Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sandakan, Sabah and Kuching

For one person, living costs are similar in Sandakan, Sabah and in Kuching: $968 and $972 a month, rent and utilities included.

45

Cost of Living Index in Sandakan, Sabah
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Sandakan, Sabah Living Index
47

Cost of Living Index in Kuching
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Kuching Living Index

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Sandakan, Sabah

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$968

/mo nomad

Kuching

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$972

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $968 in Sandakan, Sabah versus $972 in Kuching.

Sandakan, Sabah $968
Kuching $972

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,470 in Sandakan, Sabah versus $1,521 in Kuching.

Sandakan, Sabah $1,470
Kuching $1,521

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,971 in Sandakan, Sabah versus $2,070 in Kuching.

Sandakan, Sabah $1,971
Kuching $2,070

Monthly costs are close between Sandakan, Sabah and Kuching; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

Both cities sit below the global median: Sandakan, Sabah 29% lower, Kuching 29% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.65 MYR 14.86

$3.37 MYR 13.75

8.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.26 MYR 78.5

$24.51 MYR 99.9

-21.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.56 MYR 18.57

$4.90 MYR 19.98

-6.94%

Cappuccino

$3.07 MYR 12.53

$3.19 MYR 13.01

-3.76%

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

$0.73 MYR 2.97

$0.78 MYR 3.19

-6.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.43 MYR 1.75

$0.38 MYR 1.55

13.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.24 MYR 17.29

$4.61 MYR 18.79

-8.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.93 MYR 16.01

$5.96 MYR 24.30

-34.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.99 MYR 8.11

$2.39 MYR 9.74

-16.74%

White Bread (500g)

$1.18 MYR 4.80

$1.19 MYR 4.87

-0.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.49 MYR 6.08

$1.19 MYR 4.85

25.21%

Eggs

$2.24 MYR 9.13

$2.38 MYR 9.68

-5.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.79 MYR 48.06

$10.99 MYR 44.77

7.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.00 MYR 16.31

$4.34 MYR 17.67

-7.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.55 MYR 38.90

$10.00 MYR 40.73

-4.50%

Apples (1kg)

$2.84 MYR 11.55

$3.17 MYR 12.92

-10.41%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 MYR 6.63

$1.32 MYR 5.38

23.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.53 MYR 10.30

$2.52 MYR 10.28

0.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 MYR 6.37

$1.78 MYR 7.26

-12.36%

Potato (1kg)

$1.39 MYR 5.66

$1.38 MYR 5.63

0.72%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 MYR 5.63

$1.19 MYR 4.84

15.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.27 MYR 5.15

$1.61 MYR 6.57

-21.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 MYR 1.94

$0.55 MYR 2.22

-12.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.04 MYR 16.47

$4.76 MYR 19.37

-15.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$21.89 MYR 89.2

$22.25 MYR 90.7

-1.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.12 MYR 12.73

$4.13 MYR 16.81

-24.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.29 MYR 17.46

$5.06 MYR 20.60

-15.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 MYR 3.21

$0.36 MYR 1.47

119.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$10.67 MYR 43.47

$7.48 MYR 30.47

42.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.32 MYR 5.39

$0.97 MYR 3.95

36.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.63 MYR 2.58

$1.23 MYR 5.01

-48.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.09 MYR 32.98

$8.82 MYR 35.92

-8.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.82 MYR 3.32

$0.94 MYR 3.83

-12.77%

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

$46.8K MYR 190.5K

$45.9K MYR 187.2K

1.77%

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

$39.7K MYR 161.6K

$36.1K MYR 146.9K

10.01%

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

$48.86 MYR 199

$35.63 MYR 145

37.13%

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

$10.09 MYR 41.11

$10.19 MYR 41.52

-0.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.65 MYR 117

$25.50 MYR 104

12.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.98 MYR 151

$33.85 MYR 138

9.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.38 MYR 30.07

$12.26 MYR 49.94

-39.80%

Cinema Ticket

$5.08 MYR 20.70

$4.87 MYR 19.85

4.31%

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

$242 MYR 987

$135 MYR 551

79.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,062 MYR 28.8K

$7,150 MYR 29.1K

-1.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.1 MYR 257

$64.1 MYR 261

-1.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.35 MYR 124

$37.52 MYR 153

-19.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 MYR 373

$90.0 MYR 367

1.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.2 MYR 315

$64.6 MYR 263

19.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$379 MYR 1,545

$469 MYR 1,912

-19.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$326 MYR 1,327

$334 MYR 1,361

-2.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$631 MYR 2,569

$834 MYR 3,399

-24.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$589 MYR 2,399

$654 MYR 2,667

-10.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,010 MYR 8,190

$2,053 MYR 8,364

-2.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,149 MYR 4,682

$1,534 MYR 6,248

-25.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,210 MYR 4,931

$535 MYR 2,181

126.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.06

4.37

-7.09%

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

Last update for Sandakan, Sabah: October 25, 2026

Last update for Kuching: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sandakan, Sabah

$326 33.6%

Kuching

$334 34.4% 2.6% $8.4

Groceries & Markets

Sandakan, Sabah

$258 26.7%

Kuching

$272 28% 5.5% $14

Clothing & Footwear

Sandakan, Sabah

$118 12.2%

Kuching

$115 11.9% 2.3% $2.7

Eating Out

Sandakan, Sabah

$113 11.7%

Kuching

$120 12.3% 5.5% $6.2

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sandakan, Sabah

$88 9.1%

Kuching

$71 7.3% 18.6% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Sandakan, Sabah

$47 4.9%

Kuching

$44 4.5% 7.5% $3.5

Getting Around

Sandakan, Sabah

$18 1.9%

Kuching

$16 1.7% 12.4% $2.3

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $379 in Sandakan, Sabah and $469 in Kuching. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sandakan, Sabah pays about 2.3 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $19 in Sandakan, Sabah vs $25 in Kuching for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $258 vs $272 per month, with Sandakan, Sabah cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Sandakan, Sabah

🇲🇾 Kuching

🕒 Local time

01:34 1:34 AM

Same time as Sandakan, Sabah

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

439,050

349,147

💱 Currency

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

📈 Exchange rate

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.22 EUR

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.22 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Sandakan, Sabah Kuching 980 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Sandakan, Sabah
Kuching

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 Kuching: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Average pay in Sandakan, Sabah is about 2.3 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $379 in Sandakan, Sabah versus $469 in Kuching. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Kuching runs roughly 30% less than in Sandakan, Sabah. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you’re watching your budget.

Supermarket bills run roughly 5% higher in Kuching. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Sandakan, Sabah gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Sandakan, Sabah and Kuching are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.