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: $815 in Brunei versus $712 in China.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,271 in Brunei versus $1,131 in China.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,727 in Brunei versus $1,550 in China.

Living in Brunei is roughly 14% more expensive than in China on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: Brunei 39% lower, China 47% lower.

Internal cost variation is higher in Brunei: monthly costs span $3.00 to $1,657, compared to $532–$1,192 in China. City choice carries more weight in Brunei.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.36 BND 6.92

$2.86 ¥19.35

87.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.64 BND 43.44

$23.44 ¥159

43.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.38 BND 8.24

$4.84 ¥32.75

31.82%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.99 BND 2.57

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 BND 3.07

Cappuccino

$4.01 BND 5.17

$3.11 ¥21.06

28.94%

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

$1.10 BND 1.43

$0.44 ¥3.00

150.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.76 BND 0.99

$0.29 ¥1.99

162.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.98 ¥6.64

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 ¥13.88

Milk (1 liter)

$2.39 BND 3.08

$1.84 ¥12.47

29.89%

White Bread (500g)

$1.98 BND 2.55

$1.62 ¥10.94

22.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.12 BND 2.73

$0.93 ¥6.28

127.96%

Eggs

$2.36 BND 3.05

$1.63 ¥11.03

44.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.51 BND 20.03

$13.15 ¥89.0

17.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.43 BND 9.59

$3.26 ¥22.09

127.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.40 BND 23.75

$10.62 ¥71.9

73.26%

Apples (1kg)

$3.83 BND 4.94

$1.80 ¥12.19

112.78%

Banana (1kg)

$3.26 BND 4.21

$1.30 ¥8.77

150.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.79 BND 4.89

$1.46 ¥9.90

159.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.72 BND 4.80

$1.20 ¥8.15

210.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.26 BND 2.92

$0.76 ¥5.14

197.37%

Onion (1kg)

$2.54 BND 3.28

$0.88 ¥5.93

188.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$4.78 BND 6.17

$0.57 ¥3.86

738.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.00 BND 1.29

$0.54 ¥3.63

85.19%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$11.68 BND 15.08

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.30 BND 6.84

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 BND 1.75

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.64 BND 15.03

$3.42 ¥23.17

240.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.75 ¥79.5

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 ¥5.40

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 ¥10.95

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.76 BND 0.98

$0.43 ¥2.94

76.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.47 ¥139

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.66 BND 6.02

$1.36 ¥9.24

242.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.62 BND 3.38

$0.35 ¥2.39

648.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.68 BND 15.07

$6.50 ¥43.97

79.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.38 BND 0.49

$1.12 ¥7.59

-66.07%

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

$23.5K BND 30.4K

$19.5K ¥131.8K

20.93%

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

$31.0K BND 40.1K

$16.9K ¥114.1K

84.01%

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

$53.8 BND 69.5

$51.7 ¥350

4.10%

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

$22.51 BND 29.06

$10.17 ¥68.8

121.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$92.8 BND 120

$11.16 ¥75.5

731.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.14 BND 57.0

$39.62 ¥268

11.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.96 BND 7.70

$14.53 ¥98.3

-58.98%

Cinema Ticket

$5.42 BND 7.00

$6.38 ¥43.19

-15.05%

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

$172 BND 222

$407 ¥2,756

-57.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.8K BND 13.9K

$17.8K ¥120.7K

-39.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$83.8 BND 108

$45.53 ¥308

83.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$64.6 BND 83.3

$32.31 ¥219

99.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 BND 132

$72.6 ¥491

40.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.6 BND 120

$74.4 ¥504

24.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$777 BND 1,004

$443 ¥2,996

75.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$513 BND 663

$258 ¥1,747

98.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,304 BND 1,684

$910 ¥6,162

43.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$855 BND 1,104

$543 ¥3,677

57.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,072 BND 3,966

$4,934 ¥33.4K

-37.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,273 BND 2,935

$2,398 ¥16.2K

-5.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,254 BND 2,910

$1,065 ¥7,205

111.74%

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: July 11, 2026

Last update for China: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $296 in Brunei, $287 in China. Capital cities: $739 in Bandar Seri Begawan vs $894 in Beijing (Pekin).

National salary averages: $2,249 in Brunei, $855 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, 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 China: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $830 per month in Brunei and $862 in China, there's a 4% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Day-to-day life is simply cheaper in Brunei: 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 is consistently higher than in 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 stretches only to regional areas and 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.