Beach townsMalaysia2026
Malaysia Beach Towns
Kota Kinabalu, Langkawi and Port Dickson were the most booked of the 7 beach towns in Malaysia on Airbnb in the 12 months to October 2026, with an estimated 35,356, 9,280 and 9,142 stays. December is the busiest month across them, and the typical stay is 3.0 nights.
Figures are AirROI estimates. How they are made
Among the 5 towns with 200+ homes
- Most booked of these 5
- Kota Kinabalu 35,356 stays
- Highest revenue per home of these 5
- Langkawi RM 43,857 a year
- Highest rated of these 5
- Sungai Karang (Kuantan) 4.75 out of 5
- Lowest nightly rate of these 5
- Sungai Karang (Kuantan) RM 336 a night
- Longest typical stay of these 5
- Langkawi 3.9 nights
Ranking
Malaysia Beach Towns Ranked by Airbnb Stays
Every one of the beach and coastal towns in Malaysia with 100 or more Airbnb homes and recent stays, most booked first.
| 1 | Kota Kinabalu, Sabah | 35,356 | RM 352 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Langkawi, Kedah. Includes Pantai Cenang and Kuah. | 9,280 | RM 506 |
| 3 | Port Dickson, Negeri Sembilan | 9,142 | RM 502 |
| 4 | Bandar Penawar, Johor | 4,047 | RM 514 |
| 5 | Tanjung Aru, Sabah | 3,365 | RM 287 |
| 6 | Sungai Karang (Kuantan), Pahang | 2,577 | RM 336 |
| 7 | Pangkor Island, Perak | 1,509 | RM 478 |
Figures are AirROI estimates for the 12 months to October 2026, and stays count Airbnb bookings only. Typical stay is a booking's length, occupancy the share of available nights booked, and revenue the yearly average per home, before costs. Guest rating is out of 5. Airbnb data files some places as one district or township, so Langkawi and rows like it cover several towns.
Money figures on this page are in Malaysian ringgits, converted from US dollars at RM 4.05 per US$, the typical rate from November 2025 to October 2026.
By region
Stays and Top Town by Region
| Region | Stays | Top town |
|---|---|---|
| Sabah | 38,721 | Kota Kinabalu |
| Kedah | 9,280 | Langkawi |
| Negeri Sembilan | 9,142 | Port Dickson |
| Johor | 4,047 | Bandar Penawar |
| Pahang | 2,577 | Sungai Karang (Kuantan) |
| Perak | 1,509 | Pangkor Island |
Town by town
Where the Top Towns Stand Out
3 of 7 are busiest in December. Kota Kinabalu and Tanjung Aru peak in August, and Sungai Karang (Kuantan) and Pangkor Island in June. Among guests who left a review, Malaysia is the top home country in all 7. Apartments and condos are the largest home type in 4 of the 7. The lines below add what the table can't show, where one of the towns leads its peers or differs from the rest.
- Kota Kinabalu, Sabah
Of the 5 beach towns in Malaysia with 200 or more homes, Kota Kinabalu (Sabah) had the most Airbnb homes, at 1,874, in the 12 months to October 2026.
- Langkawi, Kedah
Of the 5 beach towns in Malaysia with 200 or more homes, Langkawi (Kedah) had the longest typical stay, at 3.9 nights, and had the highest occupancy, at 31%, in the 12 months to October 2026. Houses were the largest home type in Langkawi, at 50% of homes.
- 4Bandar Penawar, Johor
Of the 5 beach towns in Malaysia with 200 or more homes, Bandar Penawar (Johor) had the biggest share of homes that sleep 8 or more, at 56%, and had the highest nightly rate, at RM 514, in the 12 months to October 2026. Houses were the largest home type in Bandar Penawar, at 54% of homes.
- 6Sungai Karang (Kuantan), Pahang
Of the 5 beach towns in Malaysia with 200 or more homes, Sungai Karang (Kuantan) (Pahang) had the highest guest rating, at 4.75, and had the lowest nightly rate, at RM 336, in the 12 months to October 2026.
- 7Pangkor Island, Perak
In the 12 months to October 2026, houses were the largest home type in Pangkor Island, Perak, at 57% of homes.
When to go
Busiest and Quietest Months
December, August and July rank as the busiest months for Airbnb nights across the beach towns in Malaysia, and November and April as the quietest. December is the busiest month in 3 of the 7, while Kota Kinabalu and Tanjung Aru peak in August, and Sungai Karang (Kuantan) in June. Across the 7 towns, nightly rates run lowest in November, at about RM 385, and highest in December, at about RM 413. Across the 7 towns, stays run longest in July, at 4.4 nights, and shortest in September, at 2.5 nights.
December ranks first, April last
Airbnb months in calendar order. The number is the month's rank, and 1 is the busiest. The bar shows its part of Airbnb nights.
