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 $843 per month in Brunei vs $2,509 in Australia, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,295 per month in Brunei vs $3,641 in Australia, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,747 per month in Brunei vs $4,772 in Australia, rent included.

The cost of living in Brunei is roughly 66% lower than in Australia on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Brunei sits 38% below the global median, while Australia is 83% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.85 BND 6.18

$18.16 A$25.48

-73.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.82 BND 48.15

$85.9 A$120

-55.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.15 BND 7.83

$10.87 A$15.25

-43.42%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.91 BND 2.43

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.34 BND 2.98

Cappuccino

$4.03 BND 5.14

$4.11 A$5.77

-1.95%

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

$1.18 BND 1.50

$3.04 A$4.27

-61.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.73 BND 0.93

$2.47 A$3.46

-70.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.87 A$11.04

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.98 A$11.19

Milk (1 liter)

$2.34 BND 2.97

$1.73 A$2.42

35.26%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 BND 2.43

$2.78 A$3.90

-31.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.02 BND 2.58

$2.38 A$3.34

-15.13%

Eggs

$2.36 BND 3.01

$5.08 A$7.13

-53.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.91 BND 21.53

$9.98 A$14.00

69.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.58 BND 9.64

$9.24 A$12.96

-17.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.02 BND 22.93

$15.49 A$21.73

16.33%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 BND 5.07

$3.73 A$5.23

6.70%

Banana (1kg)

$3.73 BND 4.74

$3.02 A$4.24

23.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.45 BND 4.39

$3.23 A$4.53

6.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.15 BND 5.28

$4.88 A$6.85

-14.96%

Potato (1kg)

$2.45 BND 3.12

$2.87 A$4.03

-14.63%

Onion (1kg)

$2.41 BND 3.07

$2.36 A$3.31

2.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$4.38 BND 5.57

$2.49 A$3.49

75.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 BND 1.30

$1.68 A$2.35

-39.29%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$16.02 BND 20.39

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.21 BND 6.63

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.12 BND 1.43

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.98 BND 15.25

$38.51 A$54.0

-68.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.25 A$19.99

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.07 A$7.11

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.19 A$7.28

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.76 BND 0.96

$2.78 A$3.90

-72.66%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$0.78 BND 0.99

$94.8 A$133

-99.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.02 BND 5.12

$3.52 A$4.94

14.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.27 BND 4.16

$1.60 A$2.24

104.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.76 BND 14.97

$40.42 A$56.7

-70.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.38 BND 0.48

$1.27 A$1.79

-70.08%

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

$42.5K BND 54.2K

$28.3K A$39.8K

50.09%

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

$29.8K BND 37.9K

$28.6K A$40.2K

3.88%

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

$56.4 BND 71.8

$202 A$283

-72.05%

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

$20.89 BND 26.60

$29.08 A$40.80

-28.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$93.0 BND 118

$59.6 A$83.6

56.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.73 BND 63.3

$59.3 A$83.2

-16.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.58 BND 7.10

$20.13 A$28.23

-72.28%

Cinema Ticket

$5.56 BND 7.07

$15.75 A$22.09

-64.70%

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

$176 BND 224

$2,197 A$3,083

-91.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K BND 14.7K

$18.2K A$25.6K

-36.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.2 BND 98.2

$79.3 A$111

-2.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$85.3 BND 109

$57.2 A$80.3

49.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 BND 132

$114 A$160

-9.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$100 BND 127

$125 A$175

-19.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$725 BND 923

$1,581 A$2,217

-54.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$505 BND 643

$1,291 A$1,811

-60.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,154 BND 1,470

$2,530 A$3,549

-54.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$770 BND 980

$1,982 A$2,780

-61.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,156 BND 4,018

$8,571 A$12.0K

-63.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,296 BND 2,922

$6,120 A$8,585

-62.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,223 BND 2,830

$3,979 A$5,583

-44.14%

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: September 14, 2026

Last update for Australia: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $293 in Brunei vs $1,387 in Australia. For reference, capital cities sit at $716 in Bandar Seri Begawan and $1,829 in Canberra.

Average salary: $2,231 in Brunei vs $3,903 in Australia. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 373% higher in Australia.

Dining out costs 236% more in Australia.

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

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 160% 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 160% 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.