Should you visit Kota Kinabalu or Madrid?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Should I visit Kota Kinabalu or Madrid? This is a common question asked by many travelers. By figuring out which city has activities that align with your interests along with knowing which is more affordable, you'll understand where you can get more bang for your buck. So, let's dive into the details and the data, which all comes from actual travelers.
Where Should I go: Kota Kinabalu or Madrid?
Kota Kinabalu
Kota Kinabalu, originally Jesselton, is the capital of Sabah, which is on the northern part of the island of Borneo. Kota Kinabalu is located just between the western side of the island and Tambunan Rafflesia Forest Reserve. Most of Kota Kinabalu's historic buildings were destroyed by bombing during World War II, so the city had to be rebuilt. KK, as it's commonly called, is a compact, but booming town today, with its new shopping centers, seaside condominiums, and bustling marketplaces.
Madrid
Madrid, the capital of Spain, overs visitors countless opportunities to experience Spain's culture, art, cuisine, and nightlife. It is the largest city in Spain, and as such has much to explore. The city is situated on the Iberian Peninsula on the Spanish central Castillian plateau. If you're flying into Spain, you'll likely fly into the Madrid airport as it's one of the largest airports in Europe. Madrid is well connected to the rest of Spain with planes, trains and buses, making it a popular place to visit for many travelers doing a European tour.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Luxury Tours to Malaysia, The Best Tours for Seniors to Malaysia, The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Barcelona, and The Best 10-Day Tours from Madrid.
Which place is cheaper, Madrid or Kota Kinabalu?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations. These travel costs come from the actual spending of real travelers.
The average daily cost (per person) in Kota Kinabalu is $68, while the average daily cost in Madrid is $189. These costs include accommodation (assuming double occupancy, so the traveler is sharing the room), food, transportation, and entertainment. While every person is different, these costs are an average of past travelers in each destination. What follows is a categorical breakdown of travel costs for Kota Kinabalu and Madrid in more detail.
Accommodation
Looking for a hotel in Kota Kinabalu or Madrid? Prices vary by location, date, season, and the level of luxury. See below for options and compare which is best for your budget and travel style.
Kayak helps you find the best prices for hotels, flights, and rental cars for destinations around the world. Compare prices for multiple destinations when planning your next trip.
Our Analysis
We've analyzed the average and typical hotel prices based on guest reviews, star ratings, and hotel amenities here:
Kota Kinabalu Hotel Prices and
Madrid Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Kota Kinabalu
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Kota Kinabalu:
-
Kota Kinabalu Airport BKI to Borneo - Round-Trip Private Transfer:
$77
-
Kota Kinabalu Hotel to Jetty Round Trip Transfer:
$53
-
Kota Kinab Airport to Kota Kinabalu - Round-Trip Private Transfer:
$48
-
Kota Kinabalu Airport (BKI) to Borneo - Arrival Private Transfer:
$38
-
Stand Up Paddle Boarding with Sunrise/Sunset Tour at Kota Kinabalu with transfer:
$32
-
Private Arrival Transfer : Kota Kinabalu International Airport:
$30
-
Private Transfer from Kota Kinabalu Hotels to Kota Kinabalu Port:
$25
-
Private Transfer from Kota Kinabalu Port to Kota Kinabalu hotels:
$25
-
Private Transfer- Kota Kinabalu Airport BKI to Kota Kinabalu Port:
$25
-
Transfer from Kota Kinabalu Airport BKI to Kota Kinabalu Port:
$25
-
Private Transfer- Kota Kinabalu Port to Kota Kinabalu Airport BKI:
$25
-
Kota Kinabalu to Kota Kinab Airport: Departure Private Transfer:
$24
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Madrid
Some typical examples of transportation costs in Madrid are as follows:
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Madrid
Also for Madrid, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
-
Alcobendas Private Transfer To Madrid Barajas Airport:
$29
-
Hotel Madrid City Private Transfer To Madrid Barajas Airport:
$29
-
Private transfer departure from City Centre to Madrid Airport:
$29
-
Transfer: Barajas Airport (MAD) to Madrid City Center:
$32
-
Madrid Barajas Airport Private Transfer To Madrid City:
$35
-
Private transfer to Madrid Airport (MAD):
$37
-
Madrid Airport (MAD) to Madrid - Arrival Private Transfer:
$43
-
Private transfer from Madrid city to CHAMARTIN train station:
$47
-
Private Transfer From Madrid Barajas Airport to Madrid:
$48
-
Madrid Airport Private Arrival Transfer:
$49
-
Madrid Airport Departure Private Transfer:
$51
-
Private One-way Airport Transfer Madrid Airport To Madrid:
$60
Is it cheaper to fly into Kota Kinabalu or Madrid?
Prices for flights to both Madrid and Kota Kinabalu change regularly based on dates and travel demand. We suggest you find the best prices for your next trip on Kayak, because you can compare the cost of flights across multiple airlines for your prefered dates.
Food
-
Food
Meals for one day
Kota Kinabalu $30
Madrid $69
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Kota Kinabalu
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Kota Kinabalu.
