Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sandakan, Sabah and Melbourne

For one person, living is cheaper in Sandakan, Sabah: $934 a month against $2,853 in Melbourne, rent and utilities included – about $23,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Sandakan, Sabah
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Sandakan, Sabah Living Index
138

Cost of Living Index in Melbourne
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Melbourne Living Index

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Sandakan, Sabah

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$934

/mo nomad

Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,853

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $934 in Sandakan, Sabah versus $2,853 in Melbourne.

Sandakan, Sabah $934
Melbourne $2,853

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,397 in Sandakan, Sabah versus $4,275 in Melbourne.

Sandakan, Sabah $1,397
Melbourne $4,275

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,860 in Sandakan, Sabah versus $5,697 in Melbourne.

Sandakan, Sabah $1,860
Melbourne $5,697

Living in Sandakan, Sabah costs roughly 67% less than in Melbourne, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Sandakan, Sabah is 31% below, Melbourne is 111% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.75 MYR 15.28

$17.20 A$24.75

-78.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.24 MYR 78.5

$83.1 A$120

-76.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.77 MYR 19.45

$12.43 A$17.88

-61.63%

Cappuccino

$2.83 MYR 11.53

$4.05 A$5.82

-30.12%

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

$0.79 MYR 3.23

$3.12 A$4.50

-74.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 MYR 1.63

$2.46 A$3.54

-83.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.77 MYR 15.39

$9.52 A$13.71

-60.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 MYR 18.27

$8.16 A$11.74

-45.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.82 MYR 7.44

$1.56 A$2.25

16.67%

White Bread (500g)

$1.04 MYR 4.26

$2.90 A$4.18

-64.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.49 MYR 6.09

$2.66 A$3.82

-43.98%

Eggs

$2.05 MYR 8.37

$5.37 A$7.72

-61.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.38 MYR 54.6

$10.67 A$15.36

25.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.36 MYR 17.77

$9.85 A$14.17

-55.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.69 MYR 39.54

$15.36 A$22.11

-36.91%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 MYR 13.39

$4.17 A$6.00

-21.34%

Banana (1kg)

$1.67 MYR 6.83

$3.15 A$4.53

-46.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.42 MYR 9.85

$3.26 A$4.69

-25.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.53 MYR 6.25

$4.76 A$6.85

-67.86%

Potato (1kg)

$1.31 MYR 5.35

$3.06 A$4.41

-57.19%

Onion (1kg)

$1.18 MYR 4.82

$2.47 A$3.55

-52.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 MYR 4.57

$2.45 A$3.52

-54.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 MYR 2.15

$1.63 A$2.34

-67.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.50 MYR 18.35

$45.17 A$65.0

-90.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.33 MYR 78.9

$12.68 A$18.25

52.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.02 MYR 12.30

$5.69 A$8.18

-46.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.55 MYR 18.55

$5.23 A$7.53

-13.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.72 MYR 2.92

$3.87 A$5.57

-81.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.43 MYR 50.7

$142 A$204

-91.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.19 MYR 4.85

$4.54 A$6.53

-73.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.50 MYR 2.05

$1.42 A$2.04

-64.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.51 MYR 30.63

$30.59 A$44.01

-75.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.80 MYR 3.28

$1.47 A$2.11

-45.58%

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

$41.3K MYR 168.5K

$28.9K A$41.5K

43.08%

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

$34.3K MYR 140.0K

$25.9K A$37.3K

32.40%

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

$48.48 MYR 198

$235 A$338

-79.38%

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

$9.82 MYR 40.07

$27.45 A$39.51

-64.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.45 MYR 112

$56.1 A$80.8

-51.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.94 MYR 163

$50.1 A$72.1

-20.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.11 MYR 29.01

$21.49 A$30.93

-66.91%

Cinema Ticket

$4.94 MYR 20.14

$17.76 A$25.56

-72.18%

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

$190 MYR 776

$2,385 A$3,432

-92.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,001 MYR 28.6K

$29.7K A$42.7K

-76.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.6 MYR 231

$79.2 A$114

-28.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.71 MYR 142

$49.49 A$71.2

-29.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.6 MYR 333

$118 A$170

-31.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$75.7 MYR 309

$132 A$190

-42.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$403 MYR 1,644

$1,763 A$2,537

-77.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$299 MYR 1,221

$1,411 A$2,031

-78.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$681 MYR 2,779

$3,522 A$5,069

-80.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$489 MYR 1,994

$2,525 A$3,634

-80.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,002 MYR 8,167

$7,136 A$10.3K

-71.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,079 MYR 4,402

$6,355 A$9,144

-83.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,220 MYR 4,976

$4,258 A$6,128

-71.36%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.06

5.9

-31.19%

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

Last update for Sandakan, Sabah: October 17, 2026

Last update for Melbourne: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sandakan, Sabah

$299 32.1%

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.5% 371% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Sandakan, Sabah

$258 27.6%

Melbourne

$388 13.6% 50.8% $131

Clothing & Footwear

Sandakan, Sabah

$112 12%

Melbourne

$171 6% 52.5% $59

Eating Out

Sandakan, Sabah

$111 11.9%

Melbourne

$310 10.9% 180% $199

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sandakan, Sabah

$86 9.2%

Melbourne

$319 11.2% 272% $233

Sport & Entertainment

Sandakan, Sabah

$50 5.3%

Melbourne

$86 3% 71.9% $36

Getting Around

Sandakan, Sabah

$19 2%

Melbourne

$169 5.9% 790% $150

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $403 in Sandakan, Sabah and $1,763 in Melbourne. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Melbourne pays 249% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $19.00 in Sandakan, Sabah vs $83.0 in Melbourne for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $258 vs $388 per month, with Sandakan, Sabah cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Sandakan, Sabah

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🕒 Local time

05:12 5:12 AM

08:12 8:12 AM

3 h ahead of Sandakan, Sabah

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

439,050

5,031,195

💱 Currency

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.218 EUR

1 AUD = 0.695 USD

1 AUD = 0.618 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AUD, 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).

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 1.44 AUD (1 AUD = 0.695 USD). 1 EUR = 1.62 AUD (1 AUD = 0.618 EUR).

USD to MYR in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Sandakan, Sabah Melbourne 5,590 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Sandakan, Sabah
Melbourne

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 Melbourne: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sandakan, Sabah and Melbourne differ by about 205% in total monthly costs ($934 vs $2,853 including rent). Sandakan, Sabah is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 249% lower in Melbourne. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $403 in Sandakan, Sabah versus $1,763 in Melbourne. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $190 in Sandakan, Sabah versus $2,385 in Melbourne. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 51% higher in Melbourne. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $934 in Sandakan, Sabah versus $2,853 in Melbourne, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Sandakan, Sabah but tight or insufficient in Melbourne. The gap between the two cities makes Sandakan, Sabah the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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 Melbourne are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Sandakan, Sabah gentler on the wallet – expenses run 205% less than in Melbourne. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.