Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bandar Seri Begawan and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in Bandar Seri Begawan: $1,170 a month against $2,223 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $12,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

57

Cost of Living Index in Bandar Seri Begawan
Learn more

Bandar Seri Begawan Living Index
107

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
Learn more

Lisbon Living Index

Jump to prices

Bandar Seri Begawan

🇧🇳 Brunei

$1,170

/mo nomad

Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,223

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,170 per month in Bandar Seri Begawan vs $2,223 in Lisbon, rent included.

Bandar Seri Begawan $1,170
Lisbon $2,223

A couple spends around $1,711 per month in Bandar Seri Begawan vs $3,271 in Lisbon, rent included.

Bandar Seri Begawan $1,711
Lisbon $3,271

A family of three spends $2,251 per month in Bandar Seri Begawan vs $4,319 in Lisbon, rent included.

Bandar Seri Begawan $2,251
Lisbon $4,319

Bandar Seri Begawan is about 47% cheaper than Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Bandar Seri Begawan sits 13% below the global median, while Lisbon is 65% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.94 BND 5.04

$16.50 €14.67

-76.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$27.00 BND 34.54

$61.3 €54.5

-55.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.10 BND 7.80

$11.27 €10.03

-45.87%

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 €2.72

31.05%

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

$0.95 BND 1.22

$2.26 €2.01

-57.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.50 BND 0.64

$1.73 €1.54

-71.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.39 €3.02

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.40 €3.02

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 BND 2.41

$1.12 €1.00

68.75%

White Bread (500g)

$1.73 BND 2.22

$1.86 €1.65

-6.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.20 BND 1.54

$1.53 €1.36

-21.57%

Eggs

$2.01 BND 2.57

$3.96 €3.53

-49.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.43 BND 12.06

$12.76 €11.35

-26.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.45 BND 5.69

$7.90 €7.02

-43.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 BND 13.64

$16.97 €15.09

-37.18%

Apples (1kg)

$3.05 BND 3.90

$2.27 €2.02

34.36%

Banana (1kg)

$2.17 BND 2.78

$1.75 €1.55

24.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.91 BND 3.73

$1.85 €1.64

57.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.48 BND 3.17

$2.57 €2.28

-3.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.68 BND 2.15

$1.86 €1.65

-9.68%

Onion (1kg)

$2.02 BND 2.58

$2.02 €1.80

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.59 BND 4.60

$1.44 €1.28

149.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 BND 1.18

$0.82 €0.73

12.20%

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

$6.56 €5.83

138.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.62 €5.00

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 €1.14

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.07 €1.84

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.80 BND 1.03

$2.35 €2.09

-65.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$0.76 BND 0.97

$44.18 €39.30

-98.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.79 BND 4.85

$3.99 €3.55

-5.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.26 BND 4.17

$1.09 €0.97

199.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.66 BND 14.92

$16.64 €14.81

-29.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.40 BND 0.51

$2.28 €2.03

-82.46%

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

$42.7K BND 54.6K

$33.7K €30.0K

26.69%

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

$37.1K BND 47.4K

$39.3K €35.0K

-5.70%

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

$60.6 BND 77.5

$167 €149

-63.82%

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

$21.95 BND 28.08

$18.80 €16.72

16.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.3 BND 82.2

$33.09 €29.43

94.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.76 BND 58.5

$46.01 €40.93

-0.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.87 BND 8.79

$19.19 €17.07

-64.20%

Cinema Ticket

$5.49 BND 7.02

$9.84 €8.75

-44.21%

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

$220 BND 281

$677 €602

-67.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,548 BND 12.2K

$16.9K €15.1K

-43.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.1 BND 97.3

$101 €90.1

-24.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$95.0 BND 122

$45.76 €40.70

107.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 BND 128

$100.0 €88.9

0.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.0 BND 90.8

$123 €109

-42.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$728 BND 932

$1,614 €1,436

-54.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$466 BND 596

$1,197 €1,065

-61.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,137 BND 1,455

$2,862 €2,545

-60.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$702 BND 898

$1,990 €1,770

-64.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,058 BND 3,912

$7,577 €6,740

-59.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,285 BND 2,924

$4,307 €3,831

-46.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,773 BND 2,269

$1,588 €1,412

11.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.88

3.85

0.78%

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 Lisbon: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bandar Seri Begawan

$466 39.8%

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.9% 157% $731

Groceries & Markets

Bandar Seri Begawan

$218 18.7%

Lisbon

$269 12.1% 23.4% $51

Clothing & Footwear

Bandar Seri Begawan

$154 13.2%

Lisbon

$166 7.5% 8% $12

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bandar Seri Begawan

$147 12.6%

Lisbon

$219 9.9% 49.4% $73

Eating Out

Bandar Seri Begawan

$104 8.9%

Lisbon

$242 10.9% 133% $138

Sport & Entertainment

Bandar Seri Begawan

$57 4.9%

Lisbon

$66 3% 15.8% $9

Getting Around

Bandar Seri Begawan

$24 2.1%

Lisbon

$63 2.8% 162% $39

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $728 in Bandar Seri Begawan versus $1,614 in Lisbon. 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 12% 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 $61.0 in Lisbon. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $218 vs $269 – making Bandar Seri Begawan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇳 Bandar Seri Begawan

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🕒 Local time

11:25 11:25 AM

04:25 4:25 AM

7 h behind Bandar Seri Begawan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

50,000 Capital

545,923 Capital

💱 Currency

Brunei Dollar BND $

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 BND = 0.782 USD

1 BND = 0.695 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD 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).

Euro exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to BND in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Bandar Seri Begawan Lisbon 12,510 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Bandar Seri Begawan
Lisbon

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 Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Lisbon is pricier by about 90%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,755 per month in Bandar Seri Begawan and $3,335 in Lisbon. 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 $1,170 in Bandar Seri Begawan and $2,223 in Lisbon. That's a gap of about 90%.

Public transport costs about 5713% 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 $1,170, than in Lisbon at $2,223. In Bandar Seri Begawan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Lisbon 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, Lisbon makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.