Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tashkent and Kota Kinabalu

For one person, living is cheaper in Kota Kinabalu: $917 a month against $1,025 in Tashkent, rent and utilities included – about $1,300 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Tashkent outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

51

Cost of Living Index in Tashkent
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Tashkent Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Kota Kinabalu
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Kota Kinabalu Living Index

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Tashkent

🇺🇿 Uzbekistan

$1,025

/mo nomad

Kota Kinabalu

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$917

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tashkent 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 Tashkent and in Kota Kinabalu actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,025 in Tashkent versus $917 in Kota Kinabalu.

Tashkent $1,025
Kota Kinabalu $917

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,630 in Tashkent versus $1,429 in Kota Kinabalu.

Tashkent $1,630
Kota Kinabalu $1,429

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,234 in Tashkent versus $1,941 in Kota Kinabalu.

Tashkent $2,234
Kota Kinabalu $1,941

Living in Tashkent is roughly 12% more expensive than in Kota Kinabalu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Tashkent 24% lower, Kota Kinabalu 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.91 UZS 82.0K

$3.57 MYR 14.59

93.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.76 UZS 400.7K

$19.54 MYR 79.8

72.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.01 UZS 59.5K

$4.92 MYR 20.09

1.83%

Cappuccino

$2.56 UZS 30.4K

$2.63 MYR 10.74

-2.66%

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

$0.76 UZS 9,070

$0.60 MYR 2.44

26.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.34 UZS 4,022

$0.30 MYR 1.22

13.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.17 UZS 25.7K

$2.39 MYR 9.75

-9.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.84 UZS 45.6K

$3.74 MYR 15.27

2.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.35 UZS 16.0K

$1.74 MYR 7.11

-22.41%

White Bread (500g)

$0.83 UZS 9,811

$1.28 MYR 5.23

-35.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.75 UZS 20.8K

$2.26 MYR 9.23

-22.57%

Eggs

$1.82 UZS 21.6K

$3.46 MYR 14.13

-47.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.03 UZS 95.3K

$28.33 MYR 116

-71.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.13 UZS 49.0K

$3.69 MYR 15.05

11.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.77 UZS 151.6K

$6.68 MYR 27.27

91.17%

Apples (1kg)

$1.56 UZS 18.5K

$2.24 MYR 9.15

-30.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.78 UZS 21.2K

$1.43 MYR 5.84

24.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.35 UZS 27.9K

$1.94 MYR 7.91

21.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.73 UZS 20.5K

$1.99 MYR 8.13

-13.07%

Potato (1kg)

$0.57 UZS 6,715

$1.67 MYR 6.81

-65.87%

Onion (1kg)

$0.42 UZS 4,967

$2.13 MYR 8.71

-80.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.05 UZS 12.5K

$0.94 MYR 3.84

11.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.46 UZS 5,411

$0.47 MYR 1.93

-2.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.99 UZS 23.7K

$4.92 MYR 20.10

-59.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.58 UZS 90.0K

$15.84 MYR 64.7

-52.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.34 UZS 15.8K

$3.63 MYR 14.81

-63.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.54 UZS 42.1K

$2.47 MYR 10.07

43.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.15 UZS 1,828

$1.91 MYR 7.80

-92.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.64 UZS 150.0K

$41.92 MYR 171

-69.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.84 UZS 9,946

$1.91 MYR 7.82

-56.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.36 UZS 4,311

$0.23 MYR 0.94

56.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.43 UZS 40.7K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 UZS 13.9K

$0.76 MYR 3.11

53.95%

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

$16.7K UZS 198.0M

$42.1K MYR 172.1K

-60.42%

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

$24.7K UZS 292.8M

$35.6K MYR 145.5K

-30.78%

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

$67.5 UZS 800.8K

$70.5 MYR 288

-4.27%

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

$4.46 UZS 52.9K

$9.69 MYR 39.56

-53.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$13.75 UZS 163.2K

$32.36 MYR 132

-57.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$63.7 UZS 756.0K

$52.3 MYR 214

21.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.97 UZS 225.2K

$3.09 MYR 12.64

513.92%

Cinema Ticket

$6.02 UZS 71.5K

$5.22 MYR 21.31

15.33%

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

$333 UZS 3.9M

$141 MYR 575

136.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,395 UZS 111.5M

$6,995 MYR 28.6K

34.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.7 UZS 602.3K

$81.5 MYR 333

-37.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.3 UZS 704.4K

$36.64 MYR 150

61.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 UZS 1.3M

$93.7 MYR 382

18.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$137 UZS 1.6M

$48.75 MYR 199

181.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$595 UZS 7.1M

$425 MYR 1,735

40.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$376 UZS 4.5M

$193 MYR 788

95.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,177 UZS 14.0M

$679 MYR 2,771

73.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$727 UZS 8.6M

$368 MYR 1,501

97.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,653 UZS 19.6M

$1,848 MYR 7,546

-10.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$941 UZS 11.2M

$1,099 MYR 4,489

-14.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$712 UZS 8.5M

$592 MYR 2,419

20.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

23.31

3.9

497.69%

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

Last update for Tashkent: October 6, 2026

Last update for Kota Kinabalu: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tashkent

$376 36.3%

Kota Kinabalu

$193 20.9% 48.7% $183

Groceries & Markets

Tashkent

$197 19%

Kota Kinabalu

$288 31.1% 46.2% $91

Clothing & Footwear

Tashkent

$161 15.6%

Kota Kinabalu

$117 12.7% 27.3% $44

Eating Out

Tashkent

$124 12%

Kota Kinabalu

$98 10.6% 21% $26

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tashkent

$86 8.3%

Kota Kinabalu

$113 12.2% 31.3% $27

Sport & Entertainment

Tashkent

$76 7.3%

Kota Kinabalu

$63 6.8% 17.1% $13

Getting Around

Tashkent

$16 1.5%

Kota Kinabalu

$53 5.7% 231% $37

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $595 in Tashkent and $425 in Kota Kinabalu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tashkent pays 20% 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: $34.00 in Tashkent vs $20.00 in Kota Kinabalu. Groceries flip the comparison at $197 vs $288, with Tashkent cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇿 Tashkent

🇲🇾 Kota Kinabalu

🕒 Local time

17:30 5:30 PM

20:30 8:30 PM

3 h ahead of Tashkent

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,956,384 Capital

500,425

💱 Currency

Uzbekistani Som UZS soʻm

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 UZS = 8.42 USD

100,000 UZS = 7.52 EUR

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.219 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MYR, USD, EUR to UZS – Uzbekistani Som Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇺🇿 Uzbekistani Som (soʻm)

Uzbekistani Som exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 11,870 UZS (100,000 UZS = 8.42 USD). 1 EUR = 13,301 UZS (100,000 UZS = 7.52 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 UZS in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Tashkent Kota Kinabalu 6,060 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Tashkent
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

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

Kota Kinabalu wins on cost – living expenses run 12% lower than in Tashkent. 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 20% higher in Tashkent, 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: $595 in Tashkent 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 232% less than in Tashkent. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $333 in Tashkent 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 $1,025 in Tashkent, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Kota Kinabalu but tight or insufficient in Tashkent. 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, Tashkent 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 12% less than in Tashkent. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.