Cost of Living Comparison Between Brunei and United Kingdom Cost of Living Comparison Between Brunei and United Kingdom

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $814 in Brunei versus $2,363 in United Kingdom.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,266 in Brunei versus $3,474 in United Kingdom.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,717 in Brunei versus $4,584 in United Kingdom.

Living in Brunei costs about 66% less than in United Kingdom on average.

Brunei (39% below) and United Kingdom (76% above) straddle the global median.

Internal cost variation is higher in United Kingdom: monthly costs span $1,675 to $3,930, compared to $3.00$1,669 in Brunei. City choice carries more weight in United Kingdom.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Brunei
United Kingdom
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$5.15 BND 6.63
$20.18 £15.14
-74.48%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$32.71 BND 42.14
$86.9 £65.2
-62.38%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$6.20 BND 7.99
$10.31 £7.73
-39.86%
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.94 BND 2.50
-
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.31 BND 2.97
-
-
Cappuccino
$4.07 BND 5.25
$4.67 £3.50
-12.85%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.14 BND 1.47
$2.45 £1.84
-53.47%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.76 BND 0.98
$1.75 £1.31
-56.57%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
-
$6.61 £4.96
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$6.31 £4.74
-
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Brunei
United Kingdom
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.30 BND 2.96
$1.65 £1.24
39.39%
White Bread (500g)
$1.93 BND 2.48
$1.72 £1.29
12.21%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.11 BND 2.71
$2.29 £1.72
-7.86%
Eggs
$2.47 BND 3.19
$4.14 £3.10
-40.34%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$15.65 BND 20.16
$9.97 £7.48
56.97%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.06 BND 9.10
$8.88 £6.66
-20.50%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$18.69 BND 24.07
$14.15 £10.61
32.08%
Apples (1kg)
$3.87 BND 4.99
$2.97 £2.23
30.30%
Banana (1kg)
$3.25 BND 4.18
$1.68 £1.26
93.45%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.79 BND 4.88
$2.85 £2.14
32.98%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.80 BND 4.90
$3.41 £2.56
11.44%
Potato (1kg)
$2.17 BND 2.80
$1.66 £1.25
30.72%
Onion (1kg)
$2.52 BND 3.24
$1.53 £1.14
64.71%
Lettuce (1 head)
$4.67 BND 6.01
$1.16 £0.87
302.59%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.00 BND 1.29
$1.51 £1.13
-33.77%
Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)
$11.48 BND 14.79
-
-
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$5.05 BND 6.50
-
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.32 BND 1.69
-
-
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$11.76 BND 15.15
$20.73 £15.55
-43.27%
Wine (Bottle)
-
$10.85 £8.14
-
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
-
$2.83 £2.12
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$3.31 £2.48
-
🚌 Getting Around
Brunei
United Kingdom
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.76 BND 0.97
$3.19 £2.39
-76.18%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$94.8 £71.1
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.80 BND 6.18
$5.46 £4.10
-12.09%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.56 BND 3.30
$1.53 £1.15
67.32%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$11.73 BND 15.12
$26.66 £20.00
-56.00%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.40 BND 0.52
$1.91 £1.43
-79.06%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$23.1K BND 29.8K
$38.2K £28.6K
-39.34%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$31.1K BND 40.0K
$41.1K £30.8K
-24.40%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Brunei
United Kingdom
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$54.1 BND 69.7
$327 £245
-83.43%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$21.82 BND 28.12
$17.50 £13.13
24.69%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$90.2 BND 116
$42.25 £31.68
113.59%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Brunei
United Kingdom
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$45.21 BND 58.3
$45.93 £34.45
-1.57%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$5.83 BND 7.51
$15.90 £11.93
-63.33%
Cinema Ticket
$5.59 BND 7.20
$13.46 £10.10
-58.47%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Brunei
United Kingdom
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$175 BND 226
$1,735 £1,301
-89.89%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$10.6K BND 13.6K
$20.7K £15.6K
-48.91%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Brunei
United Kingdom
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$84.0 BND 108
$89.5 £67.1
-6.19%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$65.2 BND 84.0
$44.65 £33.48
45.98%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$98.6 BND 127
$104 £77.7
-4.82%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$91.5 BND 118
$102 £76.3
-10.06%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Brunei
United Kingdom
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$780 BND 1,005
$1,418 £1,064
-44.99%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$512 BND 660
$1,139 £854
-55.01%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,296 BND 1,670
$2,313 £1,735
-43.96%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$859 BND 1,106
$1,837 £1,377
-53.24%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,012 BND 2,592
$5,858 £4,394
-65.65%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,276 BND 2,932
$4,550 £3,412
-49.98%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Brunei
United Kingdom
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,355 BND 3,034
$3,230 £2,423
-27.10%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.05
5.75
-29.57%

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

Last update for Brunei: June 7, 2026

Last update for United Kingdom: June 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $299 in Brunei, $1,265 in United Kingdom. Capital cities: $739 in Bandar Seri Begawan vs $3,031 in London.

National salary averages: $2,271 in Brunei, $3,192 in United Kingdom. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 323% higher in United Kingdom.

Dining out costs 236% more in United Kingdom.

Salaries are 41% higher in United Kingdom, 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 United Kingdom: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the cost difference between Brunei and United Kingdom?
At $836 per month in Brunei and $2,803 in United Kingdom, there's a 235% gap. 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?
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.
Which country has higher housing costs?
Rent in United Kingdom 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.
Is $2,500 a realistic budget in Brunei or United Kingdom?
In Brunei, $2,500 covers most cities easily. In United Kingdom, it works in regional areas but falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.
Should I move to Brunei or United Kingdom?
It depends on what you're after. Brunei wins on affordability; United Kingdom may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.

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