Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sandakan, Sabah and Seoul

For one person, living is cheaper in Sandakan, Sabah: $934 a month against $1,804 in Seoul, rent and utilities included – about $10,400 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
87

Cost of Living Index in Seoul
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Seoul Living Index

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Sandakan, Sabah

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$934

/mo nomad

Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,804

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $934 in Sandakan, Sabah versus $1,804 in Seoul.

Sandakan, Sabah $934
Seoul $1,804

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,397 in Sandakan, Sabah versus $2,877 in Seoul.

Sandakan, Sabah $1,397
Seoul $2,877

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,860 in Sandakan, Sabah versus $3,950 in Seoul.

Sandakan, Sabah $1,860
Seoul $3,950

Living in Sandakan, Sabah costs roughly 48% less than in Seoul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Sandakan, Sabah is 31% below, Seoul is 33% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.75 MYR 15.28

$9.10 ₩12.1K

-58.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.24 MYR 78.5

$66.7 ₩88.6K

-71.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.77 MYR 19.45

$7.49 ₩9,959

-36.32%

Cappuccino

$2.83 MYR 11.53

$4.19 ₩5,569

-32.46%

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

$0.79 MYR 3.23

$1.55 ₩2,067

-49.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 MYR 1.63

$0.79 ₩1,055

-49.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.77 MYR 15.39

$3.64 ₩4,846

3.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 MYR 18.27

$6.14 ₩8,164

-27.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.82 MYR 7.44

$2.11 ₩2,811

-13.74%

White Bread (500g)

$1.04 MYR 4.26

$3.05 ₩4,051

-65.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.49 MYR 6.09

$4.21 ₩5,599

-64.61%

Eggs

$2.05 MYR 8.37

$3.54 ₩4,709

-42.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.38 MYR 54.6

$18.02 ₩24.0K

-25.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.36 MYR 17.77

$10.35 ₩13.8K

-57.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.69 MYR 39.54

$26.47 ₩35.2K

-63.39%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 MYR 13.39

$7.91 ₩10.5K

-58.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.67 MYR 6.83

$3.44 ₩4,578

-51.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.42 MYR 9.85

$5.64 ₩7,493

-57.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.53 MYR 6.25

$6.41 ₩8,517

-76.13%

Potato (1kg)

$1.31 MYR 5.35

$3.71 ₩4,938

-64.69%

Onion (1kg)

$1.18 MYR 4.82

$2.52 ₩3,345

-53.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 MYR 4.57

$2.87 ₩3,816

-60.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 MYR 2.15

$1.16 ₩1,536

-54.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.50 MYR 18.35

$3.37 ₩4,480

33.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.33 MYR 78.9

$18.72 ₩24.9K

3.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.02 MYR 12.30

$2.28 ₩3,036

32.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.55 MYR 18.55

$3.31 ₩4,397

37.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.72 MYR 2.92

$1.13 ₩1,497

-36.28%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.43 MYR 50.7

$46.73 ₩62.1K

-73.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.19 MYR 4.85

$3.52 ₩4,684

-66.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.50 MYR 2.05

$0.64 ₩849

-21.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.51 MYR 30.63

$8.76 ₩11.7K

-14.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.80 MYR 3.28

$1.45 ₩1,930

-44.83%

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

$41.3K MYR 168.5K

$29.7K ₩39.4M

39.22%

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

$34.3K MYR 140.0K

$28.2K ₩37.5M

21.70%

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

$48.48 MYR 198

$211 ₩280.4K

-77.01%

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

$9.82 MYR 40.07

$35.36 ₩47.0K

-72.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.45 MYR 112

$20.57 ₩27.4K

33.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.94 MYR 163

$57.7 ₩76.7K

-30.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.11 MYR 29.01

$16.20 ₩21.5K

-56.11%

Cinema Ticket

$4.94 MYR 20.14

$11.37 ₩15.1K

-56.55%

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

$190 MYR 776

$1,967 ₩2.6M

-90.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,001 MYR 28.6K

$22.8K ₩30.3M

-69.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.6 MYR 231

$57.5 ₩76.4K

-1.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.71 MYR 142

$33.08 ₩44.0K

4.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.6 MYR 333

$70.1 ₩93.2K

16.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$75.7 MYR 309

$84.3 ₩112.0K

-10.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$403 MYR 1,644

$878 ₩1.2M

-54.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$299 MYR 1,221

$624 ₩829.7K

-52.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$681 MYR 2,779

$2,513 ₩3.3M

-72.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$489 MYR 1,994

$1,287 ₩1.7M

-62.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,002 MYR 8,167

$30.4K ₩40.4M

-93.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,079 MYR 4,402

$11.9K ₩15.8M

-90.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,220 MYR 4,976

$3,599 ₩4.8M

-66.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.06

4.08

-0.49%

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

Last update for Sandakan, Sabah: October 17, 2026

Last update for Seoul: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sandakan, Sabah

$299 32.1%

Seoul

$624 34.6% 108% $325

Groceries & Markets

Sandakan, Sabah

$258 27.6%

Seoul

$480 26.6% 86.2% $222

Clothing & Footwear

Sandakan, Sabah

$112 12%

Seoul

$110 6.1% 1.5% $1.7

Eating Out

Sandakan, Sabah

$111 11.9%

Seoul

$185 10.3% 67.4% $75

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sandakan, Sabah

$86 9.2%

Seoul

$267 14.8% 211% $181

Sport & Entertainment

Sandakan, Sabah

$50 5.3%

Seoul

$80 4.5% 61.5% $31

Getting Around

Sandakan, Sabah

$19 2%

Seoul

$58 3.2% 205% $39

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $403 in Sandakan, Sabah and $878 in Seoul. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seoul pays 195% 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 $67.0 in Seoul for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $258 vs $480 per month, with Sandakan, Sabah cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Sandakan, Sabah

🇰🇷 Seoul

🕒 Local time

03:52 3:52 AM

04:52 4:52 AM

1 h ahead of Sandakan, Sabah

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

439,050

9,509,458 Capital

💱 Currency

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

South Korean Won KRW ₩

📈 Exchange rate

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.218 EUR

10,000 KRW = 7.52 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

KRW, 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).

South Korean Won exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 1,330 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.52 USD). 1 EUR = 1,495 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR).

USD to MYR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Sandakan, Sabah Seoul 3,640 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Sandakan, Sabah
Seoul

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 Seoul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sandakan, Sabah and Seoul differ by about 93% in total monthly costs ($934 vs $1,804 including rent). Sandakan, Sabah is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 195% lower in Seoul. 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 $878 in Seoul. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Sandakan, Sabah runs roughly 276% less than in Seoul. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $190 in Sandakan, Sabah versus $1,967 in Seoul. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $934 in Sandakan, Sabah versus $1,804 in Seoul, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Sandakan, Sabah but tight or insufficient in Seoul. 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 Seoul 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 93% less than in Seoul. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.