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MY flag
Ipoh

Malaysia

vs
MY flag
Kota Kinabalu

Malaysia

Climate

Ipoh logs 313 hot days a year to Kota Kinabalu's 66 — Kota Kinabalu wins by 247. Kota Kinabalu also leads on sunny days by 24.

IpohKota Kinabalu
Sunny days
145169
Hot days
31366
Frost days
00
Rainy days
276273
Outdoor dinner months
0/120/12
Avg wind
1.1 m/s2.1 m/s
Sunshine hours
1,9442,038
Darkest month sun
113 hrs/mo124 hrs/mo
UV peak month
10.010.8

Ipoh

Feels-like °C

32
33
33
33
33
32
32
32
31
31
30
31

Dinner outside

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Ipoh Climate Lab →Lifestyle Calendar →Climate twin →

Kota Kinabalu

Feels-like °C

30
30
31
33
33
32
31
32
31
29
31
31

Dinner outside

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Kota Kinabalu Climate Lab →Lifestyle Calendar →Climate twin →

Air Quality

Ipoh averages 20.7 µg/m³ (sensitive-groups) PM2.5 annually versus Kota Kinabalu's 17.5 µg/m³ (sensitive-groups) — Kota Kinabalu breathes ~16% cleaner air (3.2 µg/m³ lower).

Ipoh

Kota Kinabalu

20.7µg/m³
17.5µg/m³

PM2.5 annual average

Sensitive Groups
Sensitive Groups

WHO classification

City Scale

Both maps at the same real-world scale — 1 cm on either map is the same distance.

Ipoh (862K) and Kota Kinabalu (811K) sit at a similar population scale; on land area Ipoh spans roughly 1.3x more ground.

1.2x

Ipoh is roughly 1.2x the scale of Kota Kinabalu

Combined population & area comparison

MY flagIpoh
1.2x
MY flagKota Kinabalu
1x

City Scale Rankings

Population
1.MY flagIpoh862K1.1x
2.MY flagKota Kinabalu811K1x
Area
1.MY flagIpoh227 km²1.3x
2.MY flagKota Kinabalu171 km²1x
© Stadia Maps, © OpenMapTiles, © OpenStreetMap contributors
18 km23 km

MY flagIpoh

© Stadia Maps, © OpenMapTiles, © OpenStreetMap contributors
18 km23 km

MY flagKota Kinabalu

Who Thrives Here

Kota Kinabalu is the stronger fit for the clean air seeker. Both cities work well for the winter escapist.

Thrives in both
IpohKota Kinabalu
Winter Escapist
94%96%
Eternal Summer
80%81%
Thrives only in Kota Kinabalu
IpohKota Kinabalu
Clean Air Seeker
42%64%
Struggles in both
IpohKota Kinabalu
Sunshine Lover
41%44%

Also compared

TH flag Bangkok vs MY flag Kuala LumpurMY flag George Town vs MY flag Johor BahruMY flag George Town vs MY flag Kuala LumpurMY flag Johor Bahru vs MY flag Kuala LumpurMY flag Kuala Lumpur vs SG flag Singapore

Frequently asked about Ipoh vs Kota Kinabalu

▶How does the climate compare between Ipoh and Kota Kinabalu?
Sunny days: 145 vs 169 d — Kota Kinabalu higher Annual sunshine: 1,944 vs 2,038 hrs — Similar Winter sunshine: 113 vs 124 hrs/day — Similar Hot days (>30°C): 313 vs 66 d — Kota Kinabalu lower Frost days: 0 vs 0 d — Similar Rainy days: 276 vs 273 d — Similar
▶Should I move to Ipoh or Kota Kinabalu?
Ipoh and Kota Kinabalu are both popular relocation destinations with distinct characteristics. The best choice depends on your priorities — climate preferences, career opportunities, cost constraints, and lifestyle needs. Take the personalized quiz to find your ideal match, or explore the map to compare cities by region and lifestyle factors.
Take the quiz→Discover by priority→
View Ipoh profile →View Kota Kinabalu profile →

The best city depends on what matters to you

This comparison shows how Ipoh and Kota Kinabalu stack up on the data. But your climate preferences, budget, career needs, and lifestyle priorities can shift the picture entirely. A personalized diagnostic finds what fits your life.

Take the free diagnostic

10 minutes, no account needed

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