- Three busiest months
- Other months
Month by month: rank, typical stay and nightly rate
| Rank | Month | Typical stay | Nightly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | December | 2.9 nights | RM 413 |
| 2 | August | 3.0 nights | RM 405 |
| 3 | July | 4.4 nights | RM 409 |
| 4 | February | 3.3 nights | RM 401 |
| 5 | June | 3.2 nights | RM 409 |
| 6 | September | 2.5 nights | RM 401 |
| 7 | May | 3.0 nights | RM 405 |
| 8 | January | 3.2 nights | RM 401 |
| 9 | October | 2.6 nights | RM 389 |
| 10 | March | 3.0 nights | RM 401 |
| 11 | November | 2.7 nights | RM 385 |
| 12 | April | 2.8 nights | RM 397 |
Who comes
Where Guests Come From
Among guests who left a review, 45% come from abroad. Among those guests, the largest groups from abroad come from China, Singapore and the United Kingdom. The top home cities among those guests are Kuala Lumpur, Kota Kinabalu and Johor Bahru. Langkawi (Kedah) draws the most from abroad, at 84%, among towns with 200 or more homes.
Top countries abroad
Among guests who left a review
Top home cities
Among guests who left a review
45% from abroad
The money view
Revenue, Occupancy and Nightly Rate
Among the 5 towns with 200 or more Airbnb homes, Langkawi has the highest estimated revenue per home, at RM 43,857 a year. Of those 5, Langkawi has the highest occupancy, at 31%, and Sungai Karang (Kuantan) has the lowest nightly rate on Airbnb, at RM 336. The most booked of the 7, Kota Kinabalu, earns about RM 27,184 per home.
Highest revenue per home of these 5
A year, AirROI estimate
- Langkawi RM 43,857
Kedah
- Kota Kinabalu RM 27,184
Sabah
- Bandar Penawar RM 26,617
Johor
- Port Dickson RM 26,362
Negeri Sembilan
- Sungai Karang (Kuantan) RM 17,588
Pahang
Highest occupancy of these 5
Nights booked, AirROI estimate
- Langkawi 31%
Kedah
- Kota Kinabalu 30%
Sabah
- Bandar Penawar 20%
Johor
- Port Dickson 19%
Negeri Sembilan
Pahang
Lowest nightly rate of these 5
On Airbnb, AirROI estimate
- Sungai Karang (Kuantan) RM 336
Pahang
- Kota Kinabalu RM 352
Sabah
- Port Dickson RM 502
Negeri Sembilan
- Langkawi RM 506
Kedah
- Bandar Penawar RM 514
Johor
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the most popular beach town in Malaysia?
By AirROI's estimates, Kota Kinabalu (Sabah) is the most booked of the 7 beach towns in Malaysia, with 35,356 Airbnb stays in the 12 months to October 2026. Langkawi is second, with 9,280. This counts Airbnb bookings only.
What is the most affordable beach town in Malaysia?
By AirROI's estimated nightly rate on Airbnb in the 12 months to October 2026, among beach towns in Malaysia with 200 or more homes, the lowest are Sungai Karang (Kuantan) (Pahang) (RM 336), Kota Kinabalu (Sabah) (RM 352) and Port Dickson (Negeri Sembilan) (RM 502). That is the average asking price on booked nights, not what it costs to live or buy there.
What beach towns in Malaysia offer the strongest Airbnb returns?
Returns depend on what a home costs to buy and run, which AirROI's figures do not cover. On AirROI's estimated revenue per home in the 12 months to October 2026, among beach towns in Malaysia with 200 or more homes, the highest are Langkawi (Kedah) (RM 43,857), Kota Kinabalu (Sabah) (RM 27,184) and Bandar Penawar (Johor) (RM 26,617). Among the same towns, Langkawi (Kedah) has the highest occupancy, at 31%.
Method
How These Lists and Numbers Are Made
How a town gets on this list. A town needs 100 or more Airbnb homes with recent stays. A language model then judges the place from its name, state, country and coordinates, not from words in its name: it has to be on an ocean or sea coast with its own beach, seafront or harbour, or on a Great Lake with a public beach, and within about 10 km of the shore. The town's own listings can back that up, with 30% of its homes listing beach access, or 10% with ocean views, waterfront homes or beach in their titles besides. A town whose listings do not gets a second, stricter check, which asks whether people go there for that or mainly for something else. Big cities stay off. Corrections come last: places the checks got wrong are added or taken off, and rows that name one place are joined.
How the figures are made. Stays, occupancy, nightly rate and revenue are AirROI estimates built from Airbnb listing data, and cover Airbnb only. A town's stays are its bookings in the period, and the typical stay and busiest month come from the same data. Guest ratings, home sizes and how far ahead guests book are the latest figures in each town's AirROI data. Month ranks compare each month's part of Airbnb nights. Origin rests on 136,874 reviews and describes guests who left a review, not everyone who stayed. A town needs 1,000 reviews before this page gives its share from abroad.