Which place is cheaper, Hamburg 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.
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Should you visit Kota Kinabalu or Hamburg?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Should I visit Kota Kinabalu or Hamburg? 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 Hamburg?
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.
Hamburg
Hamburg is most noted for its port, which is the largest in Germany and the second busiest in Europe. Despite it's size, it is actually located about 100 kilometers from the North Sea on the River Elbe. The popularity of this port has given Hamburg the nickname as Germany's Gateway to the World. The city itself is the second largest in Germany and the metropolitan area has a population of over 4 million people.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Luxury Tours to Malaysia, The Best Tours for Seniors to Malaysia, The Best 10-Day Tours from Berlin, and The Best 2-Week Tours from Berlin.
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Kota Kinabalu Prices
Malaysia PricesHamburg Prices
Germany Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayKota Kinabalu $72Hamburg $165
The average daily cost (per person) in Kota Kinabalu is $72, while the average daily cost in Hamburg is $165. 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 Hamburg in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personKota Kinabalu $22Hamburg $63
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomKota Kinabalu $44Hamburg $126
Compare Hotels in Kota Kinabalu and Hamburg
Looking for a hotel in Kota Kinabalu or Hamburg? 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 Hamburg Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Kota Kinabalu $27Hamburg $33
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Kota Kinabalu
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Kota Kinabalu:
- Kota Kinab Airport to Kota Kinabalu - Round-Trip Private Transfer: $47
- Kota Kinabalu Airport (BKI) to Borneo - Arrival Private Transfer: $38
- Kota Kinabalu（BKI）: Private Transfer to City Center: $14
- Private Airport Transfer in Kota Kinabalu: $20
- Private Departure Transfer : Kota Kinabalu International Airport: $28
- Private Transfer from Kota Kinabalu Hotels to Kota Kinabalu Port: $25
- Private Transfer from Kota Kinabalu Port to Kota Kinabalu hotels: $25
- Private Transfer from Kota Kota Kinabalu Hotels to Kinabalu Port: $25
- Private Transfer: Kota Kinabalu International Airport to/from Hotel: $30
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Hamburg
Here are some examples of typical transportation prices from actual travelers in Hamburg:
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Short Distance Ubahn Ticket$1.98
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Hamburg
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Hamburg:
- Arrival Private Transfers from Hamburg Airport XFW to Hamburg City: $83
- Hamburg Airport Transfers : Hamburg Airport XFW to Hamburg in Business Car: $83
- Departure Private Transfers from Hamburg City to Hamburg Airport XFW: $83
- Arrival Private Transfers from Hamburg Airport XFW to Hamburg City: $99
- Arrival Transfer: Airport HAM to Hamburg by Business Car: $100
- Departure Transfer: Hamburg to Airport HAM by Business Car: $100
- Airport Transfer: Hamburg to Hamburg Airport HAM by Business Car: $103
- Airport Transfer: Hamburg Airport HAM to Hamburg by Business Car: $106
- Airport Transfer: Hamburg to Hamburg Airport HAM by Luxury Van: $111
- Departure Transfer: Hamburg to Hamburg Airport HAM by Luxury Van: $111
- Arrival Transfer: Hamburg Airport HAM to Hamburg by Luxury Van: $111
- Private Transfer from Hamburg Cruise Port to Hamburg City Hotels: $121
Is it cheaper to fly into Kota Kinabalu or Hamburg?
Prices for flights to both Hamburg 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
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Food Meals for one dayKota Kinabalu $32Hamburg $70
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
- Kota Kinabalu Klias River Cruise with Dinner and Fireflies Tour: $66
- Kawa Mangrove Cruise & Fireflies with Dinner: $67
- Traditional Sabah Cooking Class and Taste Local Flavors: $76
- Ethnic Cooking Class & Upside Down House & 3D Wonders Museum: $92
- Private Cooking Class with Market Visit: $94
- North Borneo Sunset Dinner Cruise: $121
- Kota Kinabalu Night Tour with Dinner & Cultural Dance Show: $145
Typical Food Prices in Hamburg
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for food and meal costs in Hamburg:
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Pink Thai Soup Dinner and Spring Rolls$17
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Currywurst and Pommes Frites$5.82
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Donner Kebab and Coke$6.98
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Traditional Hamburg Dinner w/ Beer$17
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Donner Kebab Lunch$4.65
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Sandwich and Coffee Break$6.98
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Fish Sandwich from Fish Market$4.07
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Coffee and Donut$4.65
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Hamburg
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Hamburg.
