Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Brunei and Australia

Name: Australia
Address: AU

For one person, living is cheaper in Brunei: $1,379 a month against $2,626 in Australia, rent and utilities included – about $15,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

66

Cost of Living Index in Brunei
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Brunei Living Index
125

Cost of Living Index in Australia
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Australia Living Index

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🇧🇳 Brunei

$1,379

/mo nomad

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,626

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Brunei and in Australia

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Brunei and in Australia actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,379 per month in Brunei vs $2,626 in Australia, rent included.

Brunei $1,379
Australia $2,626

A couple spends around $2,067 per month in Brunei vs $3,810 in Australia, rent included.

Brunei $2,067
Australia $3,810

A family of three spends $2,755 per month in Brunei vs $4,994 in Australia, rent included.

Brunei $2,755
Australia $4,994

The regional cost range is wider in Australia ($1,068–$3,303) than in Brunei ($567–$1,726), so city choice matters more there.

The cost of living in Brunei is roughly 47% lower than in Australia on average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.82 BND 6.16

$17.65 A$25.08

-72.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.32 BND 47.68

$85.2 A$121

-56.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.40 BND 8.17

$11.09 A$15.76

-42.29%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.00 BND 2.55

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 BND 2.91

Cappuccino

$3.92 BND 5.01

$3.90 A$5.54

0.51%

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

$1.17 BND 1.50

$2.85 A$4.05

-58.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.72 BND 0.92

$2.31 A$3.29

-68.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.53 A$10.70

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.59 A$12.20

Milk (1 liter)

$2.31 BND 2.95

$1.76 A$2.50

31.25%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 BND 2.44

$2.81 A$3.99

-32.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.02 BND 2.58

$2.24 A$3.19

-9.82%

Eggs

$2.28 BND 2.91

$5.02 A$7.14

-54.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.87 BND 21.55

$9.87 A$14.02

70.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.52 BND 9.60

$9.32 A$13.24

-19.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.62 BND 22.51

$14.86 A$21.13

18.57%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 BND 5.08

$3.82 A$5.42

4.19%

Banana (1kg)

$3.66 BND 4.68

$2.92 A$4.16

25.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.52 BND 4.50

$3.13 A$4.46

12.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.16 BND 5.32

$4.81 A$6.83

-13.51%

Potato (1kg)

$2.50 BND 3.19

$2.80 A$3.98

-10.71%

Onion (1kg)

$2.39 BND 3.05

$2.38 A$3.38

0.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$4.50 BND 5.75

$2.37 A$3.37

89.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.00 BND 1.28

$1.65 A$2.35

-39.39%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$15.85 BND 20.25

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.18 BND 6.62

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.07 BND 1.37

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.76 BND 15.03

$39.13 A$55.6

-69.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.93 A$19.80

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.96 A$7.05

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.17 A$7.35

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.75 BND 0.96

$2.42 A$3.44

-69.01%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$24.09 BND 30.77

$94.6 A$134

-74.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.97 BND 5.07

$3.49 A$4.97

13.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.28 BND 4.19

$1.60 A$2.27

105.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.77 BND 15.04

$39.84 A$56.6

-70.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.37 BND 0.47

$1.39 A$1.97

-73.38%

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

$42.4K BND 54.1K

$30.0K A$42.7K

41.19%

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

$30.2K BND 38.6K

$25.8K A$36.6K

17.25%

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

$56.9 BND 72.7

$205 A$291

-72.25%

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

$21.37 BND 27.30

$28.33 A$40.27

-24.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$92.3 BND 118

$58.8 A$83.5

57.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.74 BND 63.5

$55.7 A$79.1

-10.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.51 BND 7.03

$19.57 A$27.82

-71.84%

Cinema Ticket

$5.54 BND 7.08

$15.38 A$21.86

-63.98%

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

$181 BND 231

$2,145 A$3,049

-91.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K BND 14.7K

$18.3K A$26.1K

-37.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.4 BND 97.6

$78.3 A$111

-2.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$84.4 BND 108

$56.3 A$80.0

50.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 BND 142

$115 A$164

-3.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.6 BND 126

$123 A$175

-19.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$728 BND 931

$1,591 A$2,261

-54.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$502 BND 641

$1,293 A$1,837

-61.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,172 BND 1,497

$2,524 A$3,588

-53.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$785 BND 1,002

$2,005 A$2,850

-60.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,082 BND 3,937

$8,751 A$12.4K

-64.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,263 BND 2,891

$6,260 A$8,898

-63.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,217 BND 2,832

$3,984 A$5,663

-44.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.88

5.93

-34.57%

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

Last update for Brunei: October 27, 2026

Last update for Australia: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Brunei

$502 36.4%

Australia

$1.3K 49.2% 158% $791

Groceries & Markets

Brunei

$319 23.2%

Australia

$374 14.3% 17.1% $55

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Brunei

$171 12.4%

Australia

$292 11.1% 71.2% $122

Clothing & Footwear

Brunei

$167 12.1%

Australia

$168 6.4% 0.7% $1.1

Eating Out

Brunei

$112 8.2%

Australia

$297 11.3% 164% $184

Sport & Entertainment

Brunei

$61 4.4%

Australia

$86 3.3% 42.1% $26

Getting Around

Brunei

$47 3.4%

Australia

$116 4.4% 144% $68

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $728 in Brunei vs $1,383 in Australia. For reference, capital cities sit at $726 in Bandar Seri Begawan and $1,749 in Canberra.

Average salary: $2,209 in Brunei vs $3,874 in Australia. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 90% higher in Australia.

Dining out costs 163% more in Australia.

Public transport is 265% more expensive in Australia.

Salaries are 75% higher in Australia, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Brunei.

Good to know

🇧🇳 Brunei

🇦🇺 Australia

🕒 Local time

19:04 7:04 PM

22:04 10:04 PM

3 h ahead of Brunei

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

458,949

26,473,055

💱 Currency

Brunei Dollar BND $

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 BND = 0.783 USD

1 BND = 0.701 EUR

1 AUD = 0.704 USD

1 AUD = 0.63 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AUD, USD, EUR to BND – Brunei Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇳 Brunei Dollar ($)

Brunei Dollar exchange rates as of October 31, 2026: 1 USD = 1.28 BND (1 BND = 0.783 USD). 1 EUR = 1.43 BND (1 BND = 0.701 EUR).

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 31, 2026: 1 USD = 1.42 AUD (1 AUD = 0.704 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 AUD (1 AUD = 0.63 EUR).

USD to BND in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Brunei Australia 5,720 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Brunei
Australia

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

Brunei vs Australia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Brunei is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 47% lower on average.

Housing costs more in Australia: a central one-bedroom averages $1,383 versus $728 in Brunei.

Groceries, public transport, and eating out all cost less in Brunei – part of why living there is about 47% cheaper overall.

$2,500 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Brunei, but in Australia it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

Brunei is the budget-friendly choice for expats. But cost isn’t everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.