Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Veliky Novgorod and Kota Kinabalu

For one person, living is cheaper in Veliky Novgorod: $791 a month against $921 in Kota Kinabalu, rent and utilities included – about $1,600 less a year. The total is higher in Kota Kinabalu despite lower rent and utilities.

38

Cost of Living Index in Veliky Novgorod
Learn more

Veliky Novgorod Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Kota Kinabalu
Learn more

Kota Kinabalu Living Index

Jump to prices

Veliky Novgorod

🇷🇺 Russia

$791

/mo nomad

Kota Kinabalu

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$921

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $791 in Veliky Novgorod versus $921 in Kota Kinabalu.

Veliky Novgorod $791
Kota Kinabalu $921

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,322 in Veliky Novgorod versus $1,421 in Kota Kinabalu.

Veliky Novgorod $1,322
Kota Kinabalu $1,421

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,853 in Veliky Novgorod versus $1,921 in Kota Kinabalu.

Veliky Novgorod $1,853
Kota Kinabalu $1,921

Living in Veliky Novgorod costs roughly 14% less than in Kota Kinabalu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Veliky Novgorod 41% lower, Kota Kinabalu 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.52 ₽711

$3.64 MYR 14.86

134.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.72 ₽3,482

$19.52 MYR 79.6

113.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.26 ₽439

$4.82 MYR 19.65

9.13%

Cappuccino

$2.10 ₽175

$2.57 MYR 10.50

-18.29%

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

$0.73 ₽61.0

$0.59 MYR 2.41

23.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ₽31.26

$0.29 MYR 1.20

27.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.04 ₽86.6

$2.50 MYR 10.19

-58.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.84 ₽153

$3.75 MYR 15.28

-50.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.10 ₽91.5

$1.72 MYR 7.02

-36.05%

White Bread (500g)

$0.69 ₽57.7

$1.30 MYR 5.28

-46.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 ₽142

$2.31 MYR 9.43

-26.41%

Eggs

$1.27 ₽106

$3.52 MYR 14.37

-63.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.67 ₽891

$28.38 MYR 116

-62.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.24 ₽521

$3.69 MYR 15.06

69.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.89 ₽491

$6.91 MYR 28.19

-14.76%

Apples (1kg)

$1.57 ₽131

$2.25 MYR 9.20

-30.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 ₽138

$1.42 MYR 5.81

16.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.64 ₽137

$1.91 MYR 7.78

-14.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.18 ₽265

$1.93 MYR 7.88

64.77%

Potato (1kg)

$0.68 ₽56.8

$1.66 MYR 6.79

-59.04%

Onion (1kg)

