Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kuala Belait and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Kuala Belait: $1,699 a month against $2,704 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $12,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

84

Cost of Living Index in Kuala Belait
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Kuala Belait Living Index
129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index

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Kuala Belait

🇧🇳 Brunei

$1,699

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,704

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Kuala Belait and in Austin, TX

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 Austin, TX actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,699 in Kuala Belait versus $2,704 in Austin, TX.

Kuala Belait $1,699
Austin, TX $2,704

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,569 in Kuala Belait versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

Kuala Belait $2,569
Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,438 in Kuala Belait versus $5,562 in Austin, TX.

Kuala Belait $3,438
Austin, TX $5,562

Living in Kuala Belait costs roughly 37% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Kuala Belait 27% above, Austin, TX 102% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.91 BND 10.12

$20.22 $20.22

-60.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.43 BND 59.4

$85.0 $85.0

-45.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.85 BND 10.05

$12.35 $12.35

-36.44%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.01 BND 2.57

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 BND 3.06

Cappuccino

$4.41 BND 5.64

$5.47 $5.47

-19.38%

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

$0.89 BND 1.15

$3.82 $3.82

-76.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.50 BND 0.64

$2.50 $2.50

-80.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.06 $8.06

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.99 $8.99

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 BND 2.36

$1.13 $1.13

62.83%

White Bread (500g)

$2.43 BND 3.12

$3.78 $3.78

-35.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 BND 2.88

$3.25 $3.25

-30.77%

Eggs

$2.58 BND 3.31

$4.14 $4.14

-37.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.59 BND 23.80

$13.08 $13.08

42.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.85 BND 12.61

$14.31 $14.31

-31.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$24.88 BND 31.85

$15.96 $15.96

55.89%

Apples (1kg)

$4.69 BND 6.00

$4.38 $4.38

7.08%

Banana (1kg)

$2.17 BND 2.78

$1.45 $1.45

49.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.83 BND 6.18

$4.54 $4.54

6.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.47 BND 3.17

$4.19 $4.19

-41.05%

Potato (1kg)

$1.71 BND 2.19

$2.63 $2.63

-34.98%

Onion (1kg)

$2.90 BND 3.71

$2.36 $2.36

22.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$5.54 BND 7.09

$1.76 $1.76

214.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 BND 1.19

$2.16 $2.16

-56.94%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$11.59 BND 14.84

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.99 BND 7.67

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.86 BND 10.07

$9.81 $9.81

-19.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.72 $14.72

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 $2.78

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 $3.48

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.51 $40.51

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.99 BND 5.11

$2.67 $2.67

49.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.43 BND 4.39

$1.58 $1.58

117.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.59 BND 14.84

$35.29 $35.29

-67.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.35 BND 0.45

$0.99 $0.99

-64.65%

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

$30.7K BND 39.3K

$35.8K $35.8K

-14.28%

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

$27.2K BND 34.9K

$27.2K $27.2K

0.26%

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

$38.45 BND 49.23

$219 $219

-82.46%

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

$21.58 BND 27.63

$58.0 $58.0

-62.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.4 BND 82.4

$68.4 $68.4

-5.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$95.9 BND 123

$57.9 $57.9

65.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 BND 35.00

$14.82 $14.82

84.48%

Cinema Ticket

$5.51 BND 7.05

$14.13 $14.13

-61.00%

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

$217 BND 278

$1,509 $1,509

-85.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,398 BND 12.0K

$21.5K $21.5K

-56.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.8 BND 95.8

$51.7 $51.7

44.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$101 BND 129

$44.05 $44.05

128.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$153 BND 196

$85.1 $85.1

79.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.4 BND 91.4

$105 $105

-32.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$753 BND 964

$1,932 $1,932

-61.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$771 BND 987

$1,272 $1,272

-39.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,193 BND 1,527

$3,670 $3,670

-67.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,177 BND 1,506

$2,525 $2,525

-53.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,617 $7,617

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,199 $3,199

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,398 BND 4,350

$5,105 $5,105

-33.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.88

6.79

-42.86%

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

Last update for Kuala Belait: October 4, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Kuala Belait

$771 45.3%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.2% 65% $501

Groceries & Markets

Kuala Belait

$354 20.8%

Austin, TX

$403 15.3% 13.8% $49

Clothing & Footwear

Kuala Belait

$180 10.6%

Austin, TX

$129 4.9% 28.4% $51

Eating Out

Kuala Belait

$145 8.5%

Austin, TX

$348 13.2% 140% $203

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kuala Belait

$124 7.3%

Austin, TX

$346 13.1% 178% $221

Sport & Entertainment

Kuala Belait

$107 6.3%

Austin, TX

$86 3.3% 19.4% $21

Getting Around

Kuala Belait

$21 * 1.2%

Austin, TX

$57 2.2% 170% $36

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $753 in Kuala Belait and $1,932 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 50% 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: $46.00 in Kuala Belait vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $354 vs $403 per month, with Kuala Belait cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇳 Kuala Belait

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

17:42 5:42 PM

04:42 4:42 AM

13 h behind Kuala Belait

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

31,178

974,447

💱 Currency

Brunei Dollar BND $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 BND = 0.781 USD

1 BND = 0.697 EUR

1 USD = 0.892 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.28 BND (1 BND = 0.781 USD). 1 EUR = 1.43 BND (1 BND = 0.697 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to BND in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Kuala Belait Austin, TX 14,860 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Kuala Belait
Austin, TX

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 Austin, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kuala Belait wins on cost – living expenses run 59% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Kuala Belait the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 50% lower in Austin, TX. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $753 in Kuala Belait versus $1,932 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $217 in Kuala Belait versus $1,509 in Austin, TX. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Kuala Belait – a meal for two runs $46.00 versus $85.0 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,699 in Kuala Belait versus $2,704 in Austin, TX, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Kuala Belait but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Kuala Belait 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 Austin, TX 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 Kuala Belait gentler on the wallet – expenses run 59% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.