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Kilobytes to megabytes

Multiply kilobytes by 0.001 to get megabytes.

1 kB = 0.001 MBIEC 80000-13
kB
2MB

2,000 kB = 2 MB

How to convert kilobytes to megabytes

The megabyte is one million bytes (10⁶ B) in the decimal convention. The kilobyte is one thousand bytes (10³ B) in the decimal (SI) convention.

Worked example — 2,000 kB: 2,000 × 0.001 = 2 MB.

Kilobytes to megabytes table

Common conversions. The reverse table is on megabytes to kilobytes.
KilobytesMegabytes
100 kB0.1 MB
250 kB0.25 MB
500 kB0.5 MB
1,000 kB1 MB
2,000 kB2 MB
5,000 kB5 MB
10,000 kB10 MB
50,000 kB50 MB
100,000 kB100 MB

Reverse and related

About kilobytes and megabytes

Kilobyte (kB)

1 kB = 0.001 MB

Definition. One thousand bytes (10³ B) in the decimal (SI) convention

History and origin

The kilobyte took the metric kilo prefix for a thousand, but in computing it was often used loosely for 1024 bytes. The IEC later defined the kibibyte for the binary value to remove the ambiguity.

Current use

Kilobytes measure small files and text documents; in strict decimal use a kilobyte is exactly one thousand bytes.

Source: IEC 80000-13 (quantities and units — information science); NIST on binary prefixes

Megabyte (MB)

1 MB = 1,000 kB

Definition. One million bytes (10⁶ B) in the decimal convention

History and origin

The megabyte applies the metric mega prefix for a million, and like the kilobyte was historically used for both a million and 1048576 bytes. The decimal million-byte value is now the standard for storage.

Current use

Megabytes measure photos, songs and small downloads, and mobile data is often counted in megabytes.

Source: IEC 80000-13 (quantities and units — information science); NIST on binary prefixes

Where people use this

Kilobytes: small files, documents. Megabytes: photos and songs, data caps. 1000 kB is 1 MB.

How we know this is right
The factor is fixed by the standards that define the units, not chosen — so it is exact, not a measurement:
1 MB = 1,000 kB, so 1 kB = 1 ÷ 1,000 = 0.001 MB.

Every value is carried to full double precision; the display is rounded.

Both units are defined in IEC 80000-13 (quantities and units — information science); NIST on binary prefixes.

Questions people ask

How many kB in a MB?

One megabyte is 1000 kilobytes (decimal).

How many MB is 5000 kB?

5000 kB is 5 MB.

How many kB is half a MB?

Half a MB is 500 kB.

All kilobyte conversions