Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Bandar Seri Begawan

For one person, living is cheaper in Bandar Seri Begawan: $1,193 a month against $2,704 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $18,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
57

Cost of Living Index in Bandar Seri Begawan
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Bandar Seri Begawan Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,704

/mo nomad

Bandar Seri Begawan

🇧🇳 Brunei

$1,193

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Bandar Seri Begawan

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Austin, TX and in Bandar Seri Begawan actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,704 in Austin, TX versus $1,193 in Bandar Seri Begawan.

Austin, TX $2,704
Bandar Seri Begawan $1,193

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $1,725 in Bandar Seri Begawan.

Austin, TX $4,133
Bandar Seri Begawan $1,725

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,562 in Austin, TX versus $2,257 in Bandar Seri Begawan.

Austin, TX $5,562
Bandar Seri Begawan $2,257

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 127% more expensive than in Bandar Seri Begawan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 102% above, Bandar Seri Begawan is 11% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.22 $20.22

$3.84 BND 4.91

426.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.0 $85.0

$27.17 BND 34.78

212.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.35 $12.35

$6.13 BND 7.84

101.47%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.90 BND 2.44

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 BND 2.96

Cappuccino

$5.47 $5.47

$3.88 BND 4.97

40.98%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.82 $3.82

$0.95 BND 1.22

302.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$0.53 BND 0.68

371.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.06 $8.06

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.99 $8.99

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 $1.13

$1.84 BND 2.36

-38.59%

White Bread (500g)

$3.78 $3.78

$1.70 BND 2.18

122.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.25 $3.25

$1.24 BND 1.58

162.10%

Eggs

$4.14 $4.14

$2.01 BND 2.58

105.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.08 $13.08

$9.26 BND 11.85

41.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.31 $14.31

$4.39 BND 5.63

225.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.96 $15.96

$10.63 BND 13.61

50.14%

Apples (1kg)

$4.38 $4.38

$3.19 BND 4.09

37.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$2.18 BND 2.79

-33.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.54 $4.54

$2.86 BND 3.66

58.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.19 $4.19

$2.59 BND 3.31

61.78%

Potato (1kg)

$2.63 $2.63

$1.75 BND 2.24

50.29%

Onion (1kg)

$2.36 $2.36

$2.08 BND 2.67

13.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.76 $1.76

$3.61 BND 4.62

-51.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.16 $2.16

$0.93 BND 1.19

132.26%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$23.07 BND 29.54

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.39 BND 4.35

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.81 $9.81

$15.45 BND 19.78

-36.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.72 $14.72

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 $2.78

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 $3.48

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$0.82 BND 1.05

81.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.51 $40.51

$0.82 BND 1.05

4840.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.67 $2.67

$3.82 BND 4.89

-30.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 $1.58

$3.42 BND 4.38

-53.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.29 $35.29

$11.89 BND 15.22

196.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$0.39 BND 0.50

153.85%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$35.8K $35.8K

$43.7K BND 56.0K

-18.15%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$27.2K $27.2K

$36.2K BND 46.3K

-24.88%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$219 $219

$60.7 BND 77.7

261.53%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$58.0 $58.0

$21.58 BND 27.63

168.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.4 $68.4

$65.4 BND 83.8

4.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.9 $57.9

$45.10 BND 57.7

28.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.82 $14.82

$6.96 BND 8.91

112.93%

Cinema Ticket

$14.13 $14.13

$5.34 BND 6.84

164.61%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$1,509 $1,509

$214 BND 273

606.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$9,857 BND 12.6K

117.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.7 $51.7

$75.2 BND 96.3

-31.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.05 $44.05

$92.5 BND 118

-52.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.1 $85.1

$104 BND 133

-17.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 $105

$73.3 BND 93.8

43.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,932 $1,932

$734 BND 939

163.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 $1,272

$469 BND 601

171.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,670 $3,670

$1,125 BND 1,440

226.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,525 $2,525

$692 BND 885

265.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,617 $7,617

$3,106 BND 3,977

145.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,199 $3,199

$2,298 BND 2,942

39.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,105 $5,105

$1,755 BND 2,247

190.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

3.88

75.00%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Austin, TX: October 5, 2026

Last update for Bandar Seri Begawan: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.2%

Bandar Seri Begawan

$469 40% 63.1% $803

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$403 15.3%

Bandar Seri Begawan

$218 18.6% 45.8% $184

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.2%

Bandar Seri Begawan

$102 8.7% 70.8% $246

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$346 13.1%

Bandar Seri Begawan

$148 12.6% 57.3% $198

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.9%

Bandar Seri Begawan

$155 13.2% 20.4% $26

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.3%

Bandar Seri Begawan

$56 4.8% 35.2% $30

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$57 2.2%

Bandar Seri Begawan

$25 2.1% 56.1% $32

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,932 in Austin, TX and $734 in Bandar Seri Begawan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 191% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $85.0 in Austin, TX vs $27.00 in Bandar Seri Begawan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $403 vs $218 per month, with Bandar Seri Begawan cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇧🇳 Bandar Seri Begawan

🕒 Local time

03:49 3:49 AM

16:49 4:49 PM

13 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

50,000 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Brunei Dollar BND $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

1 BND = 0.781 USD

1 BND = 0.696 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BND, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇧🇳 Brunei Dollar ($)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Brunei Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.28 BND (1 BND = 0.781 USD). 1 EUR = 1.44 BND (1 BND = 0.696 EUR).

BND to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Austin, TX Bandar Seri Begawan 14,780 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Bandar Seri Begawan

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Austin, TX vs Bandar Seri Begawan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bandar Seri Begawan wins on cost – living expenses run 127% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Bandar Seri Begawan the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 191% higher in Austin, TX, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,932 in Austin, TX versus $734 in Bandar Seri Begawan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,704 per month in Austin, TX versus $1,193 in Bandar Seri Begawan – a 127% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Bandar Seri Begawan runs roughly 4840% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,193 in Bandar Seri Begawan versus $2,704 in Austin, TX, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Bandar Seri Begawan but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Bandar Seri Begawan the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Austin, TX and Bandar Seri Begawan are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Bandar Seri Begawan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 127% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.