Nomad Watch

Kota Kinabalu vs Tutong

Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia compared with Tutong, Brunei: cost of living, scores, climate and more.

At a glance

At a glance
MY Kota Kinabalu BN Tutong
Country Malaysia Brunei
Nomad score 6.6 / 10 5.2 / 10
Cost of living $1,859 / mo $2,346 / mo
Internet speed Data unavailable Data unavailable
Weather now 30° / 24°C 32° / 23°C
Air quality (AQI) 58 Moderate 50 Good
Community votes 0 0 0 0

Climate averages

Yearly averages of monthly climate data

Climate averages
MY Kota Kinabalu BN Tutong
Average high 29.6°C 30.3°C
Average low 24°C 22.9°C
Precipitation 246 mm / mo 320 mm / mo
Sunshine 274 h / mo 261 h / mo
Humidity 81% 90%
Rain days 21.4 / mo 24.3 / mo
Wind speed 11.3 km/h 10.9 km/h

MY Kota Kinabalu · average high by month

BN Tutong · average high by month

Air quality

Air quality
MY Kota Kinabalu BN Tutong
US AQI 58 50
PM2.5 14.1 µg/m³ 7.3 µg/m³
PM10 15.1 µg/m³ 7.6 µg/m³
Ozone 144 µg/m³ 26 µg/m³
UV index 5.7 0

Business & Economy

Scores out of 10

Business & Economy
MY Kota Kinabalu BN Tutong
Blockchain & Crypto Adoption 3.9 2.0
Local Payment Services 6.9 5.6
Startup Scene 3.7 2.3

Climate & Environment

Scores out of 10

Climate & Environment
MY Kota Kinabalu BN Tutong
Air Conditioning 8.2 7.1
Green Spaces 7.6 7.0
Natural Disaster Risk 6.8 6.8
Noise Pollution 5.4 7.1
Seasonal Variety 2.9 2.5
Weather 6.4 4.9

Connectivity

Scores out of 10

Connectivity
MY Kota Kinabalu BN Tutong
Mobile Network Coverage 8.2 7.6
Power Grid Reliability 7.6 8.4
Public WiFi Availability 5.3 3.3
VPN Reliability 7.8 6.7

Cost & Affordability

Scores out of 10

Cost & Affordability
MY Kota Kinabalu BN Tutong
Accommodation Cost 7.6 6.5
Cost of Living 7.6 6.7
Currency Stability 6.5 9.3
Entertainment Cost 7.3 5.4
Food & Groceries 8.1 6.6
Gym Membership Cost 6.7 5.4
Transportation Cost 7.9 6.4

Culture & Entertainment

Scores out of 10

Culture & Entertainment
MY Kota Kinabalu BN Tutong
Culture 7.0 4.9
Indoors Fun 5.4 3.3
Language Learning Opportunities 5.1 3.8
Local Experiences & Tours 8.2 5.0
Nightlife 5.6 1.5
Outdoors & Nature 9.1 7.2

Digital Nomad Community

Scores out of 10

Digital Nomad Community
MY Kota Kinabalu BN Tutong
Nomad Events & Meetups 3.8 1.1
Nomad Friendly 6.7 2.4
Online Community Presence 4.0 1.6

Digital Nomad Essentials

Scores out of 10

Digital Nomad Essentials
MY Kota Kinabalu BN Tutong
Cafes with WiFi 6.6 3.9
Coworking Spaces Availability 5.1 1.5
Digital Nomad Friendly Cafes 5.6 2.6
Digital Nomad Popularity 4.0 1.1
Internet Speed 7.2 6.5
Local SIM Card Availability 8.3 7.5

Food & Fitness

Scores out of 10

Food & Fitness
MY Kota Kinabalu BN Tutong
Fitness Facilities 6.3 3.3
Food Scene 7.8 4.5
Healthy Food Options 6.6 4.1
Yoga Studios 5.1 1.6

Healthcare

Scores out of 10

Healthcare
MY Kota Kinabalu BN Tutong
Healthcare 6.9 7.0
Healthcare Affordability 8.1 8.7
Healthcare Quality 6.6 6.5

Legal & Administrative

Scores out of 10

Legal & Administrative
MY Kota Kinabalu BN Tutong
Digital Nomad Visa Availability 6.8 0.4
Ease of Business Registration 5.6 4.1
Ease of Opening Bank Account 4.3 3.7
Freedom of Speech 4.6 2.8
Political Stability 7.0 8.5
Tax Friendliness 6.3 8.7
Visa Ease 6.4 4.6

Quality of Life

Scores out of 10

Quality of Life
MY Kota Kinabalu BN Tutong
Air Quality 7.2 7.8
Cleanliness 6.7 8.1
Environmental Quality 7.5 7.9
Family Friendly 7.4 7.5
Language Barrier 7.7 5.5
Work-Life Balance 7.6 6.6

