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Explore Cities/Compare Cities/Kota Kinabalu vs Lucknow

Kota Kinabalu vs Lucknow

Side-by-side comparison for digital nomads

Lucknow 38% cheaper Kota Kinabalu +74 Mbps Moderate / N/A
Kota Kinabalu
Kota Kinabalu
Fahrul Azmi/Unsplash
Lucknow
Lucknow
Rhythmic Creations/Unsplash
Nomad Cost

$1,328

Kota Kinabalu

$830

Lucknow

Internet

135

Mbps

61

Mbps

Safety

Moderate

Kota Kinabalu

N/A

Lucknow

Air Quality

5/5

Kota Kinabalu

5/5

Lucknow

Healthcare

Moderate

Kota Kinabalu

N/A

Lucknow

Population

207.2k

Kota Kinabalu

2.9m

Lucknow

Kota Kinabalu (Malaysia) and Lucknow (India) are both in Asia, offering different takes on the nomad lifestyle. Here is how they compare across the metrics that matter most.

Cost of Living

The monthly savings are substantial — Lucknow at $830/mo costs 38% less than Kota Kinabalu at $1328/mo, adding up to $5976 over a year.

For families, Kota Kinabalu costs $1780.5854056487/mo compared to Lucknow's $668.408773077319/mo.

Internet & Infrastructure

For bandwidth-intensive work, Kota Kinabalu has a clear edge at 135 Mbps (#0 globally) compared to Lucknow's 61 Mbps (#0).

Quality of Life

Both Kota Kinabalu and Lucknow share the same safety rating — travelers can feel equally comfortable in either city.

Healthcare quality is rated similarly in both Kota Kinabalu and Lucknow.

Monthly Weather Comparison

The best time to visit Kota Kinabalu is July (around 36 degrees, 2mm rain, score 415), while Lucknow peaks in February (23 degrees, 0mm rain, score 375). Timing your stay around these months can make a big difference in your experience.

Cost of Living

Kota KinabaluLucknow
Nomad$1,328/mo$830/mo
Expat$811/mo$484/mo
Local$509/mo$191/mo
Family$1,781/mo$668/mo

Internet & Infrastructure

Kota KinabaluLucknow
City Speed
135 Mbps
61 Mbps
Country Speed135 Mbps61 Mbps

Environment & Health

Kota KinabaluLucknow
Air Quality Score5/55/5
PollutionModerateN/A
ClimateModerateN/A
Humidity8118

Quality of Life

Kota KinabaluLucknow
SafetyModerateN/A
HealthcareModerateN/A

Monthly Weather Comparison

Kota Kinabalu
Lucknow
Jan
36°
2mm361
19°
0mm335
Feb
37°
1mm381
23°
0mm375
Mar
38°
1mm361
30°
0mm375
Apr
39°
4mm341
38°
0mm325
May
39°
20mm264
42°
0mm315
Jun
37°
5mm351
44°
0mm315
Jul
36°
2mm415
40°
6mm191
Aug
35°
9mm340
38°
7mm196
Sep
36°
3mm376
37°
2mm303
Oct
36°
6mm264
36°
0mm375
Nov
36°
2mm361
29°
0mm375
Dec
35°
5mm340
22°
0mm355

Who Should Choose Kota Kinabalu?

  • Great for budget nomads — monthly costs around $1328
  • Excellent for video calls and large uploads with 135 Mbps
  • Clean air with a 5/5 air quality score
  • Family-friendly at $1780.5854056487/mo for families
  • Smaller city feel with 207.2k residents
  • Peak season in July — 36 degrees, score 415

Who Should Choose Lucknow?

  • Great for budget nomads — monthly costs around $830
  • Clean air with a 5/5 air quality score
  • Family-friendly at $668.408773077319/mo for families
  • Major city energy with 2.9m residents
  • Peak season in February — 23 degrees, score 375

Overall Verdict

The data favors Kota Kinabalu as the more well-rounded choice. At $1328/mo versus Lucknow's $830/mo, that is a 38% saving that adds up significantly on an extended stay.