$0.62 ₽51.3

$2.07 MYR 8.44

-70.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.26 ₽105

$1.00 MYR 4.06

26.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 ₽66.5

$0.48 MYR 1.95

66.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.96 ₽247

$4.81 MYR 19.64

-38.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.90 ₽492

$16.20 MYR 66.1

-63.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.74 ₽61.4

$3.76 MYR 15.36

-80.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 ₽75.9

$2.49 MYR 10.14

-63.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.53 ₽43.84

$1.90 MYR 7.76

-72.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$33.40 ₽2,788

$43.22 MYR 176

-22.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.82 ₽152

$1.91 MYR 7.77

-4.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.17 ₽13.85

$0.23 MYR 0.93

-26.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.50 ₽292

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.87 ₽72.5

$0.71 MYR 2.89

22.54%

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

$18.1K ₽1.5M

$42.5K MYR 173.5K

-57.35%

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

$32.1K ₽2.7M

$34.8K MYR 142.1K

-7.82%

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

$44.70 ₽3,730

$69.4 MYR 283

-35.55%

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

$5.33 ₽445

$9.25 MYR 37.75

-42.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$5.84 ₽487

$32.46 MYR 132

-82.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.20 ₽2,771

$51.3 MYR 209

-35.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.55 ₽1,799

$3.07 MYR 12.53

601.95%

Cinema Ticket

$5.27 ₽440

$5.11 MYR 20.83

3.13%

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

$635 ₽53.0K

$138 MYR 565

358.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.2K ₽1.4M

$6,981 MYR 28.5K

146.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.26 ₽2,942

$81.7 MYR 333

-56.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.96 ₽2,501

$37.02 MYR 151

-19.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 ₽8,370

$91.7 MYR 374

9.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.2 ₽5,862

$48.12 MYR 196

45.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$356 ₽29.7K

$438 MYR 1,786

-18.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$238 ₽19.9K

$190 MYR 775

25.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$660 ₽55.0K

$676 MYR 2,759

-2.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$480 ₽40.0K

$368 MYR 1,501

30.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,713 ₽143.0K

$1,802 MYR 7,351

-4.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,213 ₽101.3K

$1,089 MYR 4,444

11.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$770 ₽64.3K

$578 MYR 2,356

33.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

19.5

3.9

400.00%

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

Last update for Veliky Novgorod: October 11, 2026

Last update for Kota Kinabalu: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Veliky Novgorod

$238 30.1%

Kota Kinabalu

$190 20.6% 20.2% $48

Groceries & Markets

Veliky Novgorod

$186 23.5%

Kota Kinabalu

$290 31.5% 55.9% $104

Eating Out

Veliky Novgorod

$122 15.5%

Kota Kinabalu

$98 10.6% 20% $24

Clothing & Footwear

Veliky Novgorod

$106 13.4%

Kota Kinabalu

$116 12.6% 9.7% $10

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Veliky Novgorod

$56 7.1%

Kota Kinabalu

$111 12.1% 98.8% $55

Sport & Entertainment

Veliky Novgorod

$44 5.5%

Kota Kinabalu

$61 6.7% 40.5% $18

Getting Around

Veliky Novgorod

$38 4.8%

Kota Kinabalu

$54 5.9% 41.2% $16

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $356 in Veliky Novgorod and $438 in Kota Kinabalu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Veliky Novgorod pays 33% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $42.00 in Veliky Novgorod vs $20.00 in Kota Kinabalu. Groceries flip the comparison at $186 vs $290, with Veliky Novgorod cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇷🇺 Veliky Novgorod

🇲🇾 Kota Kinabalu

🕒 Local time

04:46 4:46 AM

09:46 9:46 AM

5 h ahead of Veliky Novgorod

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

223,191

500,425

💱 Currency

Russian Ruble RUB ₽

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

📈 Exchange rate

100 RUB = 1.2 USD

100 RUB = 1.07 EUR

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.218 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MYR, USD, EUR to RUB – Russian Ruble Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇷🇺 Russian Ruble (₽)

Russian Ruble exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 83.46 RUB (100 RUB = 1.2 USD). 1 EUR = 93.83 RUB (100 RUB = 1.07 EUR).

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 4.08 MYR (1 MYR = 0.245 USD). 1 EUR = 4.59 MYR (1 MYR = 0.218 EUR).

USD to RUB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Veliky Novgorod Kota Kinabalu 9,140 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Veliky Novgorod
Kota Kinabalu

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated March 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Veliky Novgorod vs Kota Kinabalu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Veliky Novgorod wins on cost – living expenses run 16% lower than in Kota Kinabalu. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Veliky Novgorod the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 33% higher in Veliky Novgorod, 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: $356 in Veliky Novgorod versus $438 in Kota Kinabalu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Veliky Novgorod runs roughly 29% less than in Kota Kinabalu. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $635 in Veliky Novgorod versus $138 in Kota Kinabalu. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $791 in Veliky Novgorod versus $921 in Kota Kinabalu, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Veliky Novgorod but tight or insufficient in Kota Kinabalu. The gap between the two cities makes Veliky Novgorod the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Veliky Novgorod delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $791 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Veliky Novgorod hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Veliky Novgorod 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 Veliky Novgorod gentler on the wallet – expenses run 16% less than in Kota Kinabalu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.