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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,782 in Italy versus $843 in Brunei.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,722 in Italy versus $1,295 in Brunei.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,662 in Italy versus $1,747 in Brunei.

Living in Italy is roughly 111% more expensive than in Brunei on average.

Italy (30% above) and Brunei (38% below) straddle the global median.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Italy
Brunei
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$21.07 €18.26
$4.85 BND 6.18
334.43%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$81.0 €70.2
$37.82 BND 48.15
114.28%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.50 €9.96
$6.15 BND 7.83
86.99%
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
$2.10 €1.82
$4.03 BND 5.14
-47.89%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.07 €2.66
$1.18 BND 1.50
160.17%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.44 €1.25
$0.73 BND 0.93
97.26%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.86 €5.08
-
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.72 €4.96
-
-
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Italy
Brunei
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.59 €1.38
$2.34 BND 2.97
-32.05%
White Bread (500g)
$2.41 €2.09
$1.91 BND 2.43
26.18%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.99 €2.60
$2.02 BND 2.58
48.02%
Eggs
$4.34 €3.76
$2.36 BND 3.01
83.90%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$17.62 €15.27
$16.91 BND 21.53
4.20%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$12.69 €10.99
$7.58 BND 9.64
67.41%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$20.80 €18.02
$18.02 BND 22.93
15.43%
Apples (1kg)
$2.61 €2.26
$3.98 BND 5.07
-34.42%
Banana (1kg)
$2.14 €1.86
$3.73 BND 4.74
-42.63%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.79 €2.42
$3.45 BND 4.39
-19.13%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.37 €2.92
$4.15 BND 5.28
-18.80%
Potato (1kg)
$2.04 €1.77
$2.45 BND 3.12
-16.73%
Onion (1kg)
$1.96 €1.70
$2.41 BND 3.07
-18.67%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.56 €1.35
$4.38 BND 5.57
-64.38%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.53 €0.46
$1.02 BND 1.30
-48.04%
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)
$6.84 €5.93
$11.98 BND 15.25
-42.90%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.71 €6.68
-
-
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.86 €1.61
-
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.49 €2.16
-
-
🚌 Getting Around
Italy
Brunei
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.91 €1.66
$0.76 BND 0.96
151.32%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$44.16 €38.27
$0.78 BND 0.99
5561.54%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.87 €5.09
$4.02 BND 5.12
46.02%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.70 €1.48
$3.27 BND 4.16
-48.01%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$35.16 €30.47
$11.76 BND 14.97
198.98%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.11 €1.83
$0.38 BND 0.48
455.26%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$36.9K €32.0K
$42.5K BND 54.2K
-13.20%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$36.5K €31.6K
$29.8K BND 37.9K
22.53%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Italy
Brunei
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$229 €199
$56.4 BND 71.8
306.83%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$12.09 €10.48
$20.89 BND 26.60
-42.13%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$31.57 €27.36
$93.0 BND 118
-66.06%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Italy
Brunei
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$54.1 €46.90
$49.73 BND 63.3
8.83%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$24.51 €21.24
$5.58 BND 7.10
339.25%
Cinema Ticket
$10.78 €9.34
$5.56 BND 7.07
93.88%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Italy
Brunei
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$562 €487
$176 BND 224
219.02%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$12.2K €10.6K
$11.5K BND 14.7K
6.06%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Italy
Brunei
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$94.3 €81.7
$77.2 BND 98.2
22.15%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$40.72 €35.29
$85.3 BND 109
-52.28%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$104 €90.2
$104 BND 132
0.35%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$136 €118
$100 BND 127
36.15%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Italy
Brunei
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$832 €721
$725 BND 923
14.65%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$646 €560
$505 BND 643
27.95%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,450 €1,256
$1,154 BND 1,470
25.59%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,081 €937
$770 BND 980
40.50%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,816 €3,307
$3,156 BND 4,018
20.91%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,312 €2,003
$2,296 BND 2,922
0.70%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Italy
Brunei
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,954 €1,693
$2,223 BND 2,830
-12.12%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.57
3.88
-7.99%

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

Last update for Italy: September 13, 2026

Last update for Brunei: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $748 in Italy, $293 in Brunei. Capital cities: $1,238 in Rome vs $716 in Bandar Seri Begawan.

National salary averages: $1,958 in Italy, $2,231 in Brunei. 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 200% more in Italy.

Salaries are 14% 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
Italy vs Brunei: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the cost difference between Brunei and Italy?
At $860 per month in Brunei and $1,913 in Italy, there's a 123% 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 Italy 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 Italy?
In Brunei, $2,500 covers most cities easily; in Italy 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 Italy?
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.

Italy vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar countries