Cost of Living Comparison Between China and Brunei Cost of Living Comparison Between China and Brunei

Name: Brunei
Address: BN

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $719 in China versus $843 in Brunei.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,147 in China versus $1,295 in Brunei.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,574 in China versus $1,747 in Brunei.

Living in China costs about 15% less than in Brunei on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: China 47% lower, Brunei 38% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.92 ¥19.59

$4.85 BND 6.18

-39.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.23 ¥149

$37.82 BND 48.15

-41.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.13 ¥34.36

$6.15 BND 7.83

-16.59%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.91 BND 2.43

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.34 BND 2.98

Cappuccino

$2.99 ¥20.04

$4.03 BND 5.14

-25.81%

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

$0.52 ¥3.50

$1.18 BND 1.50

-55.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.28 ¥1.87

$0.73 BND 0.93

-61.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.05 ¥7.05

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 ¥15.18

Milk (1 liter)

$1.81 ¥12.12

$2.34 BND 2.97

-22.65%

White Bread (500g)

$1.68 ¥11.24

$1.91 BND 2.43

-12.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.90 ¥6.05

$2.02 BND 2.58

-55.45%

Eggs

$1.56 ¥10.44

$2.36 BND 3.01

-33.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.24 ¥88.7

$16.91 BND 21.53

-21.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.49 ¥23.41

$7.58 BND 9.64

-53.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.23 ¥75.2

$18.02 BND 22.93

-37.68%

Apples (1kg)

$1.86 ¥12.44

$3.98 BND 5.07

-53.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.26 ¥8.47

$3.73 BND 4.74

-66.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 ¥10.23

$3.45 BND 4.39

-55.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.26 ¥8.46

$4.15 BND 5.28

-69.64%

Potato (1kg)

$0.73 ¥4.92

$2.45 BND 3.12

-70.20%

Onion (1kg)

$0.88 ¥5.89

$2.41 BND 3.07

-63.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.65 ¥4.34

$4.38 BND 5.57

-85.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 ¥3.89

$1.02 BND 1.30

-43.14%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$16.02 BND 20.39

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.21 BND 6.63

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.12 BND 1.43

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.71 ¥24.85

$11.98 BND 15.25

-69.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.80 ¥79.1

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 ¥5.69

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 ¥11.20

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 ¥1.93

$0.76 BND 0.96

-61.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.67 ¥152

$0.78 BND 0.99

2806.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.50 ¥10.07

$4.02 BND 5.12

-62.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.35 ¥2.32

$3.27 BND 4.16

-89.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.29 ¥48.86

$11.76 BND 14.97

-38.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 ¥8.18

$0.38 BND 0.48

221.05%

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

$19.0K ¥127.3K

$42.5K BND 54.2K

-55.36%

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

$17.4K ¥116.3K

$29.8K BND 37.9K

-41.69%

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

$54.0 ¥362

$56.4 BND 71.8

-4.31%

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

$8.41 ¥56.4

$20.89 BND 26.60

-59.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.82 ¥72.5

$93.0 BND 118

-88.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.41 ¥271

$49.73 BND 63.3

-18.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.63 ¥98.0

$5.58 BND 7.10

162.19%

Cinema Ticket

$6.60 ¥44.20

$5.56 BND 7.07

18.71%

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

$452 ¥3,026

$176 BND 224

156.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.2K ¥128.9K

$11.5K BND 14.7K

66.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.23 ¥296

$77.2 BND 98.2

-42.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.46 ¥238

$85.3 BND 109

-58.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.7 ¥501

$104 BND 132

-27.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.6 ¥527

$100 BND 127

-21.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$394 ¥2,643

$725 BND 923

-45.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$243 ¥1,631

$505 BND 643

-51.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$845 ¥5,663

$1,154 BND 1,470

-26.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$481 ¥3,223

$770 BND 980

-37.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,609 ¥30.9K

$3,156 BND 4,018

46.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,327 ¥15.6K

$2,296 BND 2,922

1.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,060 ¥7,103

$2,223 BND 2,830

-52.31%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.47

3.88

-10.57%

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

Last update for China: September 14, 2026

Last update for Brunei: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $294 in China, $293 in Brunei. Capital cities: $985 in Beijing (Pekin) vs $716 in Bandar Seri Begawan.

National salary averages: $867 in China, $2,231 in Brunei. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Dining out costs 19% more in Brunei.

Salaries are 157% 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

China vs Brunei: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $860 per month in Brunei and $837 in China, there's a 3% 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 China: 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 China across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In China, $2,000 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: China wins on affordability; Brunei may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.