Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Brunei and India

For one person, living is cheaper in India: $399 a month against $1,379 in Brunei, rent and utilities included – about $11,800 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Brunei
India
🇧🇳 Brunei
$1,379
/mo nomad
🇮🇳 India
$399
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Brunei and in India

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Brunei and in India actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,379 in Brunei versus $399 in India.

  • Brunei $1,379
  • India $399

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,067 in Brunei versus $639 in India.

  • Brunei $2,067
  • India $639

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,755 in Brunei versus $879 in India.

  • Brunei $2,755
  • India $879

Internal cost variation is higher in Brunei: monthly costs span $567 to $1,726, compared to $230–$813 in India. City choice carries more weight in Brunei.

Living in Brunei is roughly 245% more expensive than in India on average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Brunei
India
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.82 BND 6.16
$2.14 ₹203
125.23%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$37.32 BND 47.68
$10.46 ₹993
256.79%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$6.40 BND 8.17
$3.80 ₹361
68.42%
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.00 BND 2.55
-
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.28 BND 2.91
-
-
Cappuccino
$3.92 BND 5.01
$1.68 ₹159
133.33%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.17 BND 1.50
$0.38 ₹35.93
207.89%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.72 BND 0.92
$0.15 ₹14.58
380.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
-
$1.87 ₹177
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$3.18 ₹302
-
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Brunei
India
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.31 BND 2.95
$0.62 ₹59.1
272.58%
White Bread (500g)
$1.91 BND 2.44
$0.50 ₹47.68
282.00%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.02 BND 2.58
$0.63 ₹60.2
220.63%
Eggs
$2.28 BND 2.91
$0.96 ₹91.1
137.50%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$16.87 BND 21.55
$4.85 ₹460
247.84%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.52 BND 9.60
$2.84 ₹270
164.79%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.62 BND 22.51
-
-
Apples (1kg)
$3.98 BND 5.08
$2.00 ₹190
99.00%
Banana (1kg)
$3.66 BND 4.68
$0.65 ₹61.3
463.08%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.52 BND 4.50
$0.97 ₹92.1
262.89%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.16 BND 5.32
$0.47 ₹44.22
785.11%
Potato (1kg)
$2.50 BND 3.19
$0.34 ₹31.82
635.29%
Onion (1kg)
$2.39 BND 3.05
$0.42 ₹39.66
469.05%
Lettuce (1 head)
$4.50 BND 5.75
$0.47 ₹44.32
857.45%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.00 BND 1.28
$0.31 ₹29.62
222.58%
Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)
$15.85 BND 20.25
-
-
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$5.18 BND 6.62
-
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.07 BND 1.37
-
-
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$11.76 BND 15.03
$5.08 ₹482
131.50%
Wine (Bottle)
-
$7.31 ₹694
-
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
-
$1.63 ₹154
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$2.76 ₹262
-
Buffalo Round (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) (1kg)
-
$5.11 ₹485
-
🚌 Getting Around
Brunei
India
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.75 BND 0.96
$0.26 ₹24.81
188.46%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$24.09 BND 30.77
$8.58 ₹815
180.77%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.97 BND 5.07
$1.00 ₹94.5
297.00%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.28 BND 4.19
$0.27 ₹25.69
1114.81%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$11.77 BND 15.04
$1.54 ₹146
664.29%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.37 BND 0.47
$1.07 ₹102
-65.42%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$42.4K BND 54.1K
$11.2K ₹1.1M
277.77%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$30.2K BND 38.6K
$20.1K ₹1.9M
50.61%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Brunei
India
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$56.9 BND 72.7
$37.08 ₹3,521
53.45%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$21.37 BND 27.30
$3.58 ₹340
496.93%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$92.3 BND 118
$7.15 ₹679
1191.19%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Brunei
India
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$49.74 BND 63.5
$15.00 ₹1,424
231.60%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$5.51 BND 7.03
$7.17 ₹681
-23.15%
Cinema Ticket
$5.54 BND 7.08
$3.20 ₹303
73.13%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Brunei
India
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$181 BND 231
$58.8 ₹5,583
207.11%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.5K BND 14.7K
$1,667 ₹158.2K
590.38%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Brunei
India
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$76.4 BND 97.6
$23.03 ₹2,187
231.83%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$84.4 BND 108
$24.17 ₹2,295
249.32%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$111 BND 142
$41.20 ₹3,911
169.17%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$98.6 BND 126
$29.62 ₹2,812
232.78%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Brunei
India
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$728 BND 931
$146 ₹13.9K
397.36%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$502 BND 641
$96.4 ₹9,149
420.75%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,172 BND 1,497
$343 ₹32.6K
241.81%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$785 BND 1,002
$234 ₹22.2K
235.50%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,082 BND 3,937
$1,177 ₹111.7K
161.85%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,263 BND 2,891
$633 ₹60.1K
257.37%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Brunei
India
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,217 BND 2,832
$409 ₹38.8K
442.24%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.88
8.93
-56.55%

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

Last update for Brunei: October 27, 2026

Last update for India: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Brunei
$502
India
$96 80.8% $405
Groceries & Markets
Brunei
$319
India
$102 68% $217
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Brunei
$171
India
$48 72% $123
Clothing & Footwear
Brunei
$167
India
$53 68.1% $114
Eating Out
Brunei
$112
India
$67 40.8% $46
Sport & Entertainment
Brunei
$61
India
$21 64.8% $39
Getting Around
Brunei
$47
India
$12 74.8% $35

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $728 in Brunei, $120 in India. Capital cities: $726 in Bandar Seri Begawan vs $277 in Delhi.

National salary averages: $2,209 in Brunei, $412 in India. Higher pay doesn’t always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 507% higher in Brunei.

Dining out costs 191% more in Brunei.

Public transport is 188% more expensive in Brunei.

Salaries are about 5.4 times higher in Brunei, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Brunei.

Good to know
🇧🇳 Brunei
🇮🇳 India
🕒 Local time
13:19 1:19 PM
10:49 10:49 AM
2 h 30 min behind Brunei
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
458,949
1,326,093,247
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

INR, USD, EUR to BND – Brunei Dollar Converter

Brunei Dollar exchange rates as of October 31, 2026: 1 USD = 1.28 BND (1 BND = 0.783 USD). 1 EUR = 1.43 BND (1 BND = 0.699 EUR).

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of October 31, 2026: 1 USD = 94.94 INR (100 INR = 1.05 USD). 1 EUR = 106 INR (1,000 INR = 9.41 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Brunei India 4,770 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Brunei
  • India

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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
What is the cost difference between Brunei and India?
At $1,379 per month in Brunei and $399 in India, India comes out about 71% cheaper. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.
Which country is cheaper for everyday spending?
Day-to-day life is cheaper in India: lower grocery prices, cheaper commutes, and more affordable meals out. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.
Which country has higher housing costs?
Rent for a central one-bedroom averages $728 in Brunei and $120 in India. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.
Is $1,000 a realistic budget in Brunei or in India?
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.
Should I move to Brunei or to India?
It depends on what you’re after: India wins on affordability, while salaries, visas, language, and lifestyle can tip the balance either way.

Brunei vs other spots: cost of living compared

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