Cost of Living Comparison Between Brunei and China Cost of Living Comparison Between Brunei and China

Name: China
Address: CN

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $808 in Brunei versus $712 in China.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,272 in Brunei versus $1,132 in China.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,735 in Brunei versus $1,551 in China.

Living in Brunei is roughly 13% more expensive than China on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: Brunei 40% lower, China 47% lower.

Internal cost variation is higher in Brunei: monthly costs span $3.00 to $1,642, compared to $520–$1,209 in China. City choice carries more weight in Brunei.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.26 BND 6.75

$2.81 ¥19.00

87.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.55 BND 41.75

$23.30 ¥158

39.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.42 BND 8.23

$5.01 ¥33.91

28.14%

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

$3.01 ¥20.41

32.89%

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

$1.15 BND 1.47

$0.45 ¥3.03

155.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.76 BND 0.98

$0.29 ¥1.97

162.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.95 ¥6.42

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 ¥13.89

Milk (1 liter)

$2.32 BND 2.98

$1.76 ¥11.89

31.82%

White Bread (500g)

$1.92 BND 2.47

$1.62 ¥10.99

18.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.09 BND 2.68

$0.95 ¥6.46

120.00%

Eggs

$2.44 BND 3.13

$1.56 ¥10.56

56.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.47 BND 19.84

$13.06 ¥88.4

18.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.45 BND 9.55

$3.28 ¥22.19

127.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.24 BND 23.40

$10.65 ¥72.1

71.27%

Apples (1kg)

$3.83 BND 4.91

$1.78 ¥12.04

115.17%

Banana (1kg)

$3.26 BND 4.18

$1.24 ¥8.43

162.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.65 BND 4.68

$1.50 ¥10.13

143.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.67 BND 4.71

$1.15 ¥7.80

219.13%

Potato (1kg)

$2.25 BND 2.88

$0.75 ¥5.08

200.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.49 BND 3.19

$0.86 ¥5.82

189.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$4.63 BND 5.94

$0.62 ¥4.17

646.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 BND 1.31

$0.56 ¥3.81

82.14%

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

$3.51 ¥23.79

237.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.66 ¥78.9

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 ¥5.40

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 ¥11.26

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.76 BND 0.97

$0.43 ¥2.93

76.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.86 ¥141

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.62 BND 5.92

$1.37 ¥9.27

237.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.52 BND 3.23

$0.35 ¥2.39

620.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.82 BND 15.16

$6.63 ¥44.87

78.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.40 BND 0.52

$1.14 ¥7.70

-64.91%

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

$23.2K BND 29.7K

$19.2K ¥129.8K

20.73%

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

$31.2K BND 40.1K

$16.8K ¥113.5K

86.33%

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

$53.0 BND 67.9

$51.2 ¥346

3.48%

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

$22.48 BND 28.83

$10.16 ¥68.8

121.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$92.8 BND 119

$11.51 ¥77.9

706.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.08 BND 56.5

$40.53 ¥274

8.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.90 BND 7.57

$15.05 ¥102

-60.80%

Cinema Ticket

$5.43 BND 6.97

$6.10 ¥41.30

-10.98%

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

$173 BND 222

$402 ¥2,722

-56.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.6K BND 13.6K

$17.7K ¥119.6K

-40.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$82.6 BND 106

$45.57 ¥308

81.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$65.4 BND 83.9

$33.26 ¥225

96.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 BND 129

$72.6 ¥491

38.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.2 BND 116

$74.5 ¥504

21.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$776 BND 995

$429 ¥2,906

80.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$511 BND 655

$257 ¥1,741

98.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,300 BND 1,667

$895 ¥6,061

45.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$858 BND 1,100

$541 ¥3,664

58.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,032 BND 2,606

$5,015 ¥33.9K

-59.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,377 BND 3,049

$2,469 ¥16.7K

-3.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,349 BND 3,013

$1,055 ¥7,139

122.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.05

4.06

-0.25%

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

Last update for Brunei: May 30, 2026

Last update for China: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $291 in Brunei, $286 in China. Capital cities: $727 in Bandar Seri Begawan vs $916 in Beijing (Pekin).

National salary averages: $2,266 in Brunei, $861 in China. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Dining out costs 19% more in Brunei.

Salaries are 163% higher in Brunei, 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 China: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $823 per month in Brunei and $865 in China, there's a 5% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Brunei is simply cheaper day-to-day: lower food prices, cheaper commutes, smaller household bills. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent in China beats Brunei across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In Brunei, $2,500 covers most cities easily. In China, it works in regional areas but falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.

It depends on what you're after. Brunei wins on affordability; China may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.