Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bandar Seri Begawan and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Bandar Seri Begawan: $1,193 a month against $1,621 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $5,100 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

57

Cost of Living Index in Bandar Seri Begawan
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Bandar Seri Begawan Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index

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Bandar Seri Begawan

🇧🇳 Brunei

$1,193

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,621

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Budapest actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,193 per month in Bandar Seri Begawan vs $1,621 in Budapest, rent included.

Bandar Seri Begawan $1,193
Budapest $1,621

A couple spends around $1,725 per month in Bandar Seri Begawan vs $2,555 in Budapest, rent included.

Bandar Seri Begawan $1,725
Budapest $2,555

A family of three spends $2,257 per month in Bandar Seri Begawan vs $3,489 in Budapest, rent included.

Bandar Seri Begawan $2,257
Budapest $3,489

Bandar Seri Begawan is about 26% cheaper than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Bandar Seri Begawan sits 11% below the global median, while Budapest is 21% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.84 BND 4.91

$13.99 Ft 4,551

-72.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$27.17 BND 34.78

$60.3 Ft 19.6K

-54.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.13 BND 7.84

$9.96 Ft 3,241

-38.45%

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

$3.88 BND 4.97

$3.38 Ft 1,100

14.79%

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

$0.95 BND 1.22

$2.13 Ft 692

-55.40%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.53 BND 0.68

$1.87 Ft 608

-71.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.75 Ft 1,221

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.57 Ft 1,162

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 BND 2.36

$1.13 Ft 368

62.83%

White Bread (500g)

$1.70 BND 2.18

$1.84 Ft 599

-7.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.24 BND 1.58

$2.39 Ft 777

-48.12%

Eggs

$2.01 BND 2.58

$3.83 Ft 1,245

-47.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.26 BND 11.85

$11.33 Ft 3,686

-18.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.39 BND 5.63

$6.74 Ft 2,192

-34.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.63 BND 13.61

$14.69 Ft 4,780

-27.64%

Apples (1kg)

$3.19 BND 4.09

$1.84 Ft 597

73.37%

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 BND 2.79

$2.01 Ft 653

8.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.86 BND 3.66

$2.36 Ft 767

21.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.59 BND 3.31

$3.77 Ft 1,226

-31.30%

Potato (1kg)

$1.75 BND 2.24

$0.96 Ft 313

82.29%

Onion (1kg)

$2.08 BND 2.67

$1.03 Ft 334

101.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.61 BND 4.62

$1.56 Ft 509

131.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 BND 1.19

$0.66 Ft 216

40.91%

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)

$15.45 BND 19.78

$7.96 Ft 2,591

94.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.01 Ft 1,954

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 Ft 421

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 Ft 676

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.82 BND 1.05

$1.50 Ft 489

-45.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$0.82 BND 1.05

$27.61 Ft 8,982

-97.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.82 BND 4.89

$3.30 Ft 1,074

15.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.42 BND 4.38

$1.30 Ft 424

163.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.89 BND 15.22

$19.78 Ft 6,436

-39.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.39 BND 0.50

$1.81 Ft 591

-78.45%

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

$43.7K BND 56.0K

$29.3K Ft 9.5M

49.16%

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

$36.2K BND 46.3K

$34.1K Ft 11.1M

6.07%

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

$60.7 BND 77.7

$170 Ft 55.3K

-64.31%

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

$21.58 BND 27.63

$23.98 Ft 7,802

-10.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$65.4 BND 83.8

$23.42 Ft 7,621

179.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.10 BND 57.7

$66.2 Ft 21.6K

-31.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.96 BND 8.91

$19.18 Ft 6,239

-63.71%

Cinema Ticket

$5.34 BND 6.84

$9.52 Ft 3,098

-43.91%

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

$214 BND 273

$537 Ft 174.6K

-60.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,857 BND 12.6K

$16.6K Ft 5.4M

-40.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.2 BND 96.3

$101 Ft 33.0K

-25.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$92.5 BND 118

$42.99 Ft 14.0K

115.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 BND 133

$113 Ft 36.7K

-8.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.3 BND 93.8

$119 Ft 38.6K

-38.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$734 BND 939

$805 Ft 262.0K

-8.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$469 BND 601

$629 Ft 204.7K

-25.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,125 BND 1,440

$1,549 Ft 504.1K

-27.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$692 BND 885

$1,167 Ft 379.7K

-40.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,106 BND 3,977

$5,618 Ft 1.8M

-44.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,298 BND 2,942

$3,968 Ft 1.3M

-42.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,755 BND 2,247

$1,626 Ft 529.0K

7.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.88

6.43

-39.66%

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

Last update for Bandar Seri Begawan: October 5, 2026

Last update for Budapest: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bandar Seri Begawan

$469 40%

Budapest

$629 38.7% 34.1% $160

Groceries & Markets

Bandar Seri Begawan

$218 18.6%

Budapest

$258 15.8% 17.9% $39

Clothing & Footwear

Bandar Seri Begawan

$155 13.2%

Budapest

$169 10.4% 9.1% $14

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bandar Seri Begawan

$148 12.6%

Budapest

$217 13.4% 47.2% $70

Eating Out

Bandar Seri Begawan

$102 8.7%

Budapest

$224 13.8% 121% $123

Sport & Entertainment

Bandar Seri Begawan

$56 4.8%

Budapest

$85 5.2% 52.9% $29

Getting Around

Bandar Seri Begawan

$25 2.1%

Budapest

$43 2.7% 73.7% $18

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $734 in Bandar Seri Begawan versus $805 in Budapest. 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 8% higher in Bandar Seri Begawan, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $27.00 in Bandar Seri Begawan versus $60.0 in Budapest. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $218 vs $258 – making Bandar Seri Begawan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇳 Bandar Seri Begawan

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

16:42 4:42 PM

10:42 10:42 AM

6 h behind Bandar Seri Begawan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

50,000 Capital

1,686,222 Capital

💱 Currency

Brunei Dollar BND $

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

📈 Exchange rate

1 BND = 0.781 USD

1 BND = 0.696 EUR

1,000 HUF = 3.07 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.74 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

HUF, USD, EUR to BND – Brunei Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇳 Brunei Dollar ($)

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).

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 325 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.07 USD). 1 EUR = 365 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.74 EUR).

USD to BND in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Bandar Seri Begawan Budapest 10,050 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Bandar Seri Begawan
Budapest

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 Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 36%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,789 per month in Bandar Seri Begawan and $2,432 in Budapest. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Bandar Seri Begawan, 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 $1,193 in Bandar Seri Begawan and $1,621 in Budapest. That's a gap of about 36%.

Public transport costs about 3267% less in Bandar Seri Begawan. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Bandar Seri Begawan, where all-in costs run around $1,193, than in Budapest at $1,621. In Bandar Seri Begawan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Bandar Seri Begawan – 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 Bandar Seri Begawan. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Budapest makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.