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: $815 in Brunei versus $388 in India.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,271 in Brunei versus $617 in India.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,727 in Brunei versus $846 in India.

Living in Brunei is roughly 110% more expensive than in India on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: Brunei 39% lower, India 71% lower.

Internal cost variation is higher in Brunei: monthly costs span $3.00 to $1,657, compared to $265–$913 in India. City choice carries more weight in Brunei.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.36 BND 6.92

$2.53 ₹244

111.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.64 BND 43.44

$13.73 ₹1,322

145.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.38 BND 8.24

$4.00 ₹385

59.50%

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

$1.91 ₹184

109.95%

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

$1.10 BND 1.43

$0.43 ₹41.85

155.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.76 BND 0.99

$0.17 ₹16.11

347.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.93 ₹186

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.54 ₹341

Milk (1 liter)

$2.39 BND 3.08

$0.73 ₹69.9

227.40%

White Bread (500g)

$1.98 BND 2.55

$0.52 ₹50.1

280.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.12 BND 2.73

$0.73 ₹69.9

190.41%

Eggs

$2.36 BND 3.05

$0.95 ₹91.4

148.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.51 BND 20.03

$5.32 ₹512

191.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.43 BND 9.59

$3.10 ₹299

139.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.40 BND 23.75

Apples (1kg)

$3.83 BND 4.94

$2.16 ₹208

77.31%

Banana (1kg)

$3.26 BND 4.21

$0.70 ₹67.7

365.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.79 BND 4.89

$1.05 ₹101

260.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.72 BND 4.80

$0.53 ₹50.8

601.89%

Potato (1kg)

$2.26 BND 2.92

$0.39 ₹37.66

479.49%

Onion (1kg)

$2.54 BND 3.28

$0.48 ₹46.64

429.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$4.78 BND 6.17

$0.52 ₹49.78

819.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.00 BND 1.29

$0.36 ₹34.33

177.78%

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

$4.02 ₹387

189.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.28 ₹701

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.90 ₹183

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.03 ₹292

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

$5.84 ₹562

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.76 BND 0.98

$0.36 ₹34.66

111.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.84 ₹948

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.66 BND 6.02

$0.95 ₹91.8

390.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.62 BND 3.38

$0.30 ₹29.03

773.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.68 BND 15.07

$1.79 ₹172

552.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.38 BND 0.49

$1.21 ₹117

-68.60%

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

$23.5K BND 30.4K

$13.9K ₹1.3M

69.98%

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

$31.0K BND 40.1K

$22.4K ₹2.2M

38.25%

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

$53.8 BND 69.5

$40.16 ₹3,867

34.01%

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

$22.51 BND 29.06

$3.76 ₹362

498.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$92.8 BND 120

$8.04 ₹774

1053.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.14 BND 57.0

$16.25 ₹1,565

171.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.96 BND 7.70

$7.56 ₹728

-21.16%

Cinema Ticket

$5.42 BND 7.00

$3.43 ₹330

58.02%

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

$172 BND 222

$69.7 ₹6,713

146.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.8K BND 13.9K

$1,852 ₹178.3K

481.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$83.8 BND 108

$25.59 ₹2,463

227.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$64.6 BND 83.3

$26.30 ₹2,532

145.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 BND 132

$44.89 ₹4,322

127.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.6 BND 120

$33.20 ₹3,197

178.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$777 BND 1,004

$174 ₹16.8K

345.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$513 BND 663

$112 ₹10.8K

356.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,304 BND 1,684

$405 ₹39.0K

222.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$855 BND 1,104

$258 ₹24.8K

231.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,072 BND 3,966

$1,263 ₹121.6K

143.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,273 BND 2,935

$653 ₹62.8K

248.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,254 BND 2,910

$424 ₹40.8K

431.53%

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: July 11, 2026

Last update for India: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $296 in Brunei, $127 in India. Capital cities: $739 in Bandar Seri Begawan vs $242 in Delhi.

National salary averages: $2,249 in Brunei, $398 in India. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 133% higher in Brunei.

Dining out costs 127% more in Brunei.

Salaries are 465% 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 India: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $830 per month in Brunei and $589 in India, there's a 41% 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 India: 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 is consistently higher than in 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 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: India wins on affordability; Brunei may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.