-
Beringgis Mangove Fireflies, Sunset Tour & Dinner:
$33
-
Sabah Traditional Authentic Cuisine Cooking Class 3 Hours:
$45
-
Klias River Cruise with Dinner and Fireflies:
$55
-
Kawa Mangrove Cruise & Fireflies with Dinner:
$67
-
Ethnic Cooking Class & Upside Down House & 3D Wonders Museum:
$92
-
Taste Of Borneo Cooking Class:
$95
-
North Borneo Sunset Dinner Cruise:
$121
-
Kota Kinabalu Night Tour with Dinner & Cultural Dance Show:
$138
-
Kota Kinabalu Sunset Cruise with Buffet Dinner:
$187
Typical Food Prices in Madrid
Here are some examples of typical meal expenses from previous travelers to Madrid:
-
Coffee
$2.35
-
Ice Cream
$3.52
-
Kebabs (for 2)
$19
-
Croissant
$1.76
-
Lunch at Airport (for 2)
$18
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Madrid
For Madrid, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
-
Madrid Old Town Tour & Flamenco Show with Optional Dinner:
$71
-
Chocolate & Churros Cooking Class in Madrid :
$72
-
Murder Mystery Dinner Experience:
$76
-
Spanish Tapas Experience and Sangría Showcooking in Madrid:
$78
-
Paella and Tapas Cooking Workshop in Madrid:
$84
-
Madrid Spanish Omelet Cooking Class and Bottomless Wine brunch:
$90
-
Spanish Cooking Class Paella Tapas and Sangria in Madrid:
$102
-
Tapas & Paella Cooking Class in Madrid with a Professional Chef:
$106
-
Tapas, Drinks & Stories: Madrid by Night Food Tour:
$124
-
Paella Cooking Class in Madrid with Bottomless Wine Pairing:
$142
-
Taste of Spain: Tapas Cooking Class with Bottomless Wine Pairing:
$142
-
Afternoon Tapas Cooking Class in a Secret Venue in Madrid:
$160
Entertainment
Tours and Activities in Kota Kinabalu
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Kota Kinabalu are as follows:
-
Sky-Mirror Photographing and Proboscis Monkey & Fireflies Watching River-Cruise:
$46
-
Bongawan River Cruise Proboscis Monkey, SkyMirror, Fireflies :
$49
-
Bongawan: River Safari Cruise, Private or Shared Ticket:
$48
-
Borneo (Klias) River Cruise & Fireflies Tour:
$50
-
Cowboy Town & Fireflies River Cruise:
$62
-
Day Trip to Kinabalu Park and Poring Hot Spring Guided Tour:
$70
-
From Kota Kinabalu : Kiulu White Water Rafting Tour + meal:
$66
-
Full Day Bongawan River Cruise with Proboscis Monkey Sightseeing:
$55
-
Indigenous Weaving Experience:
$236
-
Island Hopping Tour (2 Island) From Kota Kinabalu:
$100
-
Island Hopping Tour From Kota Kinabalu (2 island):
$90
-
Kinabalu National Park Tour:
$135
Tours and Activities in Madrid
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Madrid.
-
Self Guided Walking City Tour in Madrid:
$1.17
-
Tour "Barrio de las Letras" Spanish Golden Age:
$2.86
-
Tour "Madrid of the Austrias" | Old Town ❤️:
$2.86
-
Malasaña and Chueca A Tour That Shouts Freedom:
$3.57
-
Madrid Walking Tour from Puerta del Sol to Retiro Park:
$3.57
-
Self Guided Tours Madrid With 100 Captivating Audio Stories:
$3.57
-
Madrid - Medieval to Modern Walking Tour (English):
$3.58
-
Madrid Mountains Free Walking Tour:
$3.58
-
Walking Tour of Madrid Moderno, Madrid de los Bourbons :
$3.58
-
Tuk Tuk Tour of the Best of Madrid (booking only) :
$5.97
-
Self-Guided Audio Tour - Cervantes Literary Experience in Madrid:
$6.99
-
Ghosts of Exploration Game and Tour:
$7.16
Alcohol
Typical Alcohol Prices in Madrid
Some typical examples of the costs for nightlife and alcohol in Madrid are as follows:
-
Beer
$5.87
-
Drinks and Tapas (for 2)
$15
Sample the Local Flavors in Madrid
Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Madrid:
-
Top Pub Crawl Madrid & Party:
$11
-
Madrid Pub Crawl with VIP Club Entrance:
$12
-
Visit to the Winery with Wine Tasting and Appetizers in Navarra:
$12
-
Pub Crawl Madrid by Mad Party Crew:
$20
-
Pub Crawl Madrid-The Original since 2005-Shots-Fun-Clubs-Dance:
$30
-
Wine Tasting near Plaza Mayor in Madrid :
$30
-
Wine Tour with tasting in the Natural Park of La Mata:
$38
-
Wine Tasting in Madrid Experience:
$55
-
Toledo Tour with Tapas, Wine Tasting and Optional 3 Monuments:
$57
-
Hypno Tasting Wine Tasting under Hypnosis in Madrid:
$59
-
Madrid Royal Palace Small Group Guided Tour with Wine Tasting:
$71
-
New Year Eve Madrid Pub Crawl:
$82
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Kota Kinabalu and Madrid, we can see that Madrid is more expensive. And not only is Kota Kinabalu much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Kota Kinabalu is in Asia and Madrid is in Europe, this is one of the main reasons why the costs are so different, as different regions of the world tend to have overall different travel costs. So, traveling to Kota Kinabalu would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Kota Kinabalu and be able to afford a more luxurious travel style by staying in nicer hotels, eating at more expensive restaurants, taking tours, and experiencing more activities. The same level of travel in Madrid would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Madrid than you might in Kota Kinabalu.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Kota Kinabalu Expensive? and Is Madrid Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Kota Kinabalu or Madrid?
Madrid has a larger population, and is about 7 times larger than the population of Kota Kinabalu. When comparing the sizes of Kota Kinabalu and Madrid, keep in mind that a larger population does not always imply the destination has more attractions or better activities. So, always research the type of place that you want to visit along with the activities and attractions that interest you.
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