Cost of Living Comparison Between Australia and Brunei Cost of Living Comparison Between Australia and Brunei

Name: Brunei
Address: BN

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,184 per month in Australia vs $820 in Brunei, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,221 per month in Australia vs $1,287 in Brunei, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,257 per month in Australia vs $1,754 in Brunei, rent included.

The cost of living in Australia is about 166% higher than in Brunei on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Australia sits 64% above the global median, while Brunei is 38% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

The regional cost range is wider in Brunei ($3.00–$1,690) than in Australia ($1,608–$2,789), so city choice matters more there.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.24 A$23.14

$5.29 BND 6.83

206.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.5 A$113

$33.03 BND 42.60

140.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.88 A$14.08

$6.17 BND 7.96

60.13%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.91 BND 2.46

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.35 BND 3.04

Cappuccino

$3.57 A$5.09

$4.03 BND 5.20

-11.41%

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

$2.59 A$3.70

$1.13 BND 1.46

129.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 A$3.05

$0.79 BND 1.01

170.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.44 A$9.18

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.99 A$9.96

Milk (1 liter)

$1.52 A$2.16

$2.38 BND 3.07

-36.13%

White Bread (500g)

$2.48 A$3.53

$1.92 BND 2.47

29.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.10 A$2.99

$2.09 BND 2.70

0.48%

Eggs

$4.25 A$6.06

$2.38 BND 3.06

78.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.04 A$12.89

$15.33 BND 19.78

-41.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.64 A$12.31

$7.11 BND 9.17

21.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.06 A$20.04

$18.67 BND 24.08

-24.69%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 A$4.69

$3.95 BND 5.09

-16.71%

Banana (1kg)

$2.80 A$4.00

$3.19 BND 4.12

-12.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.84 A$4.05

$3.61 BND 4.66

-21.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.42 A$6.30

$3.71 BND 4.78

19.14%

Potato (1kg)

$2.48 A$3.53

$2.24 BND 2.89

10.71%

Onion (1kg)

$2.16 A$3.08

$2.54 BND 3.28

-14.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.27 A$3.24

$4.84 BND 6.24

-53.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 A$2.14

$0.95 BND 1.22

57.89%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$11.67 BND 15.05

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.15 BND 6.64

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.30 BND 1.68

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$30.89 A$44.04

$11.91 BND 15.37

159.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.98 A$19.93

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.42 A$6.31

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.85 A$6.91

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 A$4.15

$0.74 BND 0.96

293.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$96.7 A$138

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.68 A$5.25

$4.83 BND 6.23

-23.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.75 A$2.50

$2.56 BND 3.30

-31.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$38.19 A$54.4

$11.66 BND 15.04

227.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 A$1.64

$0.38 BND 0.49

202.63%

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

$29.2K A$41.6K

$23.1K BND 29.8K

26.58%

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

$22.4K A$31.9K

$30.4K BND 39.2K

-26.28%

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

$178 A$254

$53.9 BND 69.6

229.87%

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

$26.86 A$38.29

$21.79 BND 28.10

23.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.7 A$75.1

$91.8 BND 118

-42.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.75 A$66.6

$45.29 BND 58.4

3.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.54 A$23.57

$5.85 BND 7.55

182.74%

Cinema Ticket

$13.61 A$19.40

$5.36 BND 6.92

153.92%

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

$1,612 A$2,298

$173 BND 223

832.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.5K A$17.8K

$10.8K BND 14.0K

15.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.5 A$101

$81.9 BND 106

-13.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.2 A$73.0

$66.5 BND 85.8

-23.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 A$147

$99.4 BND 128

3.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 A$156

$90.8 BND 117

20.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,394 A$1,988

$755 BND 974

84.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,080 A$1,540

$518 BND 668

108.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,268 A$3,233

$1,307 BND 1,686

73.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,739 A$2,479

$882 BND 1,138

97.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,445 A$10.6K

$1,990 BND 2,567

274.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,628 A$8,023

$2,352 BND 3,034

139.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,996 A$5,696

$2,342 BND 3,022

70.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.35

4.05

56.79%

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

Last update for Australia: June 14, 2026

Last update for Brunei: June 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,232 in Australia vs $290 in Brunei. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,583 in Canberra and $712 in Bandar Seri Begawan.

Average salary: $3,853 in Australia vs $2,279 in Brunei. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 325% higher in Australia.

Dining out costs 208% more in Australia.

Salaries are 69% higher in Australia, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Brunei.

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

Australia vs Brunei: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Brunei is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 160% lower on average. The gap is consistent across housing, groceries, transport, and entertainment.

Housing costs more in Australia, and the gap is biggest in capital cities. Regional towns show less difference, but Australia consistently has higher rents.

Groceries, transport, and utilities all cost less in Brunei, contributing to the overall 160% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.

$2,500 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Brunei, but in Australia it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

Brunei is the budget-friendly choice for expats – lower housing and daily costs. But cost isn't everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.