Cost of Living Comparison Between Brunei and India Cost of Living Comparison Between Brunei and India

Name: India
Address: IN

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $808 in Brunei versus $388 in India.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,272 in Brunei versus $617 in India.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,735 in Brunei versus $846 in India.

Living in Brunei is roughly 108% more expensive than India on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: Brunei 40% lower, India 71% lower.

Internal cost variation is higher in Brunei: monthly costs span $3.00 to $1,642, compared to $264–$888 in India. City choice carries more weight in Brunei.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.26 BND 6.74

$2.49 ₹237

111.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.55 BND 41.65

$14.20 ₹1,353

129.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.42 BND 8.21

$3.98 ₹379

61.31%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.92 BND 2.45

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 BND 2.92

Cappuccino

$4.00 BND 5.11

$1.88 ₹179

112.77%

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

$1.15 BND 1.47

$0.44 ₹41.98

161.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.76 BND 0.98

$0.19 ₹18.57

300.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.02 ₹192

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.45 ₹329

Milk (1 liter)

$2.32 BND 2.97

$0.72 ₹68.3

222.22%

White Bread (500g)

$1.92 BND 2.46

$0.52 ₹49.26

269.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.09 BND 2.67

$0.72 ₹68.7

190.28%

Eggs

$2.44 BND 3.13

$0.93 ₹88.8

162.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.47 BND 19.79

$5.24 ₹499

195.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.45 BND 9.53

$3.07 ₹292

142.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.24 BND 23.34

Apples (1kg)

$3.83 BND 4.90

$2.17 ₹207

76.50%

Banana (1kg)

$3.26 BND 4.17

$0.76 ₹72.2

328.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.65 BND 4.67

$1.05 ₹100

247.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.67 BND 4.70

$0.53 ₹50.7

592.45%

Potato (1kg)

$2.25 BND 2.87

$0.39 ₹37.53

476.92%

Onion (1kg)

$2.49 BND 3.18

$0.49 ₹46.81

408.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$4.63 BND 5.92

$0.52 ₹49.35

790.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 BND 1.31

$0.33 ₹31.13

209.09%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$11.96 BND 15.31

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.14 BND 6.58

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 BND 1.73

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.83 BND 15.14

$4.05 ₹386

192.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.39 ₹704

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 ₹175

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₹277

Buffalo Round (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) (1kg)

$5.65 ₹538

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.76 BND 0.97

$0.36 ₹34.59

111.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.74 ₹928

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.62 BND 5.91

$0.95 ₹90.6

386.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.52 BND 3.22

$0.30 ₹28.64

740.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.82 BND 15.13

$1.73 ₹165

583.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.40 BND 0.52

$1.23 ₹117

-67.48%

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

$23.2K BND 29.6K

$13.9K ₹1.3M

67.15%

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

$31.2K BND 40.0K

$22.6K ₹2.2M

38.21%

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

$53.0 BND 67.8

$40.88 ₹3,894

29.53%

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

$22.48 BND 28.76

$3.91 ₹372

474.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$92.8 BND 119

$7.81 ₹744

1088.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.08 BND 56.4

$16.15 ₹1,538

172.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.90 BND 7.55

$7.49 ₹713

-21.23%

Cinema Ticket

$5.43 BND 6.95

$3.42 ₹326

58.77%

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

$173 BND 221

$69.9 ₹6,660

147.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.6K BND 13.5K

$1,793 ₹170.8K

490.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$82.6 BND 106

$25.83 ₹2,460

219.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$65.4 BND 83.7

$26.61 ₹2,535

145.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 BND 129

$45.24 ₹4,309

122.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.2 BND 115

$33.68 ₹3,208

167.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$776 BND 993

$178 ₹17.0K

335.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$511 BND 653

$115 ₹10.9K

345.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,300 BND 1,663

$407 ₹38.8K

219.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$858 BND 1,097

$264 ₹25.1K

225.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,032 BND 2,600

$1,240 ₹118.1K

63.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,377 BND 3,042

$631 ₹60.1K

276.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,349 BND 3,006

$432 ₹41.2K

443.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.05

9.02

-55.10%

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

Last update for Brunei: May 30, 2026

Last update for India: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $291 in Brunei, $127 in India. Capital cities: $727 in Bandar Seri Begawan vs $239 in Delhi.

National salary averages: $2,266 in Brunei, $398 in India. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 129% higher in Brunei.

Dining out costs 127% more in Brunei.

Salaries are 469% 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 India: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $823 per month in Brunei and $576 in India, there's a 43% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

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

In India, $1,000 covers most cities easily. In Brunei, 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. India wins on affordability; Brunei may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.