Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tawau and Delhi

For one person, living is cheaper in Delhi: $526 a month against $888 in Tawau, rent and utilities included – about $4,300 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Tawau
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Tawau Living Index
25

Cost of Living Index in Delhi
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Delhi Living Index

Jump to prices

Tawau

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$888

/mo nomad

Delhi

🇮🇳 India

$526

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tawau and in Delhi

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

A single person spends $888 per month in Tawau vs $526 in Delhi, rent included.

Tawau $888
Delhi $526

A couple spends around $1,354 per month in Tawau vs $882 in Delhi, rent included.

Tawau $1,354
Delhi $882

A family of three spends $1,820 per month in Tawau vs $1,239 in Delhi, rent included.

Tawau $1,820
Delhi $1,239

Tawau costs about 69% more than Delhi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Tawau and Delhi are more affordable than the global median – Tawau 34% lower, Delhi 61% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.14 MYR 12.80

$3.70 ₹352

-15.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.22 MYR 78.4

$21.33 ₹2,026

-9.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.21 MYR 17.19

$3.69 ₹351

14.09%

Cappuccino

$3.15 MYR 12.86

$2.30 ₹218

36.96%

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

$0.95 MYR 3.86

$0.39 ₹36.82

143.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 MYR 1.46

$0.15 ₹14.05

140.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.66 MYR 10.83

$2.05 ₹195

29.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.52 MYR 18.45

$3.13 ₹297

44.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 MYR 7.10

$0.69 ₹65.9

152.17%

White Bread (500g)

$1.00 MYR 4.09

$0.58 ₹54.6

72.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.49 MYR 6.06

$0.78 ₹74.0

91.03%

Eggs

$2.16 MYR 8.80

$1.15 ₹109

87.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.36 MYR 58.6

$4.28 ₹407

235.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.35 MYR 17.75

$3.52 ₹334

23.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.83 MYR 40.10

Apples (1kg)

$3.04 MYR 12.41

$1.93 ₹184

57.51%

Banana (1kg)

$1.67 MYR 6.83

$0.79 ₹75.1

111.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.48 MYR 10.13

$1.01 ₹95.6

145.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.49 MYR 6.10

$0.53 ₹50.0

181.13%

Potato (1kg)

$1.31 MYR 5.32

$0.28 ₹26.21

367.86%

Onion (1kg)

$1.21 MYR 4.94

$0.37 ₹35.46

227.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MYR 4.37

$0.44 ₹41.89

143.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 MYR 2.31

$0.31 ₹29.89

83.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.48 MYR 18.30

$4.95 ₹470

-9.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.05 MYR 77.7

$8.57 ₹814

122.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.02 MYR 12.32

$1.61 ₹152

87.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.98 MYR 20.32

$2.66 ₹253

87.22%

Buffalo Round (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) (1kg)

$6.40 ₹608

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.70 MYR 2.84

$0.51 ₹48.63

37.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.41 MYR 50.6

$15.59 ₹1,481

-20.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.25 MYR 5.11

$1.04 ₹98.4

20.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.48 MYR 1.97

$0.27 ₹25.79

77.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.98 MYR 28.49

$1.54 ₹146

353.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.87 MYR 3.57

$1.11 ₹106

-21.62%

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

$50.2K MYR 204.8K

$11.5K ₹1.1M

337.37%

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

$36.0K MYR 146.9K

$18.9K ₹1.8M

90.94%

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

$49.37 MYR 201

$42.45 ₹4,031

16.30%

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

$10.55 MYR 43.02

$4.20 ₹399

151.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.74 MYR 117

$6.89 ₹654

317.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.34 MYR 177

$20.09 ₹1,908

115.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.82 MYR 27.83

$7.89 ₹749

-13.56%

Cinema Ticket

$3.77 MYR 15.39

$5.31 ₹504

-29.00%

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

$183 MYR 746

$101 ₹9,571

81.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,623 MYR 31.1K

$2,315 ₹219.8K

229.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.9 MYR 240

$24.64 ₹2,340

138.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.06 MYR 135

$28.82 ₹2,737

14.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.3 MYR 303

$53.6 ₹5,088

38.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.2 MYR 360

$44.17 ₹4,194

99.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$387 MYR 1,578

$271 ₹25.8K

42.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$253 MYR 1,030

$157 ₹14.9K

60.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$596 MYR 2,433

$744 ₹70.6K

-19.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$447 MYR 1,823

$405 ₹38.4K

10.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,936 MYR 7,900

$2,574 ₹244.4K

-24.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,216 MYR 4,962

$1,003 ₹95.2K

21.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$418 MYR 1,707

$615 ₹58.4K

-32.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.06

8.33

-51.26%

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

Last update for Tawau: October 17, 2026

Last update for Delhi: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Tawau

$260 29.2%

Delhi

$110 20.8% 57.8% $150

Accommodation & Living

Tawau

$253 28.4%

Delhi

$157 29.9% 37.8% $96

Clothing & Footwear

Tawau

$114 12.9%

Delhi

$68 12.9% 40.6% $46

Eating Out

Tawau

$103 11.6%

Delhi

$87 16.5% 15.7% $16

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tawau

$89 10%

Delhi

$54 10.2% 39.6% $35

Sport & Entertainment

Tawau

$51 5.7%

Delhi

$31 5.8% 39.6% $20

Getting Around

Tawau

$19 2.1%

Delhi

$20 3.8% 6.3% $1.2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $387 in Tawau versus $271 in Delhi. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 47% higher in Delhi, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19.00 in Tawau versus $21.00 in Delhi. Groceries tell a different story – $260 in Tawau vs $110 in Delhi – so Delhi wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Tawau

🇮🇳 Delhi

🕒 Local time

05:27 5:27 AM

02:57 2:57 AM

2 h 30 min behind Tawau

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

420,806

16,787,941 Capital

💱 Currency

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

Indian Rupee INR ₹

📈 Exchange rate

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.218 EUR

1,000 INR = 10.53 USD

1,000 INR = 9.37 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

INR, 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).

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 94.96 INR (100 INR = 1.05 USD). 1 EUR = 107 INR (1,000 INR = 9.37 EUR).

USD to MYR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Tawau Delhi 5,070 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Tawau
Delhi

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

Tawau vs Delhi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $888 in Tawau, $526 in Delhi – roughly 69% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,332 per month in Tawau and $789 in Delhi. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Delhi, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19.00 in Tawau and $21.00 in Delhi. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $888 in Tawau and $526 in Delhi. That's a gap of about 69%.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $888 in Tawau and $526 in Delhi, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Delhi – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Delhi. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Tawau makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.