The invention discloses a catalyst for preparing methyl sarcosine and sarcosine from methyl glycolate. The catalyst is prepared from the following raw materials: cobalt salt, molybdenum salt, cesium salt, molecular sieve nanotubes and water, wherein the amounts of the cobalt salt, the molybdenum salt and the cesium salt are respectively metered by the mass of cobalt, molybdenum and cesium, and the total amount of the cobalt salt, the molybdenum salt, the cesium salt and the molecular sieve nanotube is metered by 100 parts, specifically, the cobalt salt accounts for 5-10 parts, the molybdenum salt accounts for 1-5 parts, the cesium salt accounts for 1-2 parts, and the balance is the molecular sieve nanotube; the element molecular sieve of the molecular sieve nanotube is a boron-containing molecular sieve; the cobalt salt, the molybdenum salt and the cesium salt are all water-soluble salts. Meanwhile, the invention also discloses a preparation method and application of the catalyst. The prepared catalyst is the composite monatomic metal molecular sieve nanotube, and when the catalyst is used for preparing methyl sarcosine and sarcosine, the raw material cost is low, the process route is simple and efficient, and the economic advantage is remarkable; separation and purification are simple, and product selectivity is high.