Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bandar Seri Begawan and Mexico City

For one person, living is cheaper in Bandar Seri Begawan: $1,170 a month against $1,567 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $4,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

57

Cost of Living Index in Bandar Seri Begawan
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Bandar Seri Begawan Living Index
76

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index

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Bandar Seri Begawan

🇧🇳 Brunei

$1,170

/mo nomad

Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,567

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bandar Seri Begawan and in Mexico City

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

A single person spends $1,170 per month in Bandar Seri Begawan vs $1,567 in Mexico City, rent included.

Bandar Seri Begawan $1,170
Mexico City $1,567

A couple spends around $1,711 per month in Bandar Seri Begawan vs $2,450 in Mexico City, rent included.

Bandar Seri Begawan $1,711
Mexico City $2,450

A family of three spends $2,251 per month in Bandar Seri Begawan vs $3,333 in Mexico City, rent included.

Bandar Seri Begawan $2,251
Mexico City $3,333

Bandar Seri Begawan is about 25% cheaper than Mexico City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Bandar Seri Begawan sits 13% below the global median, while Mexico City is 16% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.94 BND 5.04

$10.75 MX$199

-63.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$27.00 BND 34.54

$50.3 MX$929

-46.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.10 BND 7.80

$11.10 MX$205

-45.05%

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

$3.68 MX$68.1

8.97%

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

$0.95 BND 1.22

$1.65 MX$30.42

-42.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.50 BND 0.64

$1.30 MX$24.08

-61.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.32 MX$61.3

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.54 MX$102

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 BND 2.41

$1.77 MX$32.68

6.78%

White Bread (500g)

$1.73 BND 2.22

$3.05 MX$56.4

-43.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.20 BND 1.54

$2.01 MX$37.20

-40.30%

Eggs

$2.01 BND 2.57

$2.77 MX$51.1

-27.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.43 BND 12.06

$11.91 MX$220

-20.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.45 BND 5.69

$9.33 MX$172

-52.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 BND 13.64

$15.02 MX$278

-29.03%

Apples (1kg)

$3.05 BND 3.90

$3.08 MX$56.8

-0.97%

Banana (1kg)

$2.17 BND 2.78

$1.95 MX$35.97

11.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.91 BND 3.73

$2.03 MX$37.54

43.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.48 BND 3.17

$2.21 MX$40.92

12.22%

Potato (1kg)

$1.68 BND 2.15

$2.02 MX$37.41

-16.83%

Onion (1kg)

$2.02 BND 2.58

$1.82 MX$33.67

10.99%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.59 BND 4.60

$1.52 MX$28.07

136.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 BND 1.18

$1.28 MX$23.65

-28.13%

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

$5.27 MX$97.4

196.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.12 MX$298

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.95 MX$36.05

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.25 MX$78.6

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.80 BND 1.03

$0.31 MX$5.82

158.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$0.76 BND 0.97

$19.85 MX$367

-96.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.79 BND 4.85

$2.00 MX$36.93

89.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.26 BND 4.17

$0.53 MX$9.86

515.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.66 BND 14.92

$5.62 MX$104

107.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.40 BND 0.51

$1.52 MX$28.07

-73.68%

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

$42.7K BND 54.6K

$21.0K MX$388.7K

102.85%

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

$37.1K BND 47.4K

$25.2K MX$465.3K

47.15%

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

$60.6 BND 77.5

$62.5 MX$1,155

-3.02%

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

$21.95 BND 28.08

$28.77 MX$532

-23.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.3 BND 82.2

$34.45 MX$637

86.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.76 BND 58.5

$57.1 MX$1,055

-19.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.87 BND 8.79

$24.81 MX$458

-72.31%

Cinema Ticket

$5.49 BND 7.02

$6.67 MX$123

-17.69%

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

$220 BND 281

$431 MX$7,964

-49.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,548 BND 12.2K

$11.7K MX$216.9K

-18.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.1 BND 97.3

$70.8 MX$1,308

7.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$95.0 BND 122

$51.8 MX$958

83.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 BND 128

$109 MX$2,011

-7.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.0 BND 90.8

$112 MX$2,076

-36.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$728 BND 932

$1,051 MX$19.4K

-30.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$466 BND 596

$665 MX$12.3K

-29.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,137 BND 1,455

$2,346 MX$43.3K

-51.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$702 BND 898

$1,227 MX$22.7K

-42.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,058 BND 3,912

$3,554 MX$65.7K

-13.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,285 BND 2,924

$1,977 MX$36.5K

15.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,773 BND 2,269

$975 MX$18.0K

81.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.88

11.3

-65.66%

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 Mexico City: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bandar Seri Begawan

$466 39.8%

Mexico City

$665 42.4% 42.7% $199

Groceries & Markets

Bandar Seri Begawan

$218 18.7%

Mexico City

$323 20.6% 47.8% $104

Clothing & Footwear

Bandar Seri Begawan

$154 13.2%

Mexico City

$155 9.9% 0.4% $0.6

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bandar Seri Begawan

$147 12.6%

Mexico City

$126 8% 14.4% $21

Eating Out

Bandar Seri Begawan

$104 8.9%

Mexico City

$203 13% 95.6% $99

Sport & Entertainment

Bandar Seri Begawan

$57 4.9%

Mexico City

$70 4.5% 24.2% $14

Getting Around

Bandar Seri Begawan

$24 2.1%

Mexico City

$26 1.6% 7.1% $1.7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $728 in Bandar Seri Begawan versus $1,051 in Mexico City. 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 82% 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 $50.0 in Mexico City. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $218 vs $323 – making Bandar Seri Begawan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇳 Bandar Seri Begawan

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🕒 Local time

09:46 9:46 AM

19:46 7:46 PM

14 h behind Bandar Seri Begawan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

50,000 Capital

9,209,944 Capital

💱 Currency

Brunei Dollar BND $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 BND = 0.782 USD

1 BND = 0.695 EUR

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, 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).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

USD to BND in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Bandar Seri Begawan Mexico City 15,410 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Bandar Seri Begawan
Mexico City

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 Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Mexico City is pricier by about 34%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,755 per month in Bandar Seri Begawan and $2,351 in Mexico City. 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 $1,567 in Mexico City. That's a gap of about 34%.

Public transport costs about 2512% 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 Mexico City at $1,567. In Bandar Seri Begawan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Mexico City 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, Mexico City makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.