Kilobytes (KB) to Megabytes (MB) Converter

File sizes here use the decimal (SI) system, the same one drive makers and network providers use. In that system 1 Kilobyte is 10³ bytes and 1 Megabyte is 10⁶ bytes. Divide one by the other and you get the ratio between the two units: 10³ ÷ 10⁶ = 10⁻³.

Kilobyte is the smaller unit, so you divide. One KB is only 0.001 of a MB, which means the decimal point moves 3 places to the left.

These two sit side by side on the ladder (B → KB → MB → GB → TB → PB → EB → ZB → YB → RB → QB), so there is nothing to work out beyond remembering that every step is a factor of 1,000.

Need the other direction? Open the MB to KB converter.

A kilobyte is 1,000 bytes, roughly a short paragraph of text. Kilobytes are the everyday unit for small files such as text documents, icons, config files and scripts, and for tight limits like form uploads or email signatures.

A megabyte is 1,000 kilobytes, about a minute of MP3 audio at 128 kbps. Megabytes are what you see on photos, PDFs, songs and slide decks, and they sit behind most email attachment and upload limits.

Going from kilobytes up to megabytes always gives a smaller number, because you are counting in bigger chunks. People do it to make a long number readable, or to compare a file with the size of a drive or a plan.