Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sandakan, Sabah and Chiang Mai

For one person, living costs are similar in Sandakan, Sabah and in Chiang Mai: $968 and $936 a month, rent and utilities included.

45

Cost of Living Index in Sandakan, Sabah
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Sandakan, Sabah Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Sandakan, Sabah

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$968

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sandakan, Sabah and in Chiang Mai

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 Chiang Mai actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $968 per month in Sandakan, Sabah vs $936 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Sandakan, Sabah $968
Chiang Mai $936

A couple spends around $1,470 per month in Sandakan, Sabah vs $1,457 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Sandakan, Sabah $1,470
Chiang Mai $1,457

A family of three spends $1,971 per month in Sandakan, Sabah vs $1,979 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Sandakan, Sabah $1,971
Chiang Mai $1,979

Sandakan, Sabah costs about 4% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.65 MYR 14.86

$2.24 ฿75.7

62.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.26 MYR 78.5

$19.00 ฿642

1.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.56 MYR 18.57

$5.55 ฿188

-17.84%

Cappuccino

$3.07 MYR 12.53

$1.67 ฿56.6

83.83%

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

$0.73 MYR 2.97

$0.64 ฿21.56

14.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.43 MYR 1.75

$0.31 ฿10.32

38.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.24 MYR 17.29

$2.36 ฿79.6

79.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.93 MYR 16.01

$3.66 ฿124

7.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.99 MYR 8.11

$1.95 ฿65.8

2.05%

White Bread (500g)

$1.18 MYR 4.80

$1.44 ฿48.51

-18.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.49 MYR 6.08

$1.33 ฿45.07

12.03%

Eggs

$2.24 MYR 9.13

$2.28 ฿77.1

-1.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.79 MYR 48.06

$16.45 ฿556

-28.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.00 MYR 16.31

$2.78 ฿94.0

43.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.55 MYR 38.90

$9.31 ฿314

2.58%

Apples (1kg)

$2.84 MYR 11.55

$2.35 ฿79.5

20.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 MYR 6.63

$0.97 ฿32.82

68.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.53 MYR 10.30

$1.60 ฿53.9

58.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 MYR 6.37

$1.50 ฿50.7

4.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.39 MYR 5.66

$1.28 ฿43.15

8.59%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 MYR 5.63

$1.10 ฿37.22

25.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.27 MYR 5.15

$0.71 ฿23.84

78.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 MYR 1.94

$0.49 ฿16.38

-2.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.04 MYR 16.47

$4.14 ฿140

-2.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$21.89 MYR 89.2

$17.52 ฿592

24.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.12 MYR 12.73

$1.61 ฿54.5

93.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.29 MYR 17.46

$2.78 ฿94.0

54.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 MYR 3.21

$0.87 ฿29.33

-9.20%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$10.67 MYR 43.47

$54.1 ฿1,827

-80.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.32 MYR 5.39

$1.16 ฿39.08

13.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.63 MYR 2.58

$0.53 ฿17.82

18.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.09 MYR 32.98

$2.42 ฿81.8

234.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.82 MYR 3.32

$1.45 ฿48.93

-43.45%

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

$46.8K MYR 190.5K

$21.1K ฿711.2K

122.00%

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

$39.7K MYR 161.6K

$26.9K ฿909.8K

47.26%

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

$48.86 MYR 199

$62.2 ฿2,100

-21.41%

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

$10.09 MYR 41.11

$12.17 ฿411

-17.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.65 MYR 117

$20.12 ฿680

42.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.98 MYR 151

$37.31 ฿1,260

-0.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.38 MYR 30.07

$3.77 ฿127

95.76%

Cinema Ticket

$5.08 MYR 20.70

$6.49 ฿219

-21.73%

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

$242 MYR 987

$736 ฿24.9K

-67.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,062 MYR 28.8K

$14.8K ฿498.6K

-52.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.1 MYR 257

$53.4 ฿1,802

18.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.35 MYR 124

$24.64 ฿832

23.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 MYR 373

$91.5 ฿3,089

-0.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.2 MYR 315

$71.9 ฿2,429

7.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$379 MYR 1,545

$482 ฿16.3K

-21.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$326 MYR 1,327

$309 ฿10.4K

5.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$631 MYR 2,569

$1,006 ฿34.0K

-37.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$589 MYR 2,399

$633 ฿21.4K

-7.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,010 MYR 8,190

$2,363 ฿79.8K

-14.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,149 MYR 4,682

$1,589 ฿53.7K

-27.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,210 MYR 4,931

$590 ฿19.9K

105.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.06

5.57

-27.11%

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

Last update for Sandakan, Sabah: October 25, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sandakan, Sabah

$326 33.6%

Chiang Mai

$309 33% 5.1% $17

Groceries & Markets

Sandakan, Sabah

$258 26.7%

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1% 9.2% $24

Clothing & Footwear

Sandakan, Sabah

$118 12.2%

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6% 7.9% $9.3

Eating Out

Sandakan, Sabah

$113 11.7%

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3% 31.6% $36

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sandakan, Sabah

$88 9.1%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 7.8% $6.9

Sport & Entertainment

Sandakan, Sabah

$47 4.9%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 6.7% $3.1

Getting Around

Sandakan, Sabah

$18 1.9%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 235% $43

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $379 in Sandakan, Sabah versus $482 in Chiang Mai. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Sandakan, Sabah are about 2.1 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Sandakan, Sabah versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Groceries tell a different story – $258 in Sandakan, Sabah vs $234 in Chiang Mai – so Chiang Mai wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Sandakan, Sabah

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

20:00 8:00 PM

19:00 7:00 PM

1 h behind Sandakan, Sabah

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

439,050

127,240

💱 Currency

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.221 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to MYR – Malaysian Ringgit Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇾 Malaysian Ringgit (RM)

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 4.07 MYR (1 MYR = 0.245 USD). 1 EUR = 4.53 MYR (1 MYR = 0.221 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.58 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to MYR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Sandakan, Sabah Chiang Mai 2,520 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Sandakan, Sabah
Chiang Mai

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 Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sandakan, Sabah costs about 4% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,453 per month in Sandakan, Sabah and $1,403 in Chiang Mai. 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 $482 in Chiang Mai.

Public transport costs about 80% less in Sandakan, Sabah. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Groceries cost about 10% more in Sandakan, Sabah, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $968 in Sandakan, Sabah and $936 in Chiang Mai. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Chiang Mai has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $936 in Chiang Mai to $968 in Sandakan, Sabah. 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 Chiang Mai. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Sandakan, Sabah makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.