Phnom Penh to Kota Kinabalu by bus
Kota Kinabalu lies 1,374 km (854 mi) south-east of Phnom Penh, +1 h on the clock. What the numbers say about getting there.
A coach takes about 24 h 54 min including stops, over roughly 1,676 km (1,042 mi) of road.
Open Kota Kinabalu in Google Maps
| Phnom Penh | Kota Kinabalu | |
|---|---|---|
| Country | Cambodia | Malaysia |
| Population | 1.6 million | 500,421 |
| Elevation | 20 m (66 ft) | 5 m (16 ft) |
| Time now | UTC+7 (Asia/Phnom_Penh) | UTC+8 (Asia/Kuching) |
Clocks in Kota Kinabalu are 1 h ahead of Phnom Penh right now, so a 24 h 54 min journey lands 25 h 54 min later by the destination clock.
What changes when you arrive in Kota Kinabalu
Crossing from Cambodia into Malaysia: money changes from the Riels to the Ringgit (MYR); traffic switches to the left; sockets are BS 1363; the dialling code becomes +60; the emergency number is http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q3086706.
Where to book buses from Phnom Penh to Kota Kinabalu
We take no bookings for these providers and hold no reservation with them. The provider you choose handles payment, confirmation, changes and refunds. How that works.
Staying in Kota Kinabalu
Our booking partner lists 1,131+ places to stay in Kota Kinabalu (statistics below are from the first 1,000). Of the 624 with a star rating, the largest group is 4-star (258), and 12 are five-star. Across 332 properties with at least 50 reviews, the average guest score is 8.2 out of 10. Guests have left 149,522 reviews in total.
Book a hotel in Kota Kinabalu
Live rooms and prices from our booking partner, booked and paid for here. Free cancellation is marked where it applies.
Common questions
How far is Kota Kinabalu from Phnom Penh?
1,374 km (854 mi) in a straight line, south-east of Phnom Penh; by road roughly 1,676 km (1,042 mi).
How long does it take to get from Phnom Penh to Kota Kinabalu by bus?
About 24 h 54 min, estimated from distance and typical speeds. Timetables and traffic decide the real figure.
Is there a time difference between Phnom Penh and Kota Kinabalu?
Kota Kinabalu is 1 h ahead at the moment (Asia/Kuching against Asia/Phnom_Penh).
What currency do I need in Kota Kinabalu?
The Ringgit (MYR).
Where can I stay in Kota Kinabalu?
Our booking partner lists 1,131+ places to stay in Kota Kinabalu, bookable on this site.
Where these facts come from
- GeoNames (CC BY 4.0): population, elevation, time zone, postal codes
- Wikidata (CC0): area, sister cities, visitor numbers, heritage listings, stations and ports
- OurAirports (public domain): airports, runways
- Natural Earth (public domain): map outlines
Data compiled 14 September 2026. Hotel and hostel figures are from our booking partner’s catalogue on that date. Journey times on this page are estimates from distance, not timetables; check the operator before you rely on one.