- St George's Culinary Food Tour: $58
- St. Pauli kulinarisch – Die Food Tour: $58
- Elbphilharmonie Plaza and HafenCity Food Tour: $63
- Elbphilharmonie Plaza and HafenCity Food Tour: $63
- Elphi Plaza und HafenCity kulinarisch – Die Food Tour: $70
- Reeperbahn Tour and Dinner Voucher St. Pauli for Connoisseurs: $70
- Hamburg Walking Food Tour with 7 Authentic Local Dishes: $115
- Hamburg Traditional Food Tour: Full Meal and Drinks: $127
- Hamburg Food Tour with Full Meal & Drinks by Do Eat Better: $129
- Eat Like a Local in Private & Personalized Food Tour: $199
- St. Pauli: Guided Food Tour with 5 Tastings: $524
- The Wilhelmsburg Food Tour: $524
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Kota Kinabalu $6.82Hamburg $46
Tours and Activities in Kota Kinabalu
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Kota Kinabalu are as follows:
- Bongawan River Cruise, City Tour & Fireflies: $27
- Sabah Mali-Mali Garden Spa Massage Experience: $27
- Private Tour Kampung Gipsi Sabah Cultural Village Kota Kinabalu: $37
- Pulau Sapi & Manukan Sabah Shared Activity Adventure: $44
- Sky-Mirror Photographing and Proboscis Monkey & Fireflies Watching River-Cruise: $46
- Mangrove Kayaking Experience in Borneo: $47
- Bongawan: River Safari Cruise, Private or Shared Ticket: $48
- Sabah: Manukan and Sapi Islands Excursion Ticket: $50
- Borneo (Klias) River Cruise & Fireflies Tour: $50
- Bongawan River Cruise Proboscis Monkey, SkyMirror, Fireflies: $51
- Full Day Bongawan River Cruise with Proboscis Monkey Sightseeing: $58
- Klias Wildlife Safari River Cruise from Kota Kinabalu: $58
Typical Entertainment Prices in Hamburg
Here are a few typical costs in Hamburg for activities, ticket prices, and tours that come from previous visitors:
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Tower at St. Michael's Church$4.07
Tours and Activities in Hamburg
Here are a few actual costs in Hamburg for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- Free tour: Centro Histórico. Tú decides el precio al final: $1.16
- Hamburg Relax Lounge – Private Massage Experience by NAIPO: $1.18
- Free Tour: Port, Red Light District and Beatles. You decide how much to pay at the end: $1.45
- Guided tour of Hamburg's Speicherstadt - warehouse, free port & duty-free: $2.33
- City tour through Hamburg St. Georg – dreams, diversity, and tolerance: $2.33
- Guided tour of Hamburg's Neustadt - ramparts, Gängeviertel & Neustädter: $2.33
- Guided tour of Hamburg's UNESCO World Heritage Site - Warehouses & Cathedrals of Commerce: $2.33
- Freewalking Tour Hamburg St.Georg Dreams, diversity and tolerance: $3.54
- The Local Tour of Hamburg Historic Centre: $3.54
- Historic Free Tour of Hamburg Old Warehouse District: $3.54
- Hamburg's Historical Highlights: A Self-Guided Audio Tour: $5.99
- Hamburg Self Guided Audio Experience: $6.00
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayKota Kinabalu $7.61Hamburg $20
Sample the Local Flavors in Hamburg
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Hamburg:
- Original Hamburg Pub Crawl Sex & Crime St. Pauli Tour: $21
- The Original Hamburg Pub Crawl Sex & Crime St. Pauli Tour: $24
- Night Pub Crawl through the Reeperbahn: $29
- Pub Crawl Hamburg - Ladies Night: $29
- Pub Crawl - Drink & Dare: $29
- Reeperbahn Pub Crawl with Shots and Games: $35
- Private Pub Crawl in Hamburg with The Crawl Co: $36
- The Crawl Co Pub Crawl in Hamburg Free Beer and Shots: $36
- Hamburg Private Pub Crawl Nightlife Experience with Local Guide: $36
- Hamburg Pub Crawl U Bahn Bars and Reeperbahn Club: $41
- Reeperbahn pub crawl with insider-guide & shots: $335
- Bachelor party Pub crawl & party for your bachelor party: $419
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Kota Kinabalu and Hamburg, we can see that Hamburg 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 Hamburg 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 Hamburg would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Hamburg 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 Hamburg Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Kota Kinabalu or Hamburg?
