Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Bandar Seri Begawan

For one person, living is cheaper in Bandar Seri Begawan: $1,215 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $760 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
58

Cost of Living Index in Bandar Seri Begawan
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Bandar Seri Begawan Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Bandar Seri Begawan

🇧🇳 Brunei

$1,215

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Bandar Seri Begawan

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

A single person spends $1,278 per month in Phuket vs $1,215 in Bandar Seri Begawan, rent included.

Phuket $1,278
Bandar Seri Begawan $1,215

A couple spends around $2,216 per month in Phuket vs $1,756 in Bandar Seri Begawan, rent included.

Phuket $2,216
Bandar Seri Begawan $1,756

A family of three spends $3,154 per month in Phuket vs $2,296 in Bandar Seri Begawan, rent included.

Phuket $3,154
Bandar Seri Begawan $2,296

Phuket costs about 5% more than Bandar Seri Begawan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Phuket and Bandar Seri Begawan are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 6% lower, Bandar Seri Begawan 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$3.93 BND 5.02

13.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,093

$27.87 BND 35.65

16.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$6.14 BND 7.85

43.49%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.96 BND 2.51

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 BND 3.02

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.4

$4.01 BND 5.13

-29.43%

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

$0.87 ฿29.40

$0.95 BND 1.22

-8.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.65

$0.53 BND 0.68

-7.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.3

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿55.9

$1.89 BND 2.41

-12.17%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.29

$1.76 BND 2.25

-17.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$1.19 BND 1.52

26.05%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

$2.09 BND 2.68

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿643

$9.18 BND 11.75

107.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$4.61 BND 5.90

-28.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$10.69 BND 13.67

2.06%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿98.8

$3.14 BND 4.01

-6.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.0

$2.22 BND 2.84

-23.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.7

$2.84 BND 3.64

-20.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.0

$2.58 BND 3.30

-19.38%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$1.67 BND 2.14

-9.58%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.51

$1.99 BND 2.55

-30.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.95

$3.63 BND 4.64

-70.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.50

$0.92 BND 1.17

-43.48%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$23.60 BND 30.19

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.34 BND 4.27

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$15.44 BND 19.75

-72.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.4

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.8

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.97

$0.81 BND 1.04

79.01%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,911

$23.46 BND 30.01

141.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$3.98 BND 5.10

-24.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.32

$3.39 BND 4.33

-69.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿124

$11.48 BND 14.68

-67.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.75

$0.43 BND 0.55

241.86%

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

$26.8K ฿903.2K

$43.6K BND 55.7K

-38.53%

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

$26.7K ฿900.3K

$36.1K BND 46.2K

-26.15%

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

$96.4 ฿3,250

$61.3 BND 78.5

57.08%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$21.81 BND 27.90

-48.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿568

$66.1 BND 84.6

-74.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,268

$46.25 BND 59.2

45.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

$7.12 BND 9.11

50.70%

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$5.62 BND 7.18

33.45%

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

$476 ฿16.1K

$220 BND 282

116.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿379.9K

$9,743 BND 12.5K

15.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,103

$77.1 BND 98.6

-19.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿958

$95.5 BND 122

-70.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,180

$102 BND 130

-7.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,894

$73.2 BND 93.6

17.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.1K

$726 BND 929

-1.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

$481 BND 615

2.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.0K

$1,159 BND 1,483

66.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

$681 BND 871

110.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.8K

$3,076 BND 3,935

35.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.7K

$2,232 BND 2,855

36.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿16.9K

$1,745 BND 2,232

-71.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

3.88

43.56%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Bandar Seri Begawan: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Bandar Seri Begawan

$481 39.6% 2.1% $10

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Bandar Seri Begawan

$220 18.1% 17.4% $46

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Bandar Seri Begawan

$149 12.3% 19.9% $25

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Bandar Seri Begawan

$156 12.9% 28.4% $35

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Bandar Seri Begawan

$104 8.6% 14.6% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Bandar Seri Begawan

$57 4.7% 30.1% $25

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Bandar Seri Begawan

$48 3.9% 32.5% $23

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $716 in Phuket versus $726 in Bandar Seri Begawan. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Bandar Seri Begawan are about 3.5 times higher, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Phuket versus $28 in Bandar Seri Begawan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $266 vs $220 – making Bandar Seri Begawan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇧🇳 Bandar Seri Begawan

🕒 Local time

22:16 10:16 PM

23:16 11:16 PM

1 h ahead of Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

50,000 Capital

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Brunei Dollar BND $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 BND = 0.782 USD

1 BND = 0.701 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BND, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.73 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.64 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Brunei Dollar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 1.28 BND (1 BND = 0.782 USD). 1 EUR = 1.43 BND (1 BND = 0.701 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Phuket Bandar Seri Begawan 1,860 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Bandar Seri Begawan

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

Phuket vs Bandar Seri Begawan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Phuket is pricier by about 5%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,917 per month in Phuket and $1,823 in Bandar Seri Begawan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $716 in Phuket and $726 in Bandar Seri Begawan. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,278 in Phuket and $1,215 in Bandar Seri Begawan. That makes Bandar Seri Begawan about 5% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 59% less in Bandar Seri Begawan. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$1,500 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,278 in Phuket and $1,215 in Bandar Seri Begawan, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Phuket has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,215 in Bandar Seri Begawan to $1,278 in Phuket. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.