Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sandakan, Sabah and Penang

For one person, living is cheaper in Penang: $913 a month against $968 in Sandakan, Sabah, rent and utilities included – about $660 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
44

Cost of Living Index in Penang
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Penang Living Index

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Sandakan, Sabah

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$968

/mo nomad

Penang

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$913

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $968 in Sandakan, Sabah versus $913 in Penang.

Sandakan, Sabah $968
Penang $913

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,470 in Sandakan, Sabah versus $1,403 in Penang.

Sandakan, Sabah $1,470
Penang $1,403

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,971 in Sandakan, Sabah versus $1,894 in Penang.

Sandakan, Sabah $1,971
Penang $1,894

Living in Sandakan, Sabah is roughly 6% more expensive than in Penang, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Sandakan, Sabah 29% lower, Penang 33% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.65 MYR 14.91

$3.73 MYR 15.23

-2.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.26 MYR 78.7

$19.91 MYR 81.4

-3.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.56 MYR 18.63

$4.78 MYR 19.53

-4.60%

Cappuccino

$3.07 MYR 12.56

$2.98 MYR 12.18

3.02%

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

$0.73 MYR 2.98

$0.75 MYR 3.08

-2.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.43 MYR 1.75

$0.37 MYR 1.50

16.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.24 MYR 17.35

$4.06 MYR 16.60

4.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.93 MYR 16.06

$4.38 MYR 17.88

-10.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.99 MYR 8.13

$1.86 MYR 7.62

6.99%

White Bread (500g)

$1.18 MYR 4.81

$1.08 MYR 4.42

9.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.49 MYR 6.10

$1.76 MYR 7.21

-15.34%

Eggs

$2.24 MYR 9.16

$2.22 MYR 9.07

0.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.79 MYR 48.20

$13.46 MYR 55.0

-12.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.00 MYR 16.36

$4.45 MYR 18.19

-10.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.55 MYR 39.02

$8.70 MYR 35.56

9.77%

Apples (1kg)

$2.84 MYR 11.59

$2.92 MYR 11.93

-2.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 MYR 6.65

$1.65 MYR 6.74

-1.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.53 MYR 10.34

$2.61 MYR 10.67

-3.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 MYR 6.39

$1.40 MYR 5.72

11.43%

Potato (1kg)

$1.39 MYR 5.68

$1.05 MYR 4.29

32.38%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 MYR 5.65

$1.12 MYR 4.56

23.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.27 MYR 5.17

$1.10 MYR 4.48

15.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 MYR 1.94

$0.59 MYR 2.40

-18.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.04 MYR 16.52

$4.69 MYR 19.15

-13.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$21.89 MYR 89.5

$19.31 MYR 78.9

13.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.12 MYR 12.77

$3.00 MYR 12.28

4.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.29 MYR 17.51

$5.41 MYR 22.10

-20.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 MYR 3.22

$0.50 MYR 2.05

58.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$10.67 MYR 43.60

$12.03 MYR 49.15

-11.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.32 MYR 5.41

$1.66 MYR 6.80

-20.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.63 MYR 2.58

$0.38 MYR 1.55

65.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.09 MYR 33.08

$7.47 MYR 30.53

8.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.82 MYR 3.33

$0.95 MYR 3.86

-13.68%

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

$46.8K MYR 191.1K

$44.2K MYR 180.6K

5.79%

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

$39.7K MYR 162.1K

$35.8K MYR 146.2K

10.94%

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

$48.86 MYR 200

$36.68 MYR 150

33.21%

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

$10.09 MYR 41.24

$9.56 MYR 39.06

5.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.65 MYR 117

$29.49 MYR 121

-2.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.98 MYR 151

$39.20 MYR 160

-5.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.38 MYR 30.16

$4.85 MYR 19.84

52.16%

Cinema Ticket

$5.08 MYR 20.77

$4.78 MYR 19.53

6.28%

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

$242 MYR 990

$398 MYR 1,625

-39.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,062 MYR 28.9K

$10.6K MYR 43.3K

-33.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.1 MYR 258

$60.9 MYR 249

3.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.35 MYR 124

$35.45 MYR 145

-14.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 MYR 374

$83.6 MYR 342

9.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.2 MYR 316

$70.2 MYR 287

10.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$379 MYR 1,549

$408 MYR 1,667

-7.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$326 MYR 1,331

$287 MYR 1,174

13.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$631 MYR 2,577

$698 MYR 2,851

-9.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$589 MYR 2,406

$534 MYR 2,183

10.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,010 MYR 8,215

$2,117 MYR 8,650

-5.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,149 MYR 4,696

$1,261 MYR 5,153

-8.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,210 MYR 4,946

$931 MYR 3,807

29.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.06

4.04

0.50%

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

Last update for Sandakan, Sabah: October 25, 2026

Last update for Penang: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sandakan, Sabah

$326 33.6%

Penang

$287 31.5% 11.8% $38

Groceries & Markets

Sandakan, Sabah

$258 26.7%

Penang

$257 28.2% 0.3% $0.9

Clothing & Footwear

Sandakan, Sabah

$118 12.2%

Penang

$113 12.3% 4.6% $5.4

Eating Out

Sandakan, Sabah

$113 11.7%

Penang

$113 12.4% 0% $0

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sandakan, Sabah

$88 9.1%

Penang

$76 8.3% 13.6% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Sandakan, Sabah

$47 4.9%

Penang

$49 5.3% 3.4% $1.6

Getting Around

Sandakan, Sabah

$18 1.9%

Penang

$18 1.9% 3.9% $0.7

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $379 in Sandakan, Sabah and $408 in Penang. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sandakan, Sabah pays 30% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $19 in Sandakan, Sabah vs $20 in Penang. Groceries flip the comparison at $258 vs $257, with Penang cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Sandakan, Sabah

🇲🇾 Penang

🕒 Local time

13:21 1:21 PM

Same time as Sandakan, Sabah

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

439,050

158,336

💱 Currency

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

📈 Exchange rate

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.219 EUR

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.219 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Sandakan, Sabah Penang 1,980 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Sandakan, Sabah
Penang

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 Penang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Penang is cheaper overall, especially in clothing and transport. The 6% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 30% higher in Sandakan, Sabah, 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 $408 in Penang. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $242 in Sandakan, Sabah versus $398 in Penang. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Sandakan, Sabah – a meal for two runs $19 versus $20 in Penang. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

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

It comes down to priorities – Penang wins on affordability, Sandakan, Sabah on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.