Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kuala Belait and Arecibo

For one person, living is cheaper in Arecibo: $1,281 a month against $1,723 in Kuala Belait, rent and utilities included – about $5,300 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Kuala Belait outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

84

Cost of Living Index in Kuala Belait
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Kuala Belait Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Arecibo
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Arecibo Living Index

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Kuala Belait

🇧🇳 Brunei

$1,723

/mo nomad

Arecibo

🇵🇷 Puerto Rico

$1,281

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Kuala Belait and in Arecibo

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,723 in Kuala Belait versus $1,281 in Arecibo.

Kuala Belait $1,723
Arecibo $1,281

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,576 in Kuala Belait versus $2,005 in Arecibo.

Kuala Belait $2,576
Arecibo $2,005

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,429 in Kuala Belait versus $2,730 in Arecibo.

Kuala Belait $3,429
Arecibo $2,730

Living in Kuala Belait is roughly 35% more expensive than in Arecibo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

The two cities straddle the global median: Kuala Belait is 28% above, Arecibo is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.88 BND 10.08

$12.13 $12.13

-35.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.73 BND 59.8

$81.2 $81.2

-42.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.72 BND 9.87

$8.55 $8.55

-9.71%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.96 BND 2.51

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 BND 2.96

Cappuccino

$4.46 BND 5.70

$3.42 $3.42

30.41%

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

$0.94 BND 1.20

$1.90 $1.90

-50.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.53 BND 0.68

$1.50 $1.50

-64.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.05 $3.05

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.09 $5.09

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 BND 2.41

$1.79 $1.79

5.03%

White Bread (500g)

$2.50 BND 3.20

$3.36 $3.36

-25.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.27 BND 2.91

$1.94 $1.94

17.01%

Eggs

$2.60 BND 3.33

$4.48 $4.48

-41.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.10 BND 24.44

$12.78 $12.78

49.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.78 BND 12.51

$9.48 $9.48

3.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$24.84 BND 31.79

$13.47 $13.47

84.41%

Apples (1kg)

$4.83 BND 6.18

$4.97 $4.97

-2.82%

Banana (1kg)

$2.22 BND 2.83

$2.59 $2.59

-14.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.92 BND 6.29

$4.81 $4.81

2.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.58 BND 3.30

$4.84 $4.84

-46.69%

Potato (1kg)

$1.67 BND 2.13

$3.69 $3.69

-54.74%

Onion (1kg)

$2.87 BND 3.67

$3.99 $3.99

-28.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$5.47 BND 7.00

$3.53 $3.53

54.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 BND 1.17

$1.60 $1.60

-42.50%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$11.69 BND 14.96

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.80 BND 7.42

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.72 BND 9.88

$11.98 $11.98

-35.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.87 $15.87

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.09 $3.09

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.06 $4.06

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.63 $40.63

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.01 BND 5.13

$2.54 $2.54

57.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.33 BND 4.26

$1.46 $1.46

128.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.53 BND 14.75

$41.96 $41.96

-72.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.36 BND 0.46

$0.91 $0.91

-60.44%

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

$30.7K BND 39.3K

$40.4K $40.4K

-23.92%

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

$27.2K BND 34.8K

$28.2K $28.2K

-3.49%

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

$39.35 BND 50.4

$324 $324

-87.87%

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

$21.71 BND 27.77

$68.1 $68.1

-68.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$65.4 BND 83.6

$66.1 $66.1

-1.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$99.2 BND 127

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.92 BND 34.44

Cinema Ticket

$5.56 BND 7.12

$10.59 $10.59

-47.50%

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

$214 BND 274

$833 $833

-74.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,168 BND 11.7K

$12.6K $12.6K

-27.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.8 BND 96.9

$56.1 $56.1

35.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$103 BND 132

$61.5 $61.5

67.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$154 BND 197

$109 $109

41.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.6 BND 94.2

$114 $114

-35.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$751 BND 961

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$780 BND 998

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,187 BND 1,518

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,188 BND 1,520

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,363 BND 4,302

$1,191 $1,191

182.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.88

6.55

-40.76%

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

Last update for Kuala Belait: October 13, 2026

Last update for Arecibo: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Kuala Belait

$780 45.3%

Arecibo

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Kuala Belait

$358 20.8%

Arecibo

$395 30.8% 10.4% $37

Clothing & Footwear

Kuala Belait

$183 10.6%

Arecibo

$153 12% 16.2% $30

Eating Out

Kuala Belait

$146 8.4%

Arecibo

$203 15.8% 39.3% $57

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kuala Belait

$126 7.3%

Arecibo

$459 35.8% 263% $332

Sport & Entertainment

Kuala Belait

$110 6.4%

Arecibo

$21 * 1.7% 80.8% $89

Getting Around

Kuala Belait

$21 * 1.2%

Arecibo

$50 * 3.9% 144% $30

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Kuala Belait pays 182% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $47.00 in Kuala Belait vs $81.0 in Arecibo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $358 vs $395 per month, with Kuala Belait cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇳 Kuala Belait

🇵🇷 Arecibo

🕒 Local time

09:03 9:03 AM

21:03 9:03 PM

12 h behind Kuala Belait

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

31,178

39,634

💱 Currency

Brunei Dollar BND $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 BND = 0.782 USD

1 BND = 0.695 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to BND – Brunei Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇳 Brunei Dollar ($)

Brunei Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 1.28 BND (1 BND = 0.782 USD). 1 EUR = 1.44 BND (1 BND = 0.695 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to BND in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Kuala Belait Arecibo 17,450 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

Kuala Belait
Arecibo

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

Kuala Belait vs Arecibo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Arecibo is cheaper overall, especially in clothing and leisure. The 35% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 182% higher in Kuala Belait, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Shoppers in Kuala Belait pay roughly 10% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $1,723 per month in Kuala Belait versus $1,281 in Arecibo – a 35% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,281 in Arecibo versus $1,723 in Kuala Belait, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Arecibo but tight or insufficient in Kuala Belait. The gap between the two cities makes Arecibo the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Kuala Belait and Arecibo are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Arecibo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 35% less than in Kuala Belait. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.