Cost of Living Comparison Between Brunei and Australia Cost of Living Comparison Between Brunei and Australia

Name: Australia
Address: AU

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $808 per month in Brunei vs $2,182 in Australia, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,272 per month in Brunei vs $3,216 in Australia, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,735 per month in Brunei vs $4,250 in Australia, rent included.

Brunei is roughly 63% cheaper than Australia on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Brunei sits 40% below the global median, while Australia is 63% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Brunei has a wider regional cost range ($3.00–$1,642) than Australia ($1,579–$2,759), so location matters more when choosing where to live in Brunei.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.26 BND 6.75

$16.17 A$22.66

-67.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.55 BND 41.75

$78.6 A$110

-58.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.42 BND 8.23

$9.48 A$13.28

-32.28%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.92 BND 2.46

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 BND 2.93

Cappuccino

$4.00 BND 5.13

$3.56 A$4.99

12.36%

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

$1.15 BND 1.47

$2.60 A$3.64

-55.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.76 BND 0.98

$2.21 A$3.10

-65.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.47 A$9.07

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.19 A$10.08

Milk (1 liter)

$2.32 BND 2.98

$1.56 A$2.19

48.72%

White Bread (500g)

$1.92 BND 2.47

$2.53 A$3.55

-24.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.09 BND 2.68

$2.02 A$2.83

3.47%

Eggs

$2.44 BND 3.13

$4.47 A$6.26

-45.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.47 BND 19.84

$8.86 A$12.42

74.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.45 BND 9.55

$8.38 A$11.74

-11.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.24 BND 23.40

$13.71 A$19.20

33.04%

Apples (1kg)

$3.83 BND 4.91

$3.23 A$4.52

18.58%

Banana (1kg)

$3.26 BND 4.18

$2.84 A$3.98

14.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.65 BND 4.68

$2.98 A$4.17

22.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.67 BND 4.71

$4.38 A$6.14

-16.21%

Potato (1kg)

$2.25 BND 2.88

$2.45 A$3.43

-8.16%

Onion (1kg)

$2.49 BND 3.19

$2.11 A$2.96

18.01%

Lettuce (1 head)

$4.63 BND 5.94

$2.16 A$3.03

114.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 BND 1.31

$1.58 A$2.22

-35.44%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$11.96 BND 15.34

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.14 BND 6.60

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 BND 1.73

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.83 BND 15.18

$30.61 A$42.89

-61.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.23 A$19.94

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.55 A$6.37

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.91 A$6.87

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.76 BND 0.97

$2.89 A$4.05

-73.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$97.5 A$137

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.62 BND 5.92

$3.54 A$4.96

30.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.52 BND 3.23

$1.75 A$2.45

44.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.82 BND 15.16

$38.10 A$53.4

-68.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.40 BND 0.52

$1.16 A$1.62

-65.52%

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

$23.2K BND 29.7K

$28.8K A$40.4K

-19.61%

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

$31.2K BND 40.1K

$23.2K A$32.5K

34.68%

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

$53.0 BND 67.9

$179 A$251

-70.39%

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

$22.48 BND 28.83

$26.75 A$37.48

-15.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$92.8 BND 119

$53.7 A$75.2

72.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.08 BND 56.5

$48.44 A$67.9

-9.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.90 BND 7.57

$16.88 A$23.65

-65.05%

Cinema Ticket

$5.43 BND 6.97

$13.61 A$19.07

-60.10%

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

$173 BND 222

$1,605 A$2,248

-89.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.6K BND 13.6K

$12.7K A$17.8K

-16.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$82.6 BND 106

$71.4 A$100

15.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$65.4 BND 83.9

$50.0 A$70.1

30.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 BND 129

$99.8 A$140

0.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.2 BND 116

$109 A$153

-17.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$776 BND 995

$1,385 A$1,941

-44.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$511 BND 655

$1,076 A$1,508

-52.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,300 BND 1,667

$2,284 A$3,201

-43.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$858 BND 1,100

$1,757 A$2,462

-51.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,032 BND 2,606

$7,462 A$10.5K

-72.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,377 BND 3,049

$5,617 A$7,870

-57.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,349 BND 3,013

$4,070 A$5,703

-42.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.05

6.35

-36.22%

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

Last update for Brunei: May 30, 2026

Last update for Australia: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $291 in Brunei vs $1,233 in Australia. For reference, capital cities sit at $727 in Bandar Seri Begawan and $1,548 in Canberra.

Average salary: $2,266 in Brunei vs $3,906 in Australia. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 324% higher in Australia.

Dining out costs 208% more in Australia.

Salaries are 72% higher in Australia, giving Brunei stronger purchasing power.

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 164% lower on average. The gap is consistent across housing, groceries, transport, and entertainment.

Housing costs more in Australia, and the gap is biggest in capital cities. Regional towns show less difference, but Australia consistently has higher rents.

Groceries, transport, and utilities all cost less in Brunei, contributing to the overall 164% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.

$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 – lower housing and daily costs. But cost isn't everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.