Skip to main content

Hostels in Kota Kinabalu

Find the hostels that appeal to you the most

The best hostels in Kota Kinabalu

Some of the best backpacker spots in Kota Kinabalu

Filter by:

Review score

Homy Seafront Hostel

Kota Kinabalu

Homy Seafront Hostel is located in Kota Kinabalu, within 2.2 miles of Sabah State Museum & Heritage Village and 3.3 miles of North Borneo Railway.

S
Sarah
From
Germany
It was super clean and people were more than nice!! It was my birthday and i even git a present and a birthday cake 😍😍 i enjoyed my stay a lot!! And i slept in the softest sheets ever! 😍😍
Scored out of 10, guest rating 9.0
Wonderful - What previous guests thought, 1,244 reviews
Price from
$19.60
1 night, 2 adults

Signel Hostel

Kota Kinabalu

Located in Kota Kinabalu and with Filipino Market Sabah reachable within a 6-minute walk, Signel Hostel has a shared lounge, non-smoking rooms, free WiFi throughout the property and a terrace.

d
dan
From
China
Jeff was super nice and helped me change to a girl's room. The location of the hostel is also very convenient, there are supermarkets and night market nearby. It's only a 15 minute walk from the diving pier, very happy traveling time, next time I go to Kota Kinabalu, I will choose this place again.
Scored out of 10, guest rating 8.4
Very Good - What previous guests thought, 361 reviews
Price from
$19.36
1 night, 2 adults

Vibrant Hostel

Kota Kinabalu

Located in Kota Kinabalu, 1.1 miles from Filipino Market Sabah, Vibrant Hostel provides air-conditioned rooms and a shared lounge.

J
Josie
From
United Kingdom
Everything! Staff were wonderful and really helpful providing help to arrange trips and information on taxis. Room was clean, AC worked amazingly well and although bathrooms were shared they were modern, clean and worked really well with shampoo and soap provided. Seating area was a great addition with free coffee, kitchen utensils provided as well as some games and TV with sofa to watch latest films/series. We loved it here so much we stayed again after our trip to Sandakan before heading on to Mulu. Also only a cheap Grab drive from the airport which only took 20 minutes.
Scored out of 10, guest rating 8.6
Excellent - What previous guests thought, 437 reviews
Price from
$24.99
1 night, 2 adults

Space Cap Hotel

Kota Kinabalu

Located in Kota Kinabalu and within a 5-minute walk of Filipino Market Sabah, Space Cap Hotel has a shared lounge, non-smoking rooms, and free WiFi.

R
Rashida
From
Malaysia
Love the locations, the capsule smelled so good!!!!Rating it 10/10
Scored out of 10, guest rating 8.0
Very Good - What previous guests thought, 233 reviews
Price from
$18.63
1 night, 2 adults

Borneo Gaya Lodge

Kota Kinabalu

Located in Kota Kinabalu, a 10-minute walk from Filipino Market Sabah, Borneo Gaya Lodge has air-conditioned accommodations and a shared lounge.

T
Trang
From
Australia
Late checkin was pretty easy and hassel-free with clear instruction. Staff are very nice to help keeping my luggage while I'm away for Kinabalu climb. Location is perfect as it's a bustling area and close to everything. Easy to walk around.
Scored out of 10, guest rating 8.2
Very Good - What previous guests thought, 139 reviews
Price from
$22.54
1 night, 2 adults

Jiran Hostel Kota Kinabalu

Kota Kinabalu

Located in Kota Kinabalu and within a 15-minute walk of Filipino Market Sabah, Jiran Hostel Kota Kinabalu has a shared lounge, non-smoking rooms, and free WiFi.

A
Abahan
From
Philippines
Its consistently clean and you can always have a good rest or sleep.
Scored out of 10, guest rating 8.6
Excellent - What previous guests thought, 65 reviews
Price from
$28.07
1 night, 2 adults

Capsule Inn

Kota Kinabalu

Capsule Inn is located in Kota Kinabalu, 2.2 miles from Sabah State Museum & Heritage Village and 2.9 miles from North Borneo Railway.

R
Rosario
From
Italy
very clean, staff very helpful,, perfect location in the city center
Scored out of 10, guest rating 7.6
Good - What previous guests thought, 223 reviews
Price from
$12.35
1 night, 2 adults

Escape Backpackers KK

Kota Kinabalu

Located in Kota Kinabalu, a 4-minute walk from Filipino Market Sabah, Escape Backpackers KK provides air-conditioned rooms and a shared lounge.

U
Uka
From
Australia
Nice hostel with comfy beds and the lady who runs it is super friendly.
Scored out of 10, guest rating 7.5
Good - What previous guests thought, 403 reviews
Price from
$10.76
1 night, 2 adults

Oikos Poshtel

Kota Kinabalu

Located in Kota Kinabalu and with Filipino Market Sabah reachable within a 18-minute walk, Oikos Poshtel provides a tour desk, non-smoking rooms, a shared lounge, free WiFi and a restaurant.

M
Majeedah
From
Brunei
Very near to Imago. The interior is very nice & cozy. Really comfortable. The wifi and A/C are both excellent. The washer and dryer were both a really good help for us that didn’t want to bring home dirty laundry
Scored out of 10, guest rating 7.3
Good - What previous guests thought, 149 reviews
Price from
$31.46
1 night, 2 adults

H2 Segama Backpacker

Kota Kinabalu

H2 Segama Backpacker in Kota Kinabalu provides adults only accommodations with a garden and a shared lounge.

A
Ahmad Muzammir
From
Malaysia
Good location. Friendly staff. Value for money
Scored out of 10, guest rating 6.9
Pleasant - What previous guests thought, 202 reviews
Price from
$11.76
1 night, 2 adults
All hostels in Kota Kinabalu

Looking for a hostel?

