Cost of Living Comparison Between Brunei and Italy Cost of Living Comparison Between Brunei and Italy

Name: Italy
Address: IT

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $808 in Brunei versus $1,717 in Italy.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,272 in Brunei versus $2,624 in Italy.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,735 in Brunei versus $3,530 in Italy.

Living in Brunei costs about 53% less than in Italy on average.

Brunei (40% below) and Italy (28% above) straddle the global median.

Brunei ($3.00–$1,642) and Italy ($1,170–$2,508) have similar cost spreads. Where you settle within each country has roughly equal impact on the budget.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.26 BND 6.75

$17.44 €15.02

-69.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.55 BND 41.75

$79.5 €68.4

-59.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.42 BND 8.23

$11.76 €10.12

-45.41%

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

$2.00 €1.72

100.00%

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

$1.15 BND 1.47

$3.00 €2.59

-61.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.76 BND 0.98

$1.35 €1.16

-43.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.94 €5.11

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.36 €4.61

Milk (1 liter)

$2.32 BND 2.98

$1.64 €1.41

41.46%

White Bread (500g)

$1.92 BND 2.47

$2.41 €2.08

-20.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.09 BND 2.68

$2.99 €2.58

-30.10%

Eggs

$2.44 BND 3.13

$3.96 €3.41

-38.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.47 BND 19.84

$16.84 €14.50

-8.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.45 BND 9.55

$12.43 €10.70

-40.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.24 BND 23.40

$20.29 €17.47

-10.10%

Apples (1kg)

$3.83 BND 4.91

$2.47 €2.13

55.06%

Banana (1kg)

$3.26 BND 4.18

$2.15 €1.85

51.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.65 BND 4.68

$2.65 €2.28

37.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.67 BND 4.71

$3.40 €2.92

7.94%

Potato (1kg)

$2.25 BND 2.88

$1.92 €1.65

17.19%

Onion (1kg)

$2.49 BND 3.19

$1.81 €1.56

37.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$4.63 BND 5.94

$1.55 €1.33

198.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 BND 1.31

$0.54 €0.47

88.89%

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

$6.79 €5.85

74.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.18 €6.18

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 €1.55

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.42 €2.08

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.76 BND 0.97

$2.00 €1.72

-62.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$42.35 €36.46

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.62 BND 5.92

$5.94 €5.12

-22.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.52 BND 3.23

$1.51 €1.30

66.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.82 BND 15.16

$34.04 €29.31

-65.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.40 BND 0.52

$2.05 €1.77

-80.49%

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

$23.2K BND 29.7K

$32.8K €28.3K

-29.49%

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

$31.2K BND 40.1K

$33.7K €29.0K

-7.25%

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

$53.0 BND 67.9

$225 €194

-76.51%

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

$22.48 BND 28.83

$13.25 €11.41

69.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$92.8 BND 119

$30.95 €26.65

199.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.08 BND 56.5

$55.7 €48.00

-20.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.90 BND 7.57

$25.15 €21.65

-76.54%

Cinema Ticket

$5.43 BND 6.97

$10.25 €8.83

-47.02%

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

$173 BND 222

$576 €496

-69.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.6K BND 13.6K

$10.5K €9,007

1.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$82.6 BND 106

$91.8 €79.1

-10.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$65.4 BND 83.9

$40.72 €35.06

60.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 BND 129

$98.0 €84.4

2.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.2 BND 116

$131 €113

-30.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$776 BND 995

$860 €740

-9.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$511 BND 655

$667 €574

-23.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,300 BND 1,667

$1,475 €1,270

-11.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$858 BND 1,100

$1,087 €936

-21.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,032 BND 2,606

$3,850 €3,316

-47.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,377 BND 3,049

$2,359 €2,031

0.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,349 BND 3,013

$1,933 €1,665

21.48%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.05

4.41

-8.16%

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

Last update for Brunei: May 30, 2026

Last update for Italy: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $291 in Brunei, $743 in Italy. Capital cities: $727 in Bandar Seri Begawan vs $1,325 in Rome.

National salary averages: $2,266 in Brunei, $1,949 in Italy. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 155% higher in Italy.

Dining out costs 196% more in Italy.

Salaries are 16% 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 Italy: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $823 per month in Brunei and $1,839 in Italy, there's a 124% 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 Italy 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 Italy, 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; Italy may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.