Safety & Tolerance

Scores out of 10

Safety & Tolerance
MY Kota Kinabalu BN Tutong
Female Friendly 7.0 6.9
Racial Tolerance 7.5 6.6
Safety 7.7 8.9

Transportation

Scores out of 10

Transportation
MY Kota Kinabalu BN Tutong
Airport Connectivity 7.3 4.3
Cycling 3.4 3.4
Intercity Travel Options 6.1 4.0
Public Transit 3.9 3.0
Ride-sharing Services 7.3 3.3
Scooter/Bike Rental Availability 6.1 2.2
Walkability 5.4 4.6

Work Environment

Scores out of 10

Work Environment
MY Kota Kinabalu BN Tutong
Coworking Quality 4.8 1.4
Freelance Ecosystem 4.3 2.3
Networking Opportunities 4.4 2.3
Remote Job Opportunities 4.5 2.5
Time Zone Favorability 7.4 6.5

Clothing

Local prices in US dollars

Clothing
MY Kota Kinabalu BN Tutong
Jeans $56 per pair $51 per pair
Summer Dress $28 per dress $27 per dress
Running Shoes $86 per pair $86 per pair

Dining Out

Local prices in US dollars

Dining Out
MY Kota Kinabalu BN Tutong
Dining Out $102 per month $117 per month

Entertainment

Local prices in US dollars

Entertainment
MY Kota Kinabalu BN Tutong
Cinema Ticket $5.59 per ticket $5.46 per ticket

Food & Dining

Local prices in US dollars

Food & Dining
MY Kota Kinabalu BN Tutong
Coffee $3.17 per cup $3.51 per cup
Beer $4.06 per pint $0.00 per pint
Meal (Inexpensive) $3.05 per meal $3.90 per meal
Meal (Mid-range, 2 people) $25 per meal $31 per meal
Fast Food Combo $5.33 per meal $6.63 per meal
Apples $2.92 per kg $3.28 per kg
Bread $1.07 per loaf $1.09 per loaf
Water (1.5L bottle) $0.71 per bottle $0.70 per bottle
Milk $1.98 per liter $2.19 per liter
Rice $1.40 per kg $1.25 per kg
Chicken Fillets $5.59 per kg $6.63 per kg
Beef $11 per kg $12 per kg
Wine (Mid-range) $19 per bottle $0.00 per bottle

Groceries

Local prices in US dollars

Groceries
MY Kota Kinabalu BN Tutong
Groceries $165 per month $172 per month

Health Insurance

Local prices in US dollars

Health Insurance
MY Kota Kinabalu BN Tutong
Health Insurance $15 per month $0.00 per month

Healthcare

Local prices in US dollars

Healthcare
MY Kota Kinabalu BN Tutong
Doctor Visit (GP) $17 per visit $27 per visit
Pharmacy (basic meds) $4.57 per purchase $7.03 per purchase

Housing

Local prices in US dollars

Housing
MY Kota Kinabalu BN Tutong
Housing $241 per month $351 per month
Apartment (1 bedroom) $419 per month $429 per month
Airbnb (1 month) $965 per month $1,093 per month
Coworking Space $114 per month $141 per month
Coliving Space $305 per month $351 per month

Internet & Mobile

Local prices in US dollars

Internet & Mobile
MY Kota Kinabalu BN Tutong
Internet & Mobile $20 per month $31 per month

Leisure Activities

Local prices in US dollars

Leisure Activities
MY Kota Kinabalu BN Tutong
Leisure Activities $38 per month $47 per month

Personal Care

Local prices in US dollars

Personal Care
MY Kota Kinabalu BN Tutong
Haircut $10 per visit $9.37 per visit
Laundry $3.81 per kg $3.90 per kg

Services

Local prices in US dollars

Services
MY Kota Kinabalu BN Tutong
Mobile Plan $11 per month $20 per month
Internet (60 Mbps+) $29 per month $51 per month
SIM Card (Tourist, prepaid) $8.89 one-time $12 one-time
Gym Membership $41 per month $43 per month
Tennis Court (Weekend) $6.35 per hour $7.81 per hour

Transportation

Local prices in US dollars

Transportation
MY Kota Kinabalu BN Tutong
Transportation $38 per month $39 per month
Taxi Start $1.27 per trip $2.73 per trip
Taxi per km $0.76 per km $1.41 per km
Monthly Transport Pass $20 per month $23 per month
Ride-hailing (5km) $2.54 per trip $5.46 per trip
Gasoline $0.52 per liter $0.41 per liter
Scooter Rental $11 per month $16 per month

Utilities

Local prices in US dollars

Utilities
MY Kota Kinabalu BN Tutong
Utilities $30 per month $35 per month