Cost of Living Comparison Between Germany and Brunei Cost of Living Comparison Between Germany and Brunei

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,017 in Germany versus $815 in Brunei.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,048 in Germany versus $1,271 in Brunei.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,078 in Germany versus $1,727 in Brunei.

Living in Germany is roughly 147% more expensive than in Brunei on average.

Germany (51% above) and Brunei (39% below) straddle the global median.

Germany ($1,340$2,866) and Brunei ($3.00$1,657) have similar cost spreads. Where you settle within each country has roughly equal impact on the budget.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Germany
Brunei
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.10 €14.96
$5.36 BND 6.92
219.03%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$76.0 €66.5
$33.64 BND 43.46
125.80%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.77 €10.30
$6.38 BND 8.24
84.48%
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)
-
$1.99 BND 2.57
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$2.38 BND 3.07
-
Cappuccino
$3.96 €3.46
$4.01 BND 5.17
-1.25%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.39 €2.97
$1.10 BND 1.43
208.18%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.04 €2.66
$0.76 BND 0.99
300.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.27 €4.61
-
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.64 €4.06
-
-
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Germany
Brunei
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.29 €1.13
$2.39 BND 3.08
-46.03%
White Bread (500g)
$2.19 €1.92
$1.98 BND 2.55
10.61%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.47 €3.04
$2.12 BND 2.73
63.68%
Eggs
$3.91 €3.42
$2.36 BND 3.05
65.68%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$15.03 €13.15
$15.51 BND 20.04
-3.09%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$13.89 €12.15
$7.43 BND 9.60
86.94%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$20.12 €17.61
$18.40 BND 23.76
9.35%
Apples (1kg)
$3.14 €2.75
$3.83 BND 4.95
-18.02%
Banana (1kg)
$1.89 €1.65
$3.26 BND 4.21
-42.02%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.34 €2.05
$3.79 BND 4.89
-38.26%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.74 €4.15
$3.72 BND 4.80
27.42%
Potato (1kg)
$1.61 €1.40
$2.26 BND 2.92
-28.76%
Onion (1kg)
$1.57 €1.37
$2.54 BND 3.28
-38.19%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.90 €1.66
$4.78 BND 6.18
-60.25%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.11 €0.97
$1.00 BND 1.29
11.00%
Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)
-
$11.68 BND 15.08
-
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
-
$5.30 BND 6.84
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$1.35 BND 1.75
-
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$9.89 €8.65
$11.64 BND 15.04
-15.03%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.82 €5.09
-
-
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.07 €0.93
-
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.68 €1.47
-
-
🚌 Getting Around
Germany
Brunei
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.80 €3.32
$0.76 BND 0.98
400.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$66.7 €58.3
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.73 €5.02
$4.66 BND 6.02
22.96%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.31 €2.03
$2.62 BND 3.38
-11.83%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$38.07 €33.30
$11.68 BND 15.08
225.94%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.95 €1.70
$0.38 BND 0.49
413.16%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$30.9K €27.0K
$23.5K BND 30.4K
31.18%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$37.6K €32.9K
$31.0K BND 40.1K
21.04%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Germany
Brunei
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$349 €305
$53.8 BND 69.5
547.99%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$27.86 €24.37
$22.51 BND 29.07
23.77%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$51.0 €44.64
$92.8 BND 120
-45.01%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Germany
Brunei
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$41.21 €36.06
$44.14 BND 57.0
-6.64%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$24.50 €21.43
$5.96 BND 7.70
311.07%
Cinema Ticket
$13.86 €12.12
$5.42 BND 7.00
155.72%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Germany
Brunei
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$472 €413
$172 BND 222
174.94%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$14.9K €13.1K
$10.8K BND 13.9K
38.65%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Germany
Brunei
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$92.9 €81.2
$83.8 BND 108
10.84%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$43.33 €37.91
$64.6 BND 83.4
-32.87%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$104 €90.6
$102 BND 132
1.25%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$131 €115
$92.6 BND 120
41.65%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Germany
Brunei
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,037 €907
$777 BND 1,004
33.43%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$762 €666
$513 BND 663
48.32%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,928 €1,687
$1,304 BND 1,685
47.83%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,437 €1,258
$855 BND 1,104
68.18%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$6,101 €5,338
$3,072 BND 3,968
98.61%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,120 €3,604
$2,273 BND 2,936
81.22%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Germany
Brunei
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,351 €2,932
$2,254 BND 2,912
48.66%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.98
4.05
-1.73%

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

Last update for Germany: July 12, 2026

Last update for Brunei: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $846 in Germany, $296 in Brunei. Capital cities: $1,439 in Berlin vs $739 in Bandar Seri Begawan.

National salary averages: $3,150 in Germany, $2,249 in Brunei. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 186% higher in Germany.

Dining out costs 188% more in Germany.

Salaries are 40% higher in Germany, 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
Germany vs Brunei: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the cost difference between Brunei and Germany?
At $830 per month in Brunei and $2,103 in Germany, there's a 153% 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?
Day-to-day life is simply cheaper in Brunei: 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 Germany is consistently higher than in 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 in Germany?
In Brunei, $2,500 covers most cities easily; in Germany 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 Germany?
It depends on what you're after: Brunei wins on affordability; Germany may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.

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