Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between China and Brunei

Name: Brunei
Address: BN

For one person, living is cheaper in China: $791 a month against $1,379 in Brunei, rent and utilities included – about $7,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

38

Cost of Living Index in China
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China Living Index
66

Cost of Living Index in Brunei
Learn more

Brunei Living Index

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🇨🇳 China

$791

/mo nomad

🇧🇳 Brunei

$1,379

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in China and in Brunei

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $791 in China versus $1,379 in Brunei.

China $791
Brunei $1,379

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,251 in China versus $2,067 in Brunei.

China $1,251
Brunei $2,067

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,711 in China versus $2,755 in Brunei.

China $1,711
Brunei $2,755

Internal cost variation is higher in Brunei: monthly costs span $567 to $1,726, compared to $465–$1,222 in China. City choice carries more weight in Brunei.

Living in China costs about 43% less than in Brunei on average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.98 ¥19.78

$4.82 BND 6.16

-38.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.09 ¥147

$37.32 BND 47.68

-40.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.20 ¥34.55

$6.40 BND 8.17

-18.75%

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

$2.97 ¥19.71

$3.92 BND 5.01

-24.23%

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

$0.48 ¥3.18

$1.17 BND 1.50

-58.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ¥2.00

$0.72 BND 0.92

-58.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.08 ¥7.17

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 ¥15.13

Milk (1 liter)

$1.80 ¥11.94

$2.31 BND 2.95

-22.08%

White Bread (500g)

$1.68 ¥11.13

$1.91 BND 2.44

-12.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.92 ¥6.13

$2.02 BND 2.58

-54.46%

Eggs

$1.61 ¥10.72

$2.28 BND 2.91

-29.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.38 ¥88.9

$16.87 BND 21.55

-20.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.35 ¥22.25

$7.52 BND 9.60

-55.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.35 ¥75.4

$17.62 BND 22.51

-35.58%

Apples (1kg)

$1.82 ¥12.11

$3.98 BND 5.08

-54.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.31 ¥8.68

$3.66 BND 4.68

-64.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.49 ¥9.88

$3.52 BND 4.50

-57.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.27 ¥8.46

$4.16 BND 5.32

-69.47%

Potato (1kg)

$0.71 ¥4.73

$2.50 BND 3.19

-71.60%

Onion (1kg)

$0.93 ¥6.20

$2.39 BND 3.05

-61.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.62 ¥4.11

$4.50 BND 5.75

-86.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ¥3.73

$1.00 BND 1.28

-44.00%

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)

$3.78 ¥25.12

$11.76 BND 15.03

-67.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.13 ¥80.6

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 ¥5.53

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 ¥11.19

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 ¥1.91

$0.75 BND 0.96

-61.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$17.83 ¥118

$24.09 BND 30.77

-25.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.49 ¥9.88

$3.97 BND 5.07

-62.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.37 ¥2.49

$3.28 BND 4.19

-88.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.10 ¥47.17

$11.77 BND 15.04

-39.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 ¥8.36

$0.37 BND 0.47

240.54%

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

$19.4K ¥129.2K

$42.4K BND 54.1K

-54.10%

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

$17.5K ¥116.5K

$30.2K BND 38.6K

-41.93%

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

$54.6 ¥363

$56.9 BND 72.7

-4.11%

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

$8.73 ¥58.0

$21.37 BND 27.30

-59.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.07 ¥73.5

$92.3 BND 118

-88.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.77 ¥271

$49.74 BND 63.5

-18.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.48 ¥96.2

$5.51 BND 7.03

162.79%

Cinema Ticket

$6.78 ¥45.05

$5.54 BND 7.08

22.38%

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

$517 ¥3,433

$181 BND 231

186.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.8K ¥131.6K

$11.5K BND 14.7K

72.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.53 ¥309

$76.4 BND 97.6

-39.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.66 ¥237

$84.4 BND 108

-57.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.0 ¥512

$111 BND 142

-30.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.3 ¥533

$98.6 BND 126

-18.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$386 ¥2,564

$728 BND 931

-47.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$235 ¥1,558

$502 BND 641

-53.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$822 ¥5,461

$1,172 BND 1,497

-29.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$453 ¥3,011

$785 BND 1,002

-42.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,697 ¥31.2K

$3,082 BND 3,937

52.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,372 ¥15.8K

$2,263 BND 2,891

4.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,093 ¥7,264

$2,217 BND 2,832

-50.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.46

3.88

-10.82%

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

Last update for China: October 24, 2026

Last update for Brunei: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

China

$235 29.6%

Brunei

$502 36.4% 114% $267

Groceries & Markets

China

$210 26.5%

Brunei

$319 23.2% 52.1% $109

Clothing & Footwear

China

$108 13.6%

Brunei

$167 12.1% 54.7% $59

Eating Out

China

$88 11.1%

Brunei

$112 8.2% 27.6% $24

Monthly Utilities & Internet

China

$74 9.4%

Brunei

$171 12.4% 129% $96

Sport & Entertainment

China

$54 6.9%

Brunei

$61 4.4% 12% $6.5

Getting Around

China

$22 2.8%

Brunei

$47 3.4% 113% $25

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $298 in China, $728 in Brunei. Capital cities: $933 in Beijing (Pekin) vs $726 in Bandar Seri Begawan.

National salary averages: $873 in China, $2,209 in Brunei. Higher pay doesn’t always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 144% higher in Brunei.

Dining out costs 45% more in Brunei.

Public transport is 28% more expensive in Brunei.

Salaries are about 2.5 times higher in Brunei, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Brunei.

Good to know

🇨🇳 China

🇧🇳 Brunei

🕒 Local time

09:36 9:36 AM

Same time as China

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,442,965,000

458,949

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

Brunei Dollar BND $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.135 EUR

1 BND = 0.783 USD

1 BND = 0.701 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BND, USD, EUR to CNY – Chinese Yuan Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇳 Chinese Yuan (¥)

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 6.64 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.42 CNY (1 CNY = 0.135 EUR).

Brunei Dollar exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 1.28 BND (1 BND = 0.783 USD). 1 EUR = 1.43 BND (1 BND = 0.701 EUR).

USD to CNY in detail →

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Between locations

China Brunei 3,900 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

China
Brunei

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

China vs Brunei: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $1,379 per month in Brunei and $791 in China, China comes out about 43% cheaper. 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 cheaper in China: 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.

Rent for a central one-bedroom averages $728 in Brunei and $298 in China. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.

It depends on what you’re after: China wins on affordability, while salaries, visas, language, and lifestyle can tip the balance either way.