Hamburg has a larger population, and is about 4 times larger than the population of Kota Kinabalu. When comparing the sizes of Kota Kinabalu and Hamburg, 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.
When is the best time to visit Kota Kinabalu or Hamburg?
Hamburg has a temperate climate with four distinct seasons, but Kota Kinabalu experiences a warm climate with fairly sunny weather most of the year.
Should I visit Kota Kinabalu or Hamburg in the Summer?
The summer attracts plenty of travelers to both Kota Kinabalu and Hamburg. Warm weather and sunshine bring visitors to Kota Kinabalu year-round. Also, many travelers come to Hamburg for the music scene and the family-friendly experiences.
Kota Kinabalu is much warmer than Hamburg in the summer. The daily temperature in Kota Kinabalu averages around 27°C (81°F) in July, and Hamburg fluctuates around 17°C (62°F).
People are often attracted to the plentiful sunshine in Hamburg this time of the year. In Kota Kinabalu, it's very sunny this time of the year. Kota Kinabalu usually receives around the same amount of sunshine as Hamburg during summer. Kota Kinabalu gets 205 hours of sunny skies, while Hamburg receives 207 hours of full sun in the summer.
Kota Kinabalu gets a good bit of rain this time of year. In July, Kota Kinabalu usually receives more rain than Hamburg. Kota Kinabalu gets 255 mm (10 in) of rain, while Hamburg receives 82 mm (3.2 in) of rain each month for the summer.
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Summer Average Temperatures JulyKota Kinabalu 27°C (81°F)Hamburg 17°C (62°F)
Should I visit Kota Kinabalu or Hamburg in the Autumn?
The autumn brings many poeple to Kota Kinabalu as well as Hamburg. Kota Kinabalu attracts visitors year-round for its warm weather and sunny climate. Also, many visitors come to Hamburg in the autumn for the shopping scene, the music scene, and the natural beauty of the area.
In the autumn, Kota Kinabalu is much warmer than Hamburg. Typically, the autumn temperatures in Kota Kinabalu in October average around 27°C (81°F), and Hamburg averages at about 10°C (50°F).
In the autumn, Kota Kinabalu often gets more sunshine than Hamburg. Kota Kinabalu gets 192 hours of sunny skies this time of year, while Hamburg receives 101 hours of full sun.
Kota Kinabalu receives a lot of rain in the autumn. Kota Kinabalu usually gets more rain in October than Hamburg. Kota Kinabalu gets 336 mm (13.2 in) of rain, while Hamburg receives 63 mm (2.5 in) of rain this time of the year.
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Autumn Average Temperatures OctoberKota Kinabalu 27°C (81°F)Hamburg 10°C (50°F)
Should I visit Kota Kinabalu or Hamburg in the Winter?
Both Hamburg and Kota Kinabalu are popular destinations to visit in the winter with plenty of activities. The warm climate attracts visitors to Kota Kinabalu throughout the year. Also, most visitors come to Hamburg for the museums, the shopping scene, and the cuisine during these months.
