Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bandar Seri Begawan and Abakan

For one person, living is cheaper in Abakan: $892 a month against $1,170 in Bandar Seri Begawan, rent and utilities included – about $3,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

57

Cost of Living Index in Bandar Seri Begawan
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Bandar Seri Begawan Living Index
43

Cost of Living Index in Abakan
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Abakan Living Index

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Bandar Seri Begawan

🇧🇳 Brunei

$1,170

/mo nomad

Abakan

🇷🇺 Russia

$892

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bandar Seri Begawan and in Abakan

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

A single person spends $1,170 per month in Bandar Seri Begawan vs $892 in Abakan, rent included.

Bandar Seri Begawan $1,170
Abakan $892

A couple spends around $1,711 per month in Bandar Seri Begawan vs $1,382 in Abakan, rent included.

Bandar Seri Begawan $1,711
Abakan $1,382

A family of three spends $2,251 per month in Bandar Seri Begawan vs $1,873 in Abakan, rent included.

Bandar Seri Begawan $2,251
Abakan $1,873

Bandar Seri Begawan costs about 31% more than Abakan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Bandar Seri Begawan and Abakan are more affordable than the global median – Bandar Seri Begawan 13% lower, Abakan 34% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.94 BND 5.04

$11.16 ₽931

-64.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$27.00 BND 34.54

$33.28 ₽2,778

-18.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.10 BND 7.80

$6.14 ₽512

-0.65%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.01 BND 2.57

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 BND 2.95

Cappuccino

$4.01 BND 5.13

$3.06 ₽256

31.05%

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

$0.95 BND 1.22

$1.15 ₽96.3

-17.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.50 BND 0.64

$0.60 ₽50.3

-16.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.84 ₽154

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.05 ₽255

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 BND 2.41

$1.16 ₽96.8

62.93%

White Bread (500g)

$1.73 BND 2.22

$0.73 ₽61.0

136.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.20 BND 1.54

$1.37 ₽114

-12.41%

Eggs

$2.01 BND 2.57

$1.56 ₽130

28.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.43 BND 12.06

$11.08 ₽925

-14.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.45 BND 5.69

$6.13 ₽512

-27.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 BND 13.64

$11.51 ₽960

-7.38%

Apples (1kg)

$3.05 BND 3.90

$1.71 ₽143

78.36%

Banana (1kg)

$2.17 BND 2.78

$1.75 ₽146

24.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.91 BND 3.73

$1.74 ₽145

67.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.48 BND 3.17

$3.47 ₽290

-28.53%

Potato (1kg)

$1.68 BND 2.15

$0.80 ₽67.2

110.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.02 BND 2.58

$0.61 ₽50.5

231.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.59 BND 4.60

$1.28 ₽107

180.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 BND 1.18

$0.64 ₽53.1

43.75%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$23.08 BND 29.53

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.29 BND 4.21

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.65 BND 20.03

$2.59 ₽216

504.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.89 ₽742

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 ₽93.4

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 ₽164

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.80 BND 1.03

$0.44 ₽36.75

81.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$0.76 BND 0.97

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.79 BND 4.85

$2.55 ₽213

48.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.26 BND 4.17

$0.36 ₽29.63

805.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.66 BND 14.92

$5.75 ₽480

102.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.40 BND 0.51

$0.78 ₽65.1

-48.72%

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

$42.7K BND 54.6K

$40.3K ₽3.4M

5.84%

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

$37.1K BND 47.4K

$31.6K ₽2.6M

17.40%

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

$60.6 BND 77.5

$75.9 ₽6,337

-20.19%

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

$21.95 BND 28.08

$5.81 ₽485

277.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.3 BND 82.2

$9.20 ₽768

598.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.76 BND 58.5

$35.47 ₽2,960

29.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.87 BND 8.79

$22.35 ₽1,865

-69.26%

Cinema Ticket

$5.49 BND 7.02

$6.09 ₽508

-9.85%

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

$220 BND 281

$322 ₽26.9K

-31.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,548 BND 12.2K

$5,975 ₽498.7K

59.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.1 BND 97.3

$42.65 ₽3,560

78.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$95.0 BND 122

$52.0 ₽4,343

82.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 BND 128

$109 ₽9,058

-7.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.0 BND 90.8

$80.3 ₽6,704

-11.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$728 BND 932

$336 ₽28.1K

116.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$466 BND 596

$237 ₽19.8K

96.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,137 BND 1,455

$533 ₽44.5K

113.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$702 BND 898

$353 ₽29.5K

98.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,058 BND 3,912

$2,257 ₽188.4K

35.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,285 BND 2,924

$1,625 ₽135.6K

40.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,773 BND 2,269

$594 ₽49.6K

198.66%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.88

21.45

-81.91%

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

Last update for Bandar Seri Begawan: October 13, 2026

Last update for Abakan: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bandar Seri Begawan

$466 39.8%

Abakan

$237 26.6% 49.1% $229

Groceries & Markets

Bandar Seri Begawan

$218 18.7%

Abakan

$216 24.2% 1% $2.3

Clothing & Footwear

Bandar Seri Begawan

$154 13.2%

Abakan

$128 14.3% 17.2% $27

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bandar Seri Begawan

$147 12.6%

Abakan

$91 10.2% 38.1% $56

Eating Out

Bandar Seri Begawan

$104 8.9%

Abakan

$167 18.7% 60.7% $63

Sport & Entertainment

Bandar Seri Begawan

$57 4.9%

Abakan

$48 5.3% 16% $9.1

Getting Around

Bandar Seri Begawan

$24 2.1%

Abakan

$6.1 * 0.7% 74.7% $18

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $728 in Bandar Seri Begawan versus $336 in Abakan. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 199% higher in Bandar Seri Begawan, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $27.00 in Bandar Seri Begawan versus $33.00 in Abakan. Groceries tell a different story – $218 in Bandar Seri Begawan vs $216 in Abakan – so Abakan wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇧🇳 Bandar Seri Begawan

🇷🇺 Abakan

🕒 Local time

09:03 9:03 AM

08:03 8:03 AM

1 h behind Bandar Seri Begawan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

50,000 Capital

187,239

💱 Currency

Brunei Dollar BND $

Russian Ruble RUB ₽

📈 Exchange rate

1 BND = 0.782 USD

1 BND = 0.695 EUR

100 RUB = 1.2 USD

100 RUB = 1.07 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

RUB, USD, EUR to BND – Brunei Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇳 Brunei Dollar ($)

Brunei Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 1.28 BND (1 BND = 0.782 USD). 1 EUR = 1.44 BND (1 BND = 0.695 EUR).

Russian Ruble exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 83.46 RUB (100 RUB = 1.2 USD). 1 EUR = 93.83 RUB (100 RUB = 1.07 EUR).

USD to BND in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Bandar Seri Begawan Abakan 5,830 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Bandar Seri Begawan
Abakan

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

Bandar Seri Begawan vs Abakan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Bandar Seri Begawan is pricier by about 31%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in utilities.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,755 per month in Bandar Seri Begawan and $1,338 in Abakan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Abakan, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,170 in Bandar Seri Begawan and $892 in Abakan. That's a gap of about 31%.

Kindergarten costs $220 per month in Bandar Seri Begawan and $322 in Abakan. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Abakan, where all-in costs run around $892, than in Bandar Seri Begawan at $1,170. In Abakan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Bandar Seri Begawan it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Abakan – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Abakan. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Bandar Seri Begawan makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.