Cost of living
Kota Kinabalu compared to Penang
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Overview comparison
Kota KinabaluPenang
Consumer prices in Kota Kinabalu are roughly 12% higher than in Penang.
Cost of living
| Item | Kota Kinabalu | Penang |
|---|
| Total with rent one person | 608 | 525 |
|---|
| Total with rent family | 1,670 | 1,441 |
|---|
| Without rent one person | 342 | 265 |
|---|
| Without rent one family | 1,213 | 988 |
|---|
| Rent & Utilities person | 268.74 | 217.74 |
|---|
| Rent & Utilities family | 493.03 | 458.14 |
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| Food person | 249 | 194 |
|---|
| Food family | 758 | 481 |
|---|
| Transport person | 60.99 | 19.22 |
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| Transport family | 147.25 | 51.82 |
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| Life expectancy | 82.04 years | 65.66 years |
|---|
Eating Out
| Item | Kota Kinabalu | Penang |
|---|
| Lunch Menu | 3.45 | 1.97 |
|---|
| Dinner in a Restaurant, for 2 | 15.87 | 13.32 |
|---|
| Fast food meal, equiv. McDonald's | 4.88 | 4.02 |
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| Beer in a Pub, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz | 3.35 | 4.01 |
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| Cappuccino | 2.54 | 1.46 |
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| Pepsi / Coke, 0.5 L or 16.9 fl oz | 0.68 | 0.49 |
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Rent & Utilities
| Item | Kota Kinabalu | Penang |
|---|
| 1 bedroom apartment in city Center, 40 m2 or 430 ft2 | 316.24 | 288.81 |
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| Cheap 1 bedroom apartment, 40 m2 or 430 ft2 | 179.24 | 181.21 |
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| 3 bedroom apartment in city Center, 80 m2 or 860 ft2 | 590.9 | 460.52 |
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| Cheap 3 bedroom apartment, 80 m2 or 860 ft2 | 229.56 | 316.73 |
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| Utility Bill one person, electricity, heating, water, etc. | 30.97 | 21.53 |
|---|
| Utility Bill for a Family, electricity, heating, water, etc. | 53.32 | 34.83 |
|---|
| Internet plan, 25 Mbps+ 1 month unlimited | 27.64 | 29.29 |
|---|
Transportation
| Item | Kota Kinabalu | Penang |
|---|
| Local transport ticket | 3.09 | 3.6 |
|---|
| Monthly ticket local transport | 1,394 | 1,074 |
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| Taxi Ride, 8 km or 5 mi | 971 | 768 |
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| Gas / Petrol, 1 L or 0.26 gal | 1.47 | 1.15 |
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| Mortgage Interest Rate for 20 Years | 23.12% | 8.15% |
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| Apartment price to Buy in city Center, 1 m2 or 10 ft2 | 8.9 | 5.56 |
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| House price to Buy in Suburbs, 1 m2 or 10 ft2 | 0.52 | 0.53 |
|---|
Groceries
| Item | Kota Kinabalu | Penang |
|---|
| Milk, 1 L or 1 qt | 2.05 | 1.43 |
|---|
| Bread, 0.5 kg or 1.1 lb | 0.9 | 1.02 |
|---|
| Eggs, x12 | 2.57 | 1.77 |
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| Cheese, 1 kg or 2.2 lb | 12.17 | 12.18 |
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| Chicken Breast, 1 kg or 2.2 lb | 4.58 | 3.12 |
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| Round Steak, 1 kg or 2.2 lb | 7.04 | 6.56 |
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| Banana, 1 kg or 2.2 lb | 1.19 | 1.06 |
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| Water, 1 L or 1 qt | 0.27 | 0.29 |
|---|
Other
| Item | Kota Kinabalu | Penang |
|---|
| Gym Membership, 1 month | 30.08 | 29.1 |
|---|
| Cinema Ticket, 1 person | 3.25 | 3.24 |
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| Doctors visit | 17.92 | 28.4 |
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| Haircut, simple | 7.24 | 6.86 |
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| Brand Jeans | 68.13 | 39.73 |
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| Brand Sneakers | 79.53 | 60.43 |
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| Daycare or Preschool, 1 month | 139.39 | 91.6 |
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| International Primary School, 1 year | 4,852 | 4,899 |
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