $249 in Petaling Jaya vs $258 in Sandakan, Sabah – so Petaling Jaya wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Petaling Jaya

🇲🇾 Sandakan, Sabah

🕒 Local time

04:47 4:47 AM

Same time as Petaling Jaya

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

771,687

439,050

💱 Currency

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

📈 Exchange rate

1 MYR = 0.246 USD

1 MYR = 0.219 EUR

1 MYR = 0.246 USD

1 MYR = 0.219 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Petaling Jaya Sandakan, Sabah 1,850 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Petaling Jaya
Sandakan, Sabah

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

Petaling Jaya vs Sandakan, Sabah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Petaling Jaya costs about 9% more than Sandakan, Sabah, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from leisure. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,583 per month in Petaling Jaya and $1,453 in Sandakan, Sabah. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Sandakan, Sabah, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $379 there versus $511 in Petaling Jaya.

Public transport costs about 14% less in Sandakan, Sabah. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $273 per month in Petaling Jaya and $242 in Sandakan, Sabah. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,056 in Petaling Jaya and $968 in Sandakan, Sabah, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Sandakan, Sabah – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with Sandakan, Sabah. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Petaling Jaya makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.