Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sydney and Kota Kinabalu

For one person, living is cheaper in Kota Kinabalu: $917 a month against $3,182 in Sydney, rent and utilities included – about $27,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

155

Cost of Living Index in Sydney
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Sydney Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Kota Kinabalu
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Kota Kinabalu Living Index

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Sydney

🇦🇺 Australia

$3,182

/mo nomad

Kota Kinabalu

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$917

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sydney and in Kota Kinabalu

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Sydney and in Kota Kinabalu actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,182 in Sydney versus $917 in Kota Kinabalu.

Sydney $3,182
Kota Kinabalu $917

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,696 in Sydney versus $1,429 in Kota Kinabalu.

Sydney $4,696
Kota Kinabalu $1,429

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,210 in Sydney versus $1,941 in Kota Kinabalu.

Sydney $6,210
Kota Kinabalu $1,941

Living in Sydney is roughly 247% more expensive than in Kota Kinabalu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Sydney is 137% above, Kota Kinabalu is 32% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.66 A$25.28

$3.57 MYR 14.59

394.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$97.1 A$139

$19.54 MYR 79.8

396.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.94 A$17.09

$4.92 MYR 20.09

142.68%

Cappuccino

$4.00 A$5.72

$2.63 MYR 10.74

52.09%

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

$2.84 A$4.06

$0.60 MYR 2.44

373.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 A$3.25

$0.30 MYR 1.22

656.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.89 A$11.29

$2.39 MYR 9.75

230.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.13 A$10.20

$3.74 MYR 15.27

90.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 A$2.38

$1.74 MYR 7.11

-4.60%

White Bread (500g)

$2.79 A$4.00

$1.28 MYR 5.23

117.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.32 A$3.33

$2.26 MYR 9.23

2.65%

Eggs

$5.53 A$7.92

$3.46 MYR 14.13

59.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.08 A$17.28

$28.33 MYR 116

-57.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.84 A$14.09

$3.69 MYR 15.05

166.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.61 A$23.78

$6.68 MYR 27.27

148.65%

Apples (1kg)

$4.02 A$5.76

$2.24 MYR 9.15

79.46%

Banana (1kg)

$3.15 A$4.51

$1.43 MYR 5.84

120.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.50 A$5.01

$1.94 MYR 7.91

80.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.47 A$6.39

$1.99 MYR 8.13

124.62%

Potato (1kg)

$3.32 A$4.76

$1.67 MYR 6.81

98.80%

Onion (1kg)

$2.30 A$3.30

$2.13 MYR 8.71

7.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.34 A$3.35

$0.94 MYR 3.84

148.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 A$1.65

$0.47 MYR 1.93

144.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$45.02 A$64.4

$4.92 MYR 20.10

815.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.96 A$19.97

$15.84 MYR 64.7

-11.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.98 A$5.70

$3.63 MYR 14.81

9.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.07 A$5.82

$2.47 MYR 10.07

64.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.16 A$4.52

$1.91 MYR 7.80

65.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$150 A$215

$41.92 MYR 171

257.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.45 A$4.94

$1.91 MYR 7.82

80.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 A$2.33

$0.23 MYR 0.94

608.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.98 A$57.2

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.40 A$2.01

$0.76 MYR 3.11

84.21%

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

$28.4K A$40.7K

$42.1K MYR 172.1K

-32.55%

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

$29.4K A$42.1K

$35.6K MYR 145.5K

-17.48%

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

$220 A$315

$70.5 MYR 288

211.99%

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

$27.70 A$39.64

$9.69 MYR 39.56

185.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.5 A$79.5

$32.36 MYR 132

71.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$74.3 A$106

$52.3 MYR 214

42.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.95 A$34.28

$3.09 MYR 12.64

675.08%

Cinema Ticket

$17.73 A$25.37

$5.22 MYR 21.31

239.66%

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

$2,157 A$3,087

$141 MYR 575

1431.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.3K A$40.5K

$6,995 MYR 28.6K

304.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$78.4 A$112

$81.5 MYR 333

-3.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$70.5 A$101

$36.64 MYR 150

92.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 A$159

$93.7 MYR 382

18.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$132 A$189

$48.75 MYR 199

170.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,514 A$3,598

$425 MYR 1,735

491.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,732 A$2,478

$193 MYR 788

797.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,889 A$6,996

$679 MYR 2,771

620.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,039 A$4,349

$368 MYR 1,501

726.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.2K A$18.9K

$1,848 MYR 7,546

614.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,117 A$11.6K

$1,099 MYR 4,489

638.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,082 A$5,842

$592 MYR 2,419

589.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.84

3.9

49.74%

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

Last update for Sydney: October 5, 2026

Last update for Kota Kinabalu: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sydney

$1.7K 54.5%

Kota Kinabalu

$193 20.9% 88.9% $1.5K

Groceries & Markets

Sydney

$380 12%

Kota Kinabalu

$288 31.1% 24.4% $93

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sydney

$303 9.6%

Kota Kinabalu

$113 12.2% 62.9% $191

Eating Out

Sydney

$299 9.4%

Kota Kinabalu

$98 10.6% 67.3% $201

Clothing & Footwear

Sydney

$176 5.6%

Kota Kinabalu

$117 12.7% 33.5% $59

Getting Around

Sydney

$174 5.5%

Kota Kinabalu

$53 5.7% 69.8% $122

Sport & Entertainment

Sydney

$110 3.5%

Kota Kinabalu

$63 6.8% 42.8% $47

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,514 in Sydney and $425 in Kota Kinabalu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sydney pays 589% 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: $97.0 in Sydney vs $20.00 in Kota Kinabalu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $380 vs $288 per month, with Kota Kinabalu cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Sydney

🇲🇾 Kota Kinabalu

🕒 Local time

21:36 9:36 PM

18:36 6:36 PM

3 h behind Sydney

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,840,600

500,425

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.699 USD

1 AUD = 0.624 EUR

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.219 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MYR, USD, EUR to AUD – Australian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇺 Australian Dollar ($)

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 AUD (1 AUD = 0.699 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 AUD (1 AUD = 0.624 EUR).

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 4.08 MYR (1 MYR = 0.245 USD). 1 EUR = 4.58 MYR (1 MYR = 0.219 EUR).

USD to AUD in detail →

On the map

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Sydney Kota Kinabalu 5,770 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Sydney
Kota Kinabalu

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

Sydney vs Kota Kinabalu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kota Kinabalu wins on cost – living expenses run 247% lower than in Sydney. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Kota Kinabalu the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 589% higher in Sydney, 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: $2,514 in Sydney versus $425 in Kota Kinabalu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Kota Kinabalu runs roughly 258% less than in Sydney. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $2,157 in Sydney versus $141 in Kota Kinabalu. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $917 in Kota Kinabalu versus $3,182 in Sydney, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Kota Kinabalu but tight or insufficient in Sydney. The gap between the two cities makes Kota Kinabalu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Kota Kinabalu delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $917 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Kota Kinabalu hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Sydney and Kota Kinabalu 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 Kota Kinabalu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 247% less than in Sydney. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.