Hamburg can be very cold during winter. In January, Kota Kinabalu is generally much warmer than Hamburg. Daily temperatures in Kota Kinabalu average around 26°C (79°F), and Hamburg fluctuates around 0°C (33°F).
Kota Kinabalu usually receives more sunshine than Hamburg during winter. Kota Kinabalu gets 181 hours of sunny skies, while Hamburg receives 42 hours of full sun in the winter.
It's quite rainy in Kota Kinabalu. In January, Kota Kinabalu usually receives more rain than Hamburg. Kota Kinabalu gets 129 mm (5.1 in) of rain, while Hamburg receives 61 mm (2.4 in) of rain each month for the winter.
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Winter Average Temperatures JanuaryKota Kinabalu 26°C (79°F)Hamburg 0°C (33°F)
Should I visit Kota Kinabalu or Hamburg in the Spring?
Both Hamburg and Kota Kinabalu during the spring are popular places to visit. Plenty of visitors come to Kota Kinabalu because of the warm climate and sunshine that lasts throughout the year. Furthermore, the spring months attract visitors to Hamburg because of the natural beauty.
Kota Kinabalu is much warmer than Hamburg in the spring. The daily temperature in Kota Kinabalu averages around 28°C (82°F) in April, and Hamburg fluctuates around 8°C (46°F).
It's quite sunny in Kota Kinabalu. In the spring, Kota Kinabalu often gets more sunshine than Hamburg. Kota Kinabalu gets 237 hours of sunny skies this time of year, while Hamburg receives 161 hours of full sun.
It rains a lot this time of the year in Kota Kinabalu. Kota Kinabalu usually gets more rain in April than Hamburg. Kota Kinabalu gets 112 mm (4.4 in) of rain, while Hamburg receives 51 mm (2 in) of rain this time of the year.
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Spring Average Temperatures AprilKota Kinabalu 28°C (82°F)Hamburg 8°C (46°F)
Typical Weather for Hamburg and Kota Kinabalu
| Kota Kinabalu | Hamburg | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temp (°C) | Rain (mm) | Temp (°C) | Rain (mm) | |
| Jan | 26°C (79°F) | 129 mm (5.1 in) | 0°C (33°F) | 61 mm (2.4 in) |
| Feb | 26°C (80°F) | 64 mm (2.5 in) | 1°C (34°F) | 41 mm (1.6 in) |
| Mar | 27°C (81°F) | 61 mm (2.4 in) | 4°C (39°F) | 56 mm (2.2 in) |
| Apr | 28°C (82°F) | 112 mm (4.4 in) | 8°C (46°F) | 51 mm (2 in) |
| May | 28°C (82°F) | 226 mm (8.9 in) | 12°C (54°F) | 57 mm (2.3 in) |
| Jun | 28°C (82°F) | 291 mm (11.5 in) | 15°C (60°F) | 74 mm (2.9 in) |
| Jul | 27°C (81°F) | 255 mm (10 in) | 17°C (62°F) | 82 mm (3.2 in) |
| Aug | 27°C (81°F) | 260 mm (10.2 in) | 17°C (62°F) | 70 mm (2.8 in) |
| Sep | 27°C (81°F) | 285 mm (11.2 in) | 14°C (57°F) | 70 mm (2.8 in) |
| Oct | 27°C (81°F) | 336 mm (13.2 in) | 10°C (50°F) | 63 mm (2.5 in) |
| Nov | 27°C (81°F) | 298 mm (11.7 in) | 5°C (41°F) | 71 mm (2.8 in) |
| Dec | 27°C (80°F) | 230 mm (9.1 in) | 2°C (35°F) | 72 mm (2.8 in) |
Budget Your Trip is all about finding out how much everything costs so that you can travel cheaper and longer. Created by avid travelers Laurie and Bryan, our goal is to help you plan your next trip on the right budget. With average daily travel costs that are calculated from the budgets of real travelers, plus an analysis of hotel and tour prices, you can find out how much money you need to plan your next adventure. We also have plenty of travel advice, accommodation reviews, and activity suggestions.