Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sandakan, Sabah and Da Nang

For one person, living is cheaper in Da Nang: $889 a month against $968 in Sandakan, Sabah, rent and utilities included – about $950 less a year. The total is higher in Sandakan, Sabah despite lower rent and utilities.

45

Cost of Living Index in Sandakan, Sabah
Learn more

Sandakan, Sabah Living Index
42

Cost of Living Index in Da Nang
Learn more

Da Nang Living Index

Jump to prices

Sandakan, Sabah

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$968

/mo nomad

Da Nang

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$889

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sandakan, Sabah and in Da Nang

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 Da Nang actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $968 per month in Sandakan, Sabah vs $889 in Da Nang, rent included.

Sandakan, Sabah $968
Da Nang $889

A couple spends around $1,470 per month in Sandakan, Sabah vs $1,426 in Da Nang, rent included.

Sandakan, Sabah $1,470
Da Nang $1,426

A family of three spends $1,971 per month in Sandakan, Sabah vs $1,963 in Da Nang, rent included.

Sandakan, Sabah $1,971
Da Nang $1,963

Sandakan, Sabah costs about 9% more than Da Nang, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Sandakan, Sabah and Da Nang are more affordable than the global median – Sandakan, Sabah 29% lower, Da Nang 35% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.65 MYR 14.91

$2.17 ₫56.1K

68.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.26 MYR 78.7

$19.53 ₫504.6K

-1.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.56 MYR 18.63

$4.53 ₫117.1K

0.66%

Cappuccino

$3.07 MYR 12.56

$1.64 ₫42.4K

87.20%

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

$0.73 MYR 2.98

$0.60 ₫15.6K

21.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.43 MYR 1.75

$0.34 ₫8,912

26.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.24 MYR 17.35

$1.33 ₫34.4K

218.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.93 MYR 16.06

$2.36 ₫61.0K

66.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.99 MYR 8.13

$1.60 ₫41.2K

24.37%

White Bread (500g)

$1.18 MYR 4.81

$1.20 ₫31.1K

-1.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.49 MYR 6.10

$1.05 ₫27.1K

41.90%

Eggs

$2.24 MYR 9.16

$1.52 ₫39.4K

47.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.79 MYR 48.20

$12.82 ₫331.1K

-8.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.00 MYR 16.36

$4.17 ₫107.6K

-4.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.55 MYR 39.02

$9.33 ₫240.9K

2.36%

Apples (1kg)

$2.84 MYR 11.59

$2.60 ₫67.3K

9.23%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 MYR 6.65

$1.21 ₫31.4K

34.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.53 MYR 10.34

$1.28 ₫33.1K

97.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 MYR 6.39

$1.57 ₫40.6K

-0.64%

Potato (1kg)

$1.39 MYR 5.68

$1.20 ₫31.0K

15.83%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 MYR 5.65

$1.31 ₫33.9K

5.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.27 MYR 5.17

$1.04 ₫26.9K

22.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 MYR 1.94

$0.49 ₫12.7K

-2.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.04 MYR 16.52

$1.51 ₫39.0K

167.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$21.89 MYR 89.5

$7.97 ₫205.9K

174.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.12 MYR 12.77

$0.93 ₫24.0K

235.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.29 MYR 17.51

$2.18 ₫56.4K

96.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 MYR 3.22

$0.30 ₫7,702

163.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$10.67 MYR 43.60

$6.31 ₫162.9K

69.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.32 MYR 5.41

$1.04 ₫26.8K

26.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.63 MYR 2.58

$0.57 ₫14.6K

10.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.09 MYR 33.08

$19.27 ₫497.7K

-58.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.82 MYR 3.33

$0.91 ₫23.5K

-9.89%

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

$46.8K MYR 191.1K

$30.8K ₫796.3M

51.65%

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

$39.7K MYR 162.1K

$28.4K ₫733.1M

39.80%

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

$48.86 MYR 200

$78.5 ₫2.0M

-37.79%

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

$10.09 MYR 41.24

$6.35 ₫164.1K

58.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.65 MYR 117

$8.33 ₫215.2K

243.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.98 MYR 151

$27.08 ₫699.4K

36.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.38 MYR 30.16

$5.32 ₫137.4K

38.72%

Cinema Ticket

$5.08 MYR 20.77

$3.37 ₫87.0K

50.74%

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

$242 MYR 990

$423 ₫10.9M

-42.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,062 MYR 28.9K

$15.1K ₫390.0M

-53.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.1 MYR 258

$45.19 ₫1.2M

39.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.35 MYR 124

$27.75 ₫717.0K

9.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 MYR 374

$101 ₫2.6M

-9.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.2 MYR 316

$82.8 ₫2.1M

-6.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$379 MYR 1,549

$553 ₫14.3M

-31.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$326 MYR 1,331

$369 ₫9.5M

-11.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$631 MYR 2,577

$1,228 ₫31.7M

-48.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$589 MYR 2,406

$821 ₫21.2M

-28.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,010 MYR 8,215

$3,858 ₫99.6M

-47.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,149 MYR 4,696

$1,877 ₫48.5M

-38.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,210 MYR 4,946

$362 ₫9.4M

233.93%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.06

10.72

-62.13%

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

Last update for Sandakan, Sabah: October 25, 2026

Last update for Da Nang: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sandakan, Sabah

$326 33.6%

Da Nang

$369 41.5% 13.3% $43

Groceries & Markets

Sandakan, Sabah

$258 26.7%

Da Nang

$200 22.5% 22.5% $58

Clothing & Footwear

Sandakan, Sabah

$118 12.2%

Da Nang

$115 13% 2.2% $2.6

Eating Out

Sandakan, Sabah

$113 11.7%

Da Nang

$66 7.4% 42% $48

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sandakan, Sabah

$88 9.1%

Da Nang

$93 10.5% 6.4% $5.6

Sport & Entertainment

Sandakan, Sabah

$47 4.9%

Da Nang

$34 3.8% 28.3% $13

Getting Around

Sandakan, Sabah

$18 1.9%

Da Nang

$11 1.3% 37.9% $6.9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $379 in Sandakan, Sabah versus $553 in Da Nang. 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 3.3 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Sandakan, Sabah versus $20 in Da Nang. Groceries tell a different story – $258 in Sandakan, Sabah vs $200 in Da Nang – so Da Nang wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Sandakan, Sabah

🇻🇳 Da Nang

🕒 Local time

19:59 7:59 PM

18:59 6:59 PM

1 h behind Sandakan, Sabah

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

439,050

1,245,200

💱 Currency

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

Vietnamese Dong VND ₫

📈 Exchange rate

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.22 EUR

100,000 VND = 3.87 USD

100,000 VND = 3.48 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

VND, USD, EUR to MYR – Malaysian Ringgit Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇾 Malaysian Ringgit (RM)

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 4.09 MYR (1 MYR = 0.245 USD). 1 EUR = 4.55 MYR (1 MYR = 0.22 EUR).

Vietnamese Dong exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 25,832 VND (100,000 VND = 3.87 USD). 1 EUR = 28,750 VND (100,000 VND = 3.48 EUR).

USD to MYR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Sandakan, Sabah Da Nang 1,570 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Sandakan, Sabah
Da Nang

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 Da Nang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $968 in Sandakan, Sabah, $889 in Da Nang – roughly 9% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,453 per month in Sandakan, Sabah and $1,333 in Da Nang. 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 $553 in Da Nang.

Groceries cost about 29% 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Sandakan, Sabah and $20 in Da Nang. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $968 in Sandakan, Sabah and $889 in Da Nang, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Da Nang has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $889 in Da Nang 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 Da Nang. 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.