Kota Kinabalu runs on UTC+8 every day of the year, with no daylight saving time.
Kota Kinabalu and your time
Kota Kinabalu at a glance
| Country | Malaysia |
|---|---|
| Region | Sabah |
| Time zone | Asia/Kuching |
| UTC offset now | UTC+8 |
| Daylight saving time | Not observed |
| Coordinates | 5.97° N, 116.07° E |
Kota Kinabalu time zone and clock changes
The clocks in Kota Kinabalu follow Asia/Kuching and keep UTC+8 through every season. No daylight saving time has been recorded here since 1970.
Kota Kinabalu is on the same time as the rest of Malaysia, including the capital, Kuala Lumpur.
Clock changes in Kota Kinabalu, 2026 and 2027
No clock changes are scheduled in Kota Kinabalu for 2026 or 2027.
Time difference between Kota Kinabalu and other cities
A 9:00 AM start in Kota Kinabalu is 8:00 PM (previous day) in New York, 12:00 PM in Sydney and 5:00 PM (previous day) in Los Angeles.
| City | Time now | Difference now | In January | In July | Shared office hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kuala Lumpur | --:-- | Same time | Same time | Same time | 8 h |
| New York (United States) | --:-- | 13 h behind | 13 h behind | 12 h behind | None |
| Los Angeles (United States) | --:-- | 16 h behind | 16 h behind | 15 h behind | None |
| London (United Kingdom) | --:-- | 8 h behind | 8 h behind | 7 h behind | None |
| Paris (France) | --:-- | 7 h behind | 7 h behind | 6 h behind | 1 h |
| Dubai (United Arab Emirates) | --:-- | 4 h behind | 4 h behind | 4 h behind | 4 h |
| Mumbai (India) | --:-- | 2 h 30 min behind | 2 h 30 min behind | 2 h 30 min behind | 5 h 30 min |
| Singapore | --:-- | Same time | Same time | Same time | 8 h |
| Tokyo (Japan) | --:-- | 1 h ahead | 1 h ahead | 1 h ahead | 7 h |
| Sydney (Australia) | --:-- | 3 h ahead | 3 h ahead | 2 h ahead | 5 h |
| UTC | --:-- | 8 h behind | 8 h behind | 8 h behind | None |
Kota Kinabalu never changes its clocks, but many of these cities do. Where the January and July columns disagree, the gap shifts when the other city moves to or from daylight saving time.
Shared office hours counts the time when the clock reads between 9 AM and 5 PM in both cities on the same day.
Sunrise, sunset and day length in Kota Kinabalu
Today
| Sunrise | --:-- |
|---|---|
| Sunset | --:-- |
| Day length | -- |
| Solar noon | --:-- |
Day length barely moves in Kota Kinabalu, from 11 hours 47 minutes to 12 hours 28 minutes. Sunrise and sunset shift by less than an hour across the year.
Daylight through the year in Kota Kinabalu
| Date | Sunrise | Sunset | Day length | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox | March 20 | 6:20 AM | 6:26 PM | 12 h 6 min |
| June solstice | June 21 | 6:03 AM | 6:32 PM | 12 h 28 min |
| September equinox | September 23 | 6:05 AM | 6:11 PM | 12 h 6 min |
| December solstice | December 22 | 6:21 AM | 6:08 PM | 11 h 47 min |
When the sun is highest in Kota Kinabalu
Kota Kinabalu lies close to the centre of its time zone, so the sun is highest at about 12:15 PM on standard time, close to clock noon.
Cities near Kota Kinabalu
Every city below shares Kota Kinabalu’s clock.
| City | Distance | Time now | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bandar Seri Begawan (Brunei) | 174 km (108 mi) | --:-- | Same time |
| Sandakan | 227 km (141 mi) | --:-- | Same time |
| Lahad Datu | 271 km (169 mi) | --:-- | Same time |
| Tawau | 279 km (173 mi) | --:-- | Same time |
| Miri | 289 km (180 mi) | --:-- | Same time |
More cities in Malaysia
- Kuala Lumpur
- Johor Bahru
- Ipoh
- Malacca
- Iskandar Puteri
- Kota Bharu
- Kuantan
- Sungai Petani
- Bandar Baru Selayang
- Pasir Gudang
- Mukim Pulai
- Putrajaya
All time zones and cities in Malaysia
Tools for time in Kota Kinabalu
- Convert a time to or from Kota Kinabalu: pick a date and time and see it in every city on your list.
- Add Kota Kinabalu to your world clock to keep it next to your own time.
- Find a meeting time that falls inside office hours in Kota Kinabalu and the other cities you work with.
- Open a full-screen clock for your own time zone.
Frequently asked questions
What time zone is Kota Kinabalu in?
Kota Kinabalu uses the Asia/Kuching time zone, which is UTC+8 all year.
Does Kota Kinabalu use daylight saving time?
No. Kota Kinabalu stays on UTC+8 all year, so the time difference to places without daylight saving time never changes.
What is the time difference between Kota Kinabalu and New York?
Kota Kinabalu is 13 hours ahead of New York in January and 12 hours ahead of New York in July, because New York moves its clocks for daylight saving time and Kota Kinabalu does not.
Is Kota Kinabalu on the same time as Kuala Lumpur?
Yes. Kota Kinabalu and Kuala Lumpur both use UTC+8 right now.
How long is the longest day in Kota Kinabalu?
About 12 hours 28 minutes, around the June solstice. The shortest day, around the December solstice, has about 11 hours 47 minutes of daylight.
Time zone rules: IANA tz database, version 2026e. Place names and coordinates: GeoNames. Sunrise and sunset are calculated from the coordinates and can differ by a minute or two from local almanacs.