Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bandar Seri Begawan and Phuket

For one person, living costs are similar in Bandar Seri Begawan and in Phuket: $1,170 and $1,207 a month, rent and utilities included.

57

Cost of Living Index in Bandar Seri Begawan
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Bandar Seri Begawan Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Bandar Seri Begawan

🇧🇳 Brunei

$1,170

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,207

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,170 per month in Bandar Seri Begawan vs $1,207 in Phuket, rent included.

Bandar Seri Begawan $1,170
Phuket $1,207

A couple spends around $1,711 per month in Bandar Seri Begawan vs $2,037 in Phuket, rent included.

Bandar Seri Begawan $1,711
Phuket $2,037

A family of three spends $2,251 per month in Bandar Seri Begawan vs $2,867 in Phuket, rent included.

Bandar Seri Begawan $2,251
Phuket $2,867

Bandar Seri Begawan is about 3% cheaper than Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Bandar Seri Begawan and Phuket are more affordable than the global median – Bandar Seri Begawan 13% lower, Phuket 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.94 BND 5.04

$4.58 ฿153

-13.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$27.00 BND 34.54

$32.48 ฿1,086

-16.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.10 BND 7.80

$8.55 ฿286

-28.65%

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

$2.72 ฿91.0

47.43%

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

$0.95 BND 1.22

$0.94 ฿31.25

1.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.50 BND 0.64

$0.49 ฿16.39

2.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.59 ฿86.6

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.83 ฿128

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 BND 2.41

$1.74 ฿58.1

8.62%

White Bread (500g)

$1.73 BND 2.22

$1.43 ฿47.82

20.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.20 BND 1.54

$1.53 ฿51.0

-21.57%

Eggs

$2.01 BND 2.57

$2.17 ฿72.7

-7.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.43 BND 12.06

$19.15 ฿640

-50.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.45 BND 5.69

$3.30 ฿110

34.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 BND 13.64

$11.14 ฿372

-4.31%

Apples (1kg)

$3.05 BND 3.90

$2.95 ฿98.5

3.39%

Banana (1kg)

$2.17 BND 2.78

$1.68 ฿56.1

29.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.91 BND 3.73

$2.30 ฿76.8

26.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.48 BND 3.17

$2.13 ฿71.3

16.43%

Potato (1kg)

$1.68 BND 2.15

$1.53 ฿51.1

9.80%

Onion (1kg)

$2.02 BND 2.58

$1.36 ฿45.55

48.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.59 BND 4.60

$1.12 ฿37.44

220.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 BND 1.18

$0.55 ฿18.24

67.27%

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

$4.26 ฿142

267.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.19 ฿608

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 ฿58.2

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 ฿93.3

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.80 BND 1.03

$2.22 ฿74.1

-63.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$0.76 BND 0.97

$22.06 ฿737

-96.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.79 BND 4.85

$2.91 ฿97.3

30.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.26 BND 4.17

$1.01 ฿33.79

222.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.66 BND 14.92

$3.83 ฿128

204.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.40 BND 0.51

$1.49 ฿49.85

-73.15%

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

$42.7K BND 54.6K

$26.7K ฿891.6K

59.91%

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

$37.1K BND 47.4K

$26.7K ฿892.7K

38.72%

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

$60.6 BND 77.5

$99.4 ฿3,321

-39.02%

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

$21.95 BND 28.08

$11.28 ฿377

94.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.3 BND 82.2

$17.36 ฿580

270.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.76 BND 58.5

$52.3 ฿1,747

-12.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.87 BND 8.79

$10.85 ฿362

-36.68%

Cinema Ticket

$5.49 BND 7.02

$7.57 ฿253

-27.48%

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

$220 BND 281

$558 ฿18.7K

-60.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,548 BND 12.2K

$11.5K ฿383.9K

-16.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.1 BND 97.3

$62.9 ฿2,102

20.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$95.0 BND 122

$28.58 ฿955

232.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 BND 128

$96.1 ฿3,213

4.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.0 BND 90.8

$88.1 ฿2,943

-19.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$728 BND 932

$729 ฿24.4K

-0.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$466 BND 596

$460 ฿15.4K

1.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,137 BND 1,455

$2,096 ฿70.0K

-45.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$702 BND 898

$1,222 ฿40.8K

-42.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,058 BND 3,912

$3,459 ฿115.6K

-11.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,285 BND 2,924

$2,489 ฿83.2K

-8.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,773 BND 2,269

$493 ฿16.5K

259.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.88

5.57

-30.34%

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 Phuket: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bandar Seri Begawan

$466 39.8%

Phuket

$460 38.1% 1.3% $5.9

Groceries & Markets

Bandar Seri Begawan

$218 18.7%

Phuket

$268 22.2% 22.5% $49

Clothing & Footwear

Bandar Seri Begawan

$154 13.2%

Phuket

$124 10.3% 19.5% $30

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bandar Seri Begawan

$147 12.6%

Phuket

$128 10.6% 12.8% $19

Eating Out

Bandar Seri Begawan

$104 8.9%

Phuket

$121 10.1% 16.9% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Bandar Seri Begawan

$57 4.9%

Phuket

$67 5.6% 18.8% $11

Getting Around

Bandar Seri Begawan

$24 2.1%

Phuket

$39 3.2% 61.5% $15

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $728 in Bandar Seri Begawan versus $729 in Phuket. 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 260% 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 $32.00 in Phuket. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $218 vs $268 – making Bandar Seri Begawan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇳 Bandar Seri Begawan

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

11:25 11:25 AM

10:25 10:25 AM

1 h behind Bandar Seri Begawan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

50,000 Capital

79,308

💱 Currency

Brunei Dollar BND $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 BND = 0.782 USD

1 BND = 0.695 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, 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).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to BND in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Bandar Seri Begawan Phuket 1,860 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Bandar Seri Begawan
Phuket

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 Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Phuket is pricier by about 3%, 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 $1,811 in Phuket. 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 $1,207 in Phuket. That's a gap of about 3%.

Public transport costs about 2803% 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 Phuket at $1,207. In Bandar Seri Begawan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket 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, Phuket makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.