Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kuala Belait and Seria

For one person, living is cheaper in Seria: $567 a month against $1,723 in Kuala Belait, rent and utilities included – about $13,900 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
28

Cost of Living Index in Seria
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Seria Living Index

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Kuala Belait

🇧🇳 Brunei

$1,723

/mo nomad

Seria

🇧🇳 Brunei

$567

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,723 per month in Kuala Belait vs $567 in Seria, rent included.

Kuala Belait $1,723
Seria $567

A couple spends around $2,576 per month in Kuala Belait vs $904 in Seria, rent included.

Kuala Belait $2,576
Seria $904

A family of three spends $3,429 per month in Kuala Belait vs $1,242 in Seria, rent included.

Kuala Belait $3,429
Seria $1,242

Kuala Belait costs about 204% more than Seria, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Kuala Belait sits 28% above the global median, while Seria is 58% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.88 BND 10.08

$3.13 BND 4.00

151.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.73 BND 59.8

$27.07 BND 34.64

72.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.72 BND 9.87

$5.36 BND 6.86

44.03%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.96 BND 2.51

$1.59 BND 2.04

23.27%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 BND 2.96

$2.32 BND 2.96

-0.43%

Cappuccino

$4.46 BND 5.70

$3.88 BND 4.97

14.95%

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

$0.94 BND 1.20

$0.91 BND 1.16

3.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.53 BND 0.68

$0.54 BND 0.69

-1.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 BND 2.41

$1.81 BND 2.32

3.87%

White Bread (500g)

$2.50 BND 3.20

$1.43 BND 1.83

74.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.27 BND 2.91

$1.21 BND 1.55

87.60%

Eggs

$2.60 BND 3.33

$1.38 BND 1.76

88.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.10 BND 24.44

$6.17 BND 7.90

209.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.78 BND 12.51

$4.41 BND 5.64

121.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$24.84 BND 31.79

$10.89 BND 13.93

128.10%

Apples (1kg)

$4.83 BND 6.18

$3.20 BND 4.09

50.94%

Banana (1kg)

$2.22 BND 2.83

$2.23 BND 2.85

-0.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.92 BND 6.29

$2.98 BND 3.82

65.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.58 BND 3.30

$2.55 BND 3.27

1.18%

Potato (1kg)

$1.67 BND 2.13

$1.68 BND 2.15

-0.60%

Onion (1kg)

$2.87 BND 3.67

$2.08 BND 2.66

37.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$5.47 BND 7.00

$3.74 BND 4.79

46.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 BND 1.17

$0.76 BND 0.98

21.05%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$11.69 BND 14.96

$23.42 BND 29.96

-50.09%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.80 BND 7.42

$3.22 BND 4.12

80.12%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.08 BND 1.38

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.72 BND 9.88

$15.42 BND 19.73

-49.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.01 BND 5.13

$4.02 BND 5.14

-0.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.33 BND 4.26

$3.25 BND 4.15

2.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.53 BND 14.75

$11.77 BND 15.06

-2.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.36 BND 0.46

$0.30 BND 0.38

20.00%

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

$30.7K BND 39.3K

$43.5K BND 55.7K

-29.45%

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

$27.2K BND 34.8K

$36.2K BND 46.3K

-24.97%

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

$39.35 BND 50.4

$61.8 BND 79.0

-36.29%

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

$21.71 BND 27.77

$15.66 BND 20.03

38.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$65.4 BND 83.6

$64.1 BND 82.0

1.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$99.2 BND 127

$27.52 BND 35.20

260.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.92 BND 34.44

Cinema Ticket

$5.56 BND 7.12

$5.36 BND 6.86

3.73%

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

$214 BND 274

$216 BND 276

-0.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,168 BND 11.7K

$9,750 BND 12.5K

-5.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.8 BND 96.9

$31.04 BND 39.71

144.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$103 BND 132

$27.71 BND 35.45

272.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$154 BND 197

$50.3 BND 64.4

205.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.6 BND 94.2

$46.16 BND 59.1

59.45%

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

$716 BND 917

369.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.88

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

Last update for Kuala Belait: October 13, 2026

Last update for Seria: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Kuala Belait

$780 45.3%

Seria

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Kuala Belait

$358 20.8%

Seria

$203 35.9% 43.1% $154

Clothing & Footwear

Kuala Belait

$183 10.6%

Seria

$70 12.3% 61.8% $113

Eating Out

Kuala Belait

$146 8.4%

Seria

$94 16.5% 35.7% $52

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kuala Belait

$126 7.3%

Seria

$142 25% 12% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Kuala Belait

$110 6.4%

Seria

$38 6.8% 65.3% $72

Getting Around

Kuala Belait

$21 * 1.2%

Seria

$20 * 3.6% 2% $0.4

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

Cost Breakdown

Salaries run about 369% higher in Kuala Belait, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Kuala Belait versus $27.00 in Seria. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $358 vs $203 – making Seria the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇳 Kuala Belait

🇧🇳 Seria

🕒 Local time

11:25 11:25 AM

Same time as Kuala Belait

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

31,178

30,097

💱 Currency

Brunei Dollar BND $

📈 Exchange rate

1 BND = 0.782 USD

1 BND = 0.695 EUR

1 BND = 0.782 USD

1 BND = 0.695 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Kuala Belait Seria 16 km

From you

Kuala Belait
Seria

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 Seria: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,723 in Kuala Belait, $567 in Seria – roughly 204% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,585 per month in Kuala Belait and $850 in Seria. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,723 in Kuala Belait and $567 in Seria. That's a gap of about 204%.

Kindergarten costs $214 per month in Kuala Belait and $216 in Seria. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Seria, where all-in costs run around $567, than in Kuala Belait at $1,723. In Seria it covers expenses comfortably, while in Kuala Belait it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Seria – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Seria. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Kuala Belait makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.