Granular Price Comparison

Kota Kinabalu Lucknow
ItemKota KinabaluLucknowDiff
🍽️Restaurants8 items
Meal, inexpensive restaurant$2.74$3.07
11%
Meal for 2, mid-range (3-course)$13.68$12.28
10%
McMeal or equivalent combo$4.1$3.07
25%
Cappuccino (regular)$2.66$1.57
41%
Domestic beer (0.5L draught)$3.42$1.84
46%
Imported beer (0.33L bottle)$4.56$3.68
19%
Coke/Pepsi (0.33L)$0.57$0.35
39%
Water (0.33L)$0.32$0.18
44%
🛒Markets19 items
Milk (1L)$1.48$0.68
54%
White bread (500g)$1.01$0.45
55%
White rice (1kg)$0.96$0.71
26%
Eggs (12)$1.54$1.03
33%
Chicken fillets (1kg)$4.51$3.48
23%
Beef round (1kg)$6.9$6.52
6%
Local cheese (1kg)$26.59$3.96
85%
Apples (1kg)$1.96$1.49
24%
Bananas (1kg)$0.91$0.58
36%
Oranges (1kg)$4.41$0.82
81%
Tomatoes (1kg)$1.25$0.43
66%
Potatoes (1kg)$0.85$0.25
71%
Onions (1kg)$0.97$0.35
64%
Lettuce (1 head)$1.03$0.43
58%
Water (1.5L bottle)$0.56$0.35
38%
Wine, mid-range bottle$17.09$6.14
64%
Domestic beer (0.5L bottle)$2.28$1.81
21%
Imported beer (0.33L bottle)$3.19$3.39
6%
Cigarettes (pack of 20)$3.99$4.05
1%
🚌Transport8 items
One-way local transport ticket$0.4$0.43
7%
Monthly transport pass$22.09$12.28
44%
Taxi start (normal tariff)$1$0.61
39%
Taxi per 1km$0.46$0.15
67%
Taxi 1hr waiting$4.92$1.23
75%
Gasoline (1L)$0.47$1.25
62%
Volkswagen Golf (new)$29,629.63$14,738.11
50%
Toyota Corolla (new)$29,900.01$24,393.62
18%
⚡Utilities3 items
Utilities, 85m² apartment/mo$37.14$47.83
22%
Internet 60+ Mbps/mo$28.57$8.66
70%
Mobile prepaid per minute$0.04$0.02
50%
🏋️Sport & Leisure3 items
Fitness club, monthly$25.01$19.96
20%
Tennis court rent (1hr weekend)$4.62$10.23
55%
Cinema, 1 ticket$3.65$3.68
1%
👶Childcare2 items
Preschool, full-day private/mo$78.35$51.34
34%
International primary school/yr$4,900.28$1,271.16
74%
👗Clothing4 items
Jeans (Levi's 501 or similar)$47.01$27.55
41%
Summer dress (chain store)$19.09$34.39
44%
Nike running shoes (mid-range)$72.14$40.91
43%
Men's leather business shoes$62.08$38.92
37%
🏠Rent4 items
1-bedroom apartment, city centre$398.86$122.82
69%
1-bedroom apartment, outside centre$205.13$77.99
62%
3-bedroom apartment, city centre$492.31$305.51
38%
3-bedroom apartment, outside centre$378.92$180.13
52%
🏗️Buy2 items
Price per m², city centre$1,914.37$1,067.19
44%
Price per m², outside centre$1,019.26$599.7
41%
💰Finance2 items
Average monthly net salary$531.81$569.74
7%
Mortgage interest rate (20yr fixed)$4.36$8.47
49%

Lower is better for all cost items.

Data from Open-Meteo (weather) and global internet speed rankings. Updated monthly.

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