Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tashkent and Sandakan, Sabah

For one person, living is cheaper in Sandakan, Sabah: $934 a month against $1,048 in Tashkent, rent and utilities included – about $1,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Tashkent
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Tashkent Living Index
45

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

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Tashkent

🇺🇿 Uzbekistan

$1,048

/mo nomad

Sandakan, Sabah

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$934

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,048 in Tashkent versus $934 in Sandakan, Sabah.

Tashkent $1,048
Sandakan, Sabah $934

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,646 in Tashkent versus $1,397 in Sandakan, Sabah.

Tashkent $1,646
Sandakan, Sabah $1,397

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,244 in Tashkent versus $1,860 in Sandakan, Sabah.

Tashkent $2,244
Sandakan, Sabah $1,860

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

Both cities sit below the global median: Tashkent 23% lower, Sandakan, Sabah 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.73 UZS 81.1K

$3.75 MYR 15.28

79.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.94 UZS 397.0K

$19.24 MYR 78.5

71.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.13 UZS 61.9K

$4.77 MYR 19.45

7.55%

Cappuccino

$2.55 UZS 30.7K

$2.83 MYR 11.53

-9.89%

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

$0.70 UZS 8,488

$0.79 MYR 3.23

-11.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 UZS 3,955

$0.40 MYR 1.63

-17.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.09 UZS 25.2K

$3.77 MYR 15.39

-44.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.77 UZS 45.4K

$4.48 MYR 18.27

-15.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.30 UZS 15.7K

$1.82 MYR 7.44

-28.57%

White Bread (500g)

$0.85 UZS 10.2K

$1.04 MYR 4.26

-18.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 UZS 19.7K

$1.49 MYR 6.09

9.40%

Eggs

$1.80 UZS 21.6K

$2.05 MYR 8.37

-12.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.04 UZS 96.9K

$13.38 MYR 54.6

-39.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.07 UZS 49.1K

$4.36 MYR 17.77

-6.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.49 UZS 150.6K

$9.69 MYR 39.54

28.90%

Apples (1kg)

$1.49 UZS 18.0K

$3.28 MYR 13.39

-54.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 UZS 21.8K

$1.67 MYR 6.83

8.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 UZS 26.4K

$2.42 MYR 9.85

-9.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.70 UZS 20.5K

$1.53 MYR 6.25

11.11%

Potato (1kg)

$0.60 UZS 7,171

$1.31 MYR 5.35

-54.20%

Onion (1kg)

$0.37 UZS 4,488

$1.18 MYR 4.82

-68.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 UZS 12.3K

$1.12 MYR 4.57

-8.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.44 UZS 5,351

$0.53 MYR 2.15

-16.98%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.95 UZS 23.5K

$4.50 MYR 18.35

-56.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.33 UZS 88.4K

$19.33 MYR 78.9

-62.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.32 UZS 15.9K

$3.02 MYR 12.30

-56.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.55 UZS 42.7K

$4.55 MYR 18.55

-21.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.15 UZS 1,786

$0.72 MYR 2.92

-79.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.30 UZS 148.2K

$12.43 MYR 50.7

-1.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.86 UZS 10.4K

$1.19 MYR 4.85

-27.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.36 UZS 4,382

$0.50 MYR 2.05

-28.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.18 UZS 38.4K

$7.51 MYR 30.63

-57.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.13 UZS 13.6K

$0.80 MYR 3.28

41.25%

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

$17.3K UZS 208.5M

$41.3K MYR 168.5K

-58.11%

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

$20.7K UZS 249.8M

$34.3K MYR 140.0K

-39.59%

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

$67.2 UZS 809.7K

$48.48 MYR 198

38.59%

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

$4.40 UZS 53.0K

$9.82 MYR 40.07

-55.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$13.35 UZS 160.9K

$27.45 MYR 112

-51.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.5 UZS 813.2K

$39.94 MYR 163

68.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.05 UZS 217.5K

$7.11 MYR 29.01

153.87%

Cinema Ticket

$5.66 UZS 68.2K

$4.94 MYR 20.14

14.57%

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

$333 UZS 4.0M

$190 MYR 776

74.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,238 UZS 111.3M

$7,001 MYR 28.6K

31.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.73 UZS 599.3K

$56.6 MYR 231

-12.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 UZS 698.6K

$34.71 MYR 142

67.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 UZS 1.3M

$81.6 MYR 333

36.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$134 UZS 1.6M

$75.7 MYR 309

76.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$595 UZS 7.2M

$403 MYR 1,644

47.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$395 UZS 4.8M

$299 MYR 1,221

31.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,188 UZS 14.3M

$681 MYR 2,779

74.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$735 UZS 8.9M

$489 MYR 1,994

50.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,621 UZS 19.5M

$2,002 MYR 8,167

-19.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$944 UZS 11.4M

$1,079 MYR 4,402

-12.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$716 UZS 8.6M

$1,220 MYR 4,976

-41.31%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

23.31

4.06

474.14%

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

Last update for Tashkent: October 19, 2026

Last update for Sandakan, Sabah: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tashkent

$395 37.7%

Sandakan, Sabah

$299 32.1% 24.2% $95

Groceries & Markets

Tashkent

$193 18.4%

Sandakan, Sabah

$258 27.6% 33.4% $64

Clothing & Footwear

Tashkent

$159 15.2%

Sandakan, Sabah

$112 12% 29.6% $47

Eating Out

Tashkent

$122 11.6%

Sandakan, Sabah

$111 11.9% 9.2% $11

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tashkent

$85 8.1%

Sandakan, Sabah

$86 9.2% 1% $0.8

Sport & Entertainment

Tashkent

$79 7.5%

Sandakan, Sabah

$50 5.3% 36.8% $29

Getting Around

Tashkent

$16 1.5%

Sandakan, Sabah

$19 2% 21.9% $3.4

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $595 in Tashkent and $403 in Sandakan, Sabah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sandakan, Sabah pays 70% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $33.00 in Tashkent vs $19.00 in Sandakan, Sabah. Groceries flip the comparison at $193 vs $258, with Tashkent cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇿 Tashkent

🇲🇾 Sandakan, Sabah

🕒 Local time

04:32 4:32 AM

07:32 7:32 AM

3 h ahead of Tashkent

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,956,384 Capital

439,050

💱 Currency

Uzbekistani Som UZS soʻm

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 UZS = 8.3 USD

100,000 UZS = 7.38 EUR

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.218 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 20, 2026: 1 USD = 12,051 UZS (100,000 UZS = 8.3 USD). 1 EUR = 13,548 UZS (100,000 UZS = 7.38 EUR).

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).

USD to UZS in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Tashkent Sandakan, Sabah 6,230 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Tashkent
Sandakan, Sabah

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 Sandakan, Sabah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tashkent and Sandakan, Sabah differ by about 12% in total monthly costs ($1,048 vs $934 including rent). Sandakan, Sabah is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 70% lower in Sandakan, Sabah. 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: $595 in Tashkent versus $403 in Sandakan, Sabah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Sandakan, Sabah runs roughly 1% 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 $190 in Sandakan, Sabah. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $934 in Sandakan, Sabah versus $1,048 in Tashkent, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Sandakan, Sabah but tight or insufficient in Tashkent. 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, Tashkent and Sandakan, Sabah 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 12% less than in Tashkent. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.