Budget travelers know there's no better way to make the most of their trip than by staying at a hostel: Save money for exploring during the day, and swap stories with fellow backpackers in the shared kitchen or bar in the evening. Dorm-style bedrooms with shared bathrooms are standard hostel fare, but private rooms are also available for those willing to pay a little more.

Most booked hostels in Kota Kinabalu and surrounding area in the past month

See all

Popular with guests booking hostels in Kota Kinabalu

Scored out of 10, guest rating 8.2
Very Good - What previous guests thought, 139 reviews

Popular with guests booking hostels in Kota Kinabalu

Scored out of 10, guest rating 6.9
Pleasant - What previous guests thought, 203 reviews

Popular with guests booking hostels in Kota Kinabalu

Scored out of 10, guest rating 8.0
Very Good - What previous guests thought, 233 reviews

Popular with guests booking hostels in Kota Kinabalu

Scored out of 10, guest rating 8.8
Excellent - What previous guests thought, 99 reviews

Popular with guests booking hostels in Kota Kinabalu

Scored out of 10, guest rating 9.4
Wonderful - What previous guests thought, 491 reviews

Popular with guests booking hostels in Kota Kinabalu

Scored out of 10, guest rating 8.4
Very Good - What previous guests thought, 361 reviews

Popular with guests booking hostels in Kota Kinabalu

Scored out of 10, guest rating 8.6
Excellent - What previous guests thought, 437 reviews

Popular with guests booking hostels in Kota Kinabalu

Scored out of 10, guest rating 7.5
Good - What previous guests thought, 403 reviews

Popular with guests booking hostels in Kota Kinabalu

Scored out of 10, guest rating 6.8
Pleasant - What previous guests thought, 410 reviews

Popular with guests booking hostels in Kota Kinabalu

Scored out of 10, guest rating 9.0
Wonderful - What previous guests thought, 1,244 reviews

No credit card needed to book these hostels in Kota Kinabalu and nearby

Capsule Inn

Kota Kinabalu
No credit card needed
Scored out of 10, guest rating 7.6
Good - What previous guests thought, 223 reviews

Capsule Inn is located in Kota Kinabalu, 2.2 miles from Sabah State Museum & Heritage Village and 2.9 miles from North Borneo Railway.

Scored out of 10, guest rating 6.2
Pleasant - What previous guests thought, 29 reviews

Located within a 4-minute walk of Filipino Market Sabah and 2.3 miles of Sabah State Museum & Heritage Village, Warisan Homestay 18pax Kota Kinabalu provides rooms with air conditioning and a shared...

From $66.38 per night
Scored out of 10, guest rating 1.0
Bad - What previous guests thought, 1 review

Located within 2.1 miles of Sabah State Museum & Heritage Village and 3.1 miles of Likas City Mosque, Capsule inn CI enterprise provides rooms in Kota Kinabalu.

Dazzle Home Aeropod

Tanjong Aru
No credit card needed
Scored out of 10, guest rating 9.4
Wonderful - What previous guests thought, 19 reviews

Located within 3.5 miles of Filipino Market Sabah and a 4-minute walk of North Borneo Railway, Dazzle Home Aeropod provides rooms with air conditioning and a shared bathroom in Tanjong Aru.

Great access to the city center. Check these hostels in Kota Kinabalu and nearby

Capsule Inn

Kota Kinabalu
Central location

Located within a 11-minute walk of Filipino Market Sabah and 1.9 miles of Sabah State Museum & Heritage Village, Capsule Inn provides rooms with air conditioning and a shared bathroom in Kota Kinabalu...

From $9.67 per night
Scored out of 10, guest rating 6.8
Pleasant - What previous guests thought, 410 reviews

Nusantara Mattwaddien Hostel is offering accommodations in Kota Kinabalu.

From $12.08 per night
Scored out of 10, guest rating 7.0
Good - What previous guests thought, 58 reviews

Aeropod Hostel Economy Deluxe King Room is offering accommodations in Kota Kinabalu.

From $41.81 per night

FAQ about hostels in Kota Kinabalu

Hostels that guests love in Kota Kinabalu

See all
Avg. price/night: $22.99
Scored out of 10, guest rating 9.4
Wonderful - What previous guests thought, 491 reviews
The full team is wonderful and they help you with everything they can. The hostel is pretty, clean and very well organized. The common areas are very cozy. This has been for me the best hostel in all Malaysia 🙂🙃🙂
Guest review by
Sonne_HD
Solo traveler
Avg. price/night: $25.41
Scored out of 10, guest rating 8.4
Very Good - What previous guests thought, 361 reviews
Modern furnishing and each pod feels very private which is nice. The area immediately outside the hostel doesn’t feel like the most inviting but is perfectly safe, and probably quite insightful. Very central (although not sure that really makes a difference- not huge amounts to do in the city)
Guest review by
Christopher
Solo traveler
Avg. price/night: $23.52
Scored out of 10, guest rating 9.0
Wonderful - What previous guests thought, 1,244 reviews
Amazing culture, stunning sunsets from the hostel panorama window and very clean! Definitely one of the very best hostels I’ve been in so far. Special thanks to Jenny of the hostel staff for integrating new people into the amazing social culture!
Guest review by
Ralf Johannes
Solo traveler
Avg. price/night: $23.52
Scored out of 10, guest rating 9.0
Wonderful - What previous guests thought, 1,244 reviews
This was without a doubt the best hostel I ever stayed in so far. It’s clean, safe, good facilities, nice rooms, nice kitchen and living room, super friendly people who work there,… I definitely go back!
Guest review by
Delphine
Solo traveler