If like me you arrived in Malaysia and soon realised that beer is not quite as cheap as certain other countries in South East Asia, this article will tell you where to get cheap beer in Kota Kinabalu. Below I will discuss 3 places here – 1 shop, 1 cafe and 1 bar.
For those new to beer in Asia, a can is 320ml, not 440ml and not even 330ml as you may be used to in the west. The local way and usually most cost effective way to buy beer is to buy a set, when you hear someone refer to a set, it is 3 cans.
A mug is the same measure as you will get from a can, just served in a small glass, and a pint is not a pint. A typical pint in Asia is 500ml, while a pint served at a bar in the US is 470ml – a pint served at a pub in the UK is more at 570ml.
Jump to:
Shop – Pick n Pay Express (1 can of beer is 6-7 MYR)
This shop is located directly below the Kooler Inn hotel and is open 24 hours. This place has surprisingly cheap beer for an actual chain-like convenience store with air conditioning and uniformed employees.
You will find 320ml cans of Tiger, Anchor and Heineken priced between 6-7 MYR in a chilled fridge. The shop is located within a 10-minute walk of Gaya Street. Armed with your new found cheap beers and no immediate seating, consider taking a Grab to either Tanjung Aru Beach for spectacular sunset views, or to Signal Hill Observatory Tower for great views over the city.
Café – Kedai Kopi Sin Seng Fatt (1 set – 3x 320ml cans. 12-14 MYR)
The cheapest real beer you will find as a foreigner across Malaysia, yes fake beer certainly does exist, is likely to be 1 set for 12 MYR – that is 3 cans for 12 MYR. I met a local in Kota Kinabalu who introduced me to this Café where he told me 1 set is usually 12 MYR.
On the particular night we went we were each charged 14 MYR per set. It is safe to say this was because on this occasion he turned up with myself – a foreigner. To complicate things further, there is no price list here. You will be charged what the lady at the fridge decides at that time.
However, 14 MYR for 3 cans of beer – that’s less than 5 MYR per can – is still one of the cheapest options in the city.
A local hangout
This Chinese café is located on Gaya Street and serves food throughout the day but no alcohol. In early evening, the focus shifts to a hangout filled with locals enjoying their 12 MYR sets. I am told this is to promote a friendlier atmosphere during the daytime and to encourage customers to eat at the café. Like all local hangouts of this kind serving such cheap beer, the café can become extremely busy as the night progresses.
This results in a loud, messy, and smoke filled place serving warm beer. This is a popular local hangout and therefore the beer sells fast, subsequently this results in warm beer – they just can’t keep the beer in the fridge stocked long enough for it to actually get cold! There is seating inside the café, or you can grab some ice and take your beers away.
Bar – BB Café (1 mug is 9.90 MYR)
Don’t let the word café in the name of this place fool you. BB Café is a bar. It does not have the cheapest beer on the list, however, when compared to the ridiculously overpriced bars with live music at KK waterfront, it deserves to be included.
The beer is very reasonably priced for the area and they have live music. BB Café is located off Gaya Street and has plenty of seating, food available, live music, and a genuine and friendly atmosphere.
Live music
BB Café an open outdoor bar under a large cover. Plenty of seating options ensure you are able to sit as close to or far from the live music as you wish, with some more private and cozy areas tucked away throughout the bar. In addition, there are 2 outdoor places serving food directly next to BB Cafe.
These have their own dedicated seating area should you wish to simply sit and eat and not be in the bar. However, if you are sat in BB Café, you may order and pay for food directly from these food counters and they will bring the food to your table within thre bar itself. There is live music here, with 3 regular female artists singing in a variety of languages, including Malay and English.
Great for solo travellers
As a solo traveler, I found myself visiting BB Café during my time in Kota Kinabalu a number of times. This was due to both the talent of the performers, as well as the friendliness and humor of all the staff who work there. As a foreigner it can be difficult to find such a genuine and friendly place in the area. BB Café it is a must visit on your trip to Kota Kinabalu.
Why not make the effort to learn some of the local language when you visit!
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