Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sandakan, Sabah and Bansko

For one person, living costs are similar in Sandakan, Sabah and in Bansko: $934 and $965 a month, rent and utilities included.

45

Cost of Living Index in Sandakan, Sabah
Learn more

Sandakan, Sabah Living Index
47

Cost of Living Index in Bansko
Learn more

Bansko Living Index

Jump to prices

Sandakan, Sabah

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$934

/mo nomad

Bansko

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$965

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sandakan, Sabah and in Bansko

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

A single person spends $934 per month in Sandakan, Sabah vs $965 in Bansko, rent included.

Sandakan, Sabah $934
Bansko $965

A couple spends around $1,397 per month in Sandakan, Sabah vs $1,481 in Bansko, rent included.

Sandakan, Sabah $1,397
Bansko $1,481

A family of three spends $1,860 per month in Sandakan, Sabah vs $1,998 in Bansko, rent included.

Sandakan, Sabah $1,860
Bansko $1,998

Sandakan, Sabah is about 3% cheaper than Bansko, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Sandakan, Sabah and Bansko are more affordable than the global median – Sandakan, Sabah 31% lower, Bansko 29% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.75 MYR 15.28

$8.74 BGN 15.20

-57.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.24 MYR 78.5

$46.37 BGN 80.7

-58.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.77 MYR 19.45

$8.92 BGN 15.52

-46.52%

Cappuccino

$2.83 MYR 11.53

$2.27 BGN 3.94

24.67%

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

$0.79 MYR 3.23

$1.57 BGN 2.73

-49.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 MYR 1.63

$0.89 BGN 1.54

-55.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.77 MYR 15.39

$1.73 BGN 3.01

117.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 MYR 18.27

$1.95 BGN 3.39

129.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.82 MYR 7.44

$1.79 BGN 3.11

1.68%

White Bread (500g)

$1.04 MYR 4.26

$0.81 BGN 1.42

28.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.49 MYR 6.09

$1.51 BGN 2.62

-1.32%

Eggs

$2.05 MYR 8.37

$2.35 BGN 4.09

-12.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.38 MYR 54.6

$9.55 BGN 16.61

40.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.36 MYR 17.77

$6.63 BGN 11.54

-34.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.69 MYR 39.54

$8.37 BGN 14.57

15.77%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 MYR 13.39

$1.30 BGN 2.26

152.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.67 MYR 6.83

$1.68 BGN 2.93

-0.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.42 MYR 9.85

$1.68 BGN 2.92

44.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.53 MYR 6.25

$1.92 BGN 3.34

-20.31%

Potato (1kg)

$1.31 MYR 5.35

$0.94 BGN 1.63

39.36%

Onion (1kg)

$1.18 MYR 4.82

$0.75 BGN 1.31

57.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 MYR 4.57

$0.59 BGN 1.02

89.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 MYR 2.15

$0.58 BGN 1.02

-8.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.50 MYR 18.35

$3.26 BGN 5.67

38.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.33 MYR 78.9

$5.20 BGN 9.04

271.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.02 MYR 12.30

$1.14 BGN 1.98

164.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.55 MYR 18.55

$1.74 BGN 3.03

161.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.72 MYR 2.92

$0.90 BGN 1.57

-20.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.43 MYR 50.7

$26.72 BGN 46.50

-53.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.19 MYR 4.85

$1.30 BGN 2.26

-8.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.50 MYR 2.05

$0.61 BGN 1.06

-18.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.51 MYR 30.63

$10.29 BGN 17.91

-27.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.80 MYR 3.28

$1.56 BGN 2.71

-48.72%

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

$41.3K MYR 168.5K

$29.1K BGN 50.7K

41.71%

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

$34.3K MYR 140.0K

$21.3K BGN 37.1K

60.85%

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

$48.48 MYR 198

$92.8 BGN 161

-47.76%

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

$9.82 MYR 40.07

$15.05 BGN 26.18

-34.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.45 MYR 112

$12.19 BGN 21.21

125.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.94 MYR 163

$32.83 BGN 57.1

21.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.11 MYR 29.01

$8.40 BGN 14.61

-15.36%

Cinema Ticket

$4.94 MYR 20.14

$5.56 BGN 9.67

-11.15%

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

$190 MYR 776

$230 BGN 400

-17.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,001 MYR 28.6K

$2,295 BGN 3,994

205.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.6 MYR 231

$30.31 BGN 52.7

86.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.71 MYR 142

$19.41 BGN 33.78

78.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.6 MYR 333

$45.34 BGN 78.9

80.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$75.7 MYR 309

$48.47 BGN 84.3

56.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$403 MYR 1,644

$514 BGN 894

-21.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$299 MYR 1,221

$361 BGN 627

-16.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$681 MYR 2,779

$630 BGN 1,096

8.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$489 MYR 1,994

$571 BGN 993

-14.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,002 MYR 8,167

$1,202 BGN 2,091

66.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,079 MYR 4,402

$972 BGN 1,691

11.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,220 MYR 4,976

$1,665 BGN 2,898

-26.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.06

2.99

35.79%

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

Last update for Sandakan, Sabah: October 17, 2026

Last update for Bansko: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sandakan, Sabah

$299 32.1%

Bansko

$361 37.4% 20.4% $61

Groceries & Markets

Sandakan, Sabah

$258 27.6%

Bansko

$194 20.2% 24.5% $63

Clothing & Footwear

Sandakan, Sabah

$112 12%

Bansko

$65 6.7% 42.3% $47

Eating Out

Sandakan, Sabah

$111 11.9%

Bansko

$146 15.2% 32% $35

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sandakan, Sabah

$86 9.2%

Bansko

$120 12.5% 40% $34

Sport & Entertainment

Sandakan, Sabah

$50 5.3%

Bansko

$44 4.6% 11.8% $5.9

Getting Around

Sandakan, Sabah

$19 2%

Bansko

$35 3.6% 82.6% $16

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $403 in Sandakan, Sabah versus $514 in Bansko. 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 37% higher in Bansko, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19.00 in Sandakan, Sabah versus $46.00 in Bansko. Groceries tell a different story – $258 in Sandakan, Sabah vs $194 in Bansko – so Bansko wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Sandakan, Sabah

🇧🇬 Bansko

🕒 Local time

05:10 5:10 AM

00:10 12:10 AM

5 h behind Sandakan, Sabah

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

439,050

8,000

💱 Currency

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

📈 Exchange rate

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.218 EUR

1 BGN = 0.575 USD

1 BGN = 0.511 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BGN, USD, EUR to MYR – Malaysian Ringgit Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇾 Malaysian Ringgit (RM)

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 4.08 MYR (1 MYR = 0.245 USD). 1 EUR = 4.59 MYR (1 MYR = 0.218 EUR).

Bulgarian Lev exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 1.74 BGN (1 BGN = 0.575 USD). 1 EUR = 1.96 BGN (1 BGN = 0.511 EUR).

USD to MYR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Sandakan, Sabah Bansko 9,960 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Sandakan, Sabah
Bansko

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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $934 in Sandakan, Sabah, $965 in Bansko – roughly 3% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,401 per month in Sandakan, Sabah and $1,447 in Bansko. 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19.00 in Sandakan, Sabah and $46.00 in Bansko. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $934 in Sandakan, Sabah and $965 in Bansko. That's a gap of about 3%.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Sandakan, Sabah, where all-in costs run around $934, than in Bansko at $965. In Sandakan, Sabah it covers expenses comfortably, while in Bansko it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Bansko has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $934 in Sandakan, Sabah to $965 in Bansko. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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