Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bandar Seri Begawan and Dhaka

For one person, living is cheaper in Dhaka: $426 a month against $1,193 in Bandar Seri Begawan, rent and utilities included – about $9,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Bandar Seri Begawan
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Bandar Seri Begawan Living Index
21

Cost of Living Index in Dhaka
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Dhaka Living Index

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Bandar Seri Begawan

🇧🇳 Brunei

$1,193

/mo nomad

Dhaka

🇧🇩 Bangladesh

$426

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,193 per month in Bandar Seri Begawan vs $426 in Dhaka, rent included.

Bandar Seri Begawan $1,193
Dhaka $426

A couple spends around $1,725 per month in Bandar Seri Begawan vs $735 in Dhaka, rent included.

Bandar Seri Begawan $1,725
Dhaka $735

A family of three spends $2,257 per month in Bandar Seri Begawan vs $1,043 in Dhaka, rent included.

Bandar Seri Begawan $2,257
Dhaka $1,043

Bandar Seri Begawan costs about 180% more than Dhaka, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Bandar Seri Begawan and Dhaka are more affordable than the global median – Bandar Seri Begawan 11% lower, Dhaka 68% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.84 BND 4.91

$2.49 ৳305

54.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$27.17 BND 34.78

$13.06 ৳1,604

108.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.13 BND 7.84

$4.83 ৳594

26.92%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.90 BND 2.44

$4.93 ৳606

-61.46%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 BND 2.96

$4.10 ৳504

-43.66%

Cappuccino

$3.88 BND 4.97

$2.34 ৳287

65.81%

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

$0.95 BND 1.22

$0.30 ৳37.38

216.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.53 BND 0.68

$0.16 ৳19.96

231.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 BND 2.36

$0.80 ৳98.1

130.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.70 BND 2.18

$0.65 ৳79.3

161.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.24 BND 1.58

$0.71 ৳87.2

74.65%

Eggs

$2.01 BND 2.58

$1.21 ৳149

66.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.26 BND 11.85

$8.67 ৳1,065

6.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.39 BND 5.63

$3.21 ৳395

36.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.63 BND 13.61

$6.70 ৳823

58.66%

Apples (1kg)

$3.19 BND 4.09

$2.73 ৳335

16.85%

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 BND 2.79

$0.88 ৳108

147.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.86 BND 3.66

$2.37 ৳291

20.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.59 BND 3.31

$0.65 ৳79.5

298.46%

Potato (1kg)

$1.75 BND 2.24

$0.24 ৳29.19

629.17%

Onion (1kg)

$2.08 BND 2.67

$0.49 ৳60.6

324.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.61 BND 4.62

$0.32 ৳38.87

1028.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 BND 1.19

$0.30 ৳37.30

210.00%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$23.07 BND 29.54

$12.07 ৳1,483

91.14%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.39 BND 4.35

$5.51 ৳677

-38.48%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.66 ৳818

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.45 BND 19.78

$3.23 ৳396

378.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.82 BND 1.05

$0.42 ৳52.1

95.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$0.82 BND 1.05

$22.54 ৳2,769

-96.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.82 BND 4.89

$1.19 ৳147

221.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.42 BND 4.38

$0.40 ৳48.58

755.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.89 BND 15.22

$3.35 ৳411

254.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.39 BND 0.50

$1.15 ৳141

-66.09%

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

$43.7K BND 56.0K

$30.3K ৳3.7M

44.40%

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

$36.2K BND 46.3K

$33.0K ৳4.1M

9.52%

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

$60.7 BND 77.7

$46.32 ৳5,690

30.94%

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

$21.58 BND 27.63

$4.33 ৳531

398.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$65.4 BND 83.8

$10.63 ৳1,306

515.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.10 BND 57.7

$16.37 ৳2,011

175.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.96 BND 8.91

$16.14 ৳1,982

-56.88%

Cinema Ticket

$5.34 BND 6.84

$4.13 ৳508

29.30%

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

$214 BND 273

$90.7 ৳11.1K

135.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,857 BND 12.6K

$2,649 ৳325.4K

272.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.2 BND 96.3

$16.48 ৳2,024

356.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$92.5 BND 118

$21.00 ৳2,579

340.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 BND 133

$50.3 ৳6,173

106.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.3 BND 93.8

$36.46 ৳4,478

100.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$734 BND 939

$152 ৳18.6K

383.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$469 BND 601

$73.6 ৳9,041

537.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,125 BND 1,440

$436 ৳53.5K

158.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$692 BND 885

$214 ৳26.3K

223.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,106 BND 3,977

$1,622 ৳199.2K

91.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,298 BND 2,942

$761 ৳93.5K

201.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,755 BND 2,247

$249 ৳30.6K

605.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.88

10.48

-62.98%

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 Dhaka: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bandar Seri Begawan

$469 40%

Dhaka

$74 17.1% 84.3% $396

Groceries & Markets

Bandar Seri Begawan

$218 18.6%

Dhaka

$123 28.5% 43.9% $96

Clothing & Footwear

Bandar Seri Begawan

$155 13.2%

Dhaka

$56 13% 64% $99

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bandar Seri Begawan

$148 12.6%

Dhaka

$61 14.3% 58.5% $86

Eating Out

Bandar Seri Begawan

$102 8.7%

Dhaka

$64 15% 36.7% $37

Sport & Entertainment

Bandar Seri Begawan

$56 4.8%

Dhaka

$25 5.7% 55.8% $31

Getting Around

Bandar Seri Begawan

$25 2.1%

Dhaka

$27 6.4% 9.6% $2.4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $734 in Bandar Seri Begawan versus $152 in Dhaka. 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 605% 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 $13.00 in Dhaka. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $218 vs $123 – making Dhaka the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇳 Bandar Seri Begawan

🇧🇩 Dhaka

🕒 Local time

15:47 3:47 PM

13:47 1:47 PM

2 h behind Bandar Seri Begawan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

50,000 Capital

21,741,000 Capital

💱 Currency

Brunei Dollar BND $

Bangladeshi Taka BDT ৳

📈 Exchange rate

1 BND = 0.781 USD

1 BND = 0.696 EUR

1,000 BDT = 8.14 USD

1,000 BDT = 7.26 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BDT, 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).

Bangladeshi Taka exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 123 BDT (1,000 BDT = 8.14 USD). 1 EUR = 138 BDT (1,000 BDT = 7.26 EUR).

USD to BND in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Bandar Seri Begawan Dhaka 3,360 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Bandar Seri Begawan
Dhaka

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 Dhaka: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Bandar Seri Begawan is pricier by about 180%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,789 per month in Bandar Seri Begawan and $639 in Dhaka. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Dhaka, 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 $426 in Dhaka. That's a gap of about 180%.

Public transport costs about 2649% less in Dhaka. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Dhaka, where all-in costs run around $426, than in Bandar Seri Begawan at $1,193. In Dhaka it covers expenses comfortably, while in Bandar Seri Begawan it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Dhaka – 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 Dhaka. 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.