Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seria and Bandar Seri Begawan

For one person, living is cheaper in Seria: $567 a month against $1,170 in Bandar Seri Begawan, rent and utilities included – about $7,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

28

Cost of Living Index in Seria
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Seria Living Index
57

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

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Seria

🇧🇳 Brunei

$567

/mo nomad

Bandar Seri Begawan

🇧🇳 Brunei

$1,170

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seria 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 Seria and in Bandar Seri Begawan actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $567 per month in Seria vs $1,170 in Bandar Seri Begawan, rent included.

Seria $567
Bandar Seri Begawan $1,170

A couple spends around $904 per month in Seria vs $1,711 in Bandar Seri Begawan, rent included.

Seria $904
Bandar Seri Begawan $1,711

A family of three spends $1,242 per month in Seria vs $2,251 in Bandar Seri Begawan, rent included.

Seria $1,242
Bandar Seri Begawan $2,251

Seria is about 52% cheaper than Bandar Seri Begawan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Seria and Bandar Seri Begawan are more affordable than the global median – Seria 58% lower, Bandar Seri Begawan 13% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.13 BND 4.00

$3.94 BND 5.04

-20.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$27.07 BND 34.64

$27.00 BND 34.54

0.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.36 BND 6.86

$6.10 BND 7.80

-12.13%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.59 BND 2.04

$2.01 BND 2.57

-20.90%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 BND 2.96

$2.31 BND 2.95

0.43%

Cappuccino

$3.88 BND 4.97

$4.01 BND 5.13

-3.24%

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

$0.91 BND 1.16

$0.95 BND 1.22

-4.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.54 BND 0.69

$0.50 BND 0.64

8.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.81 BND 2.32

$1.89 BND 2.41

-4.23%

White Bread (500g)

$1.43 BND 1.83

$1.73 BND 2.22

-17.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.21 BND 1.55

$1.20 BND 1.54

0.83%

Eggs

$1.38 BND 1.76

$2.01 BND 2.57

-31.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.17 BND 7.90

$9.43 BND 12.06

-34.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.41 BND 5.64

$4.45 BND 5.69

-0.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.89 BND 13.93

$10.66 BND 13.64

2.16%

Apples (1kg)

$3.20 BND 4.09

$3.05 BND 3.90

4.92%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 BND 2.85

$2.17 BND 2.78

2.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.98 BND 3.82

$2.91 BND 3.73

2.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.55 BND 3.27

$2.48 BND 3.17

2.82%

Potato (1kg)

$1.68 BND 2.15

Onion (1kg)

$2.08 BND 2.66

$2.02 BND 2.58

2.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.74 BND 4.79

$3.59 BND 4.60

4.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.76 BND 0.98

$0.92 BND 1.18

-17.39%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$23.42 BND 29.96

$23.08 BND 29.53

1.47%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.22 BND 4.12

$3.29 BND 4.21

-2.13%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.08 BND 1.38

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.42 BND 19.73

$15.65 BND 20.03

-1.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.80 BND 1.03

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$0.76 BND 0.97

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.02 BND 5.14

$3.79 BND 4.85

6.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.25 BND 4.15

$3.26 BND 4.17

-0.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.77 BND 15.06

$11.66 BND 14.92

0.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.30 BND 0.38

$0.40 BND 0.51

-25.00%

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

$43.5K BND 55.7K

$42.7K BND 54.6K

2.06%

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

$36.2K BND 46.3K

$37.1K BND 47.4K

-2.27%

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

$61.8 BND 79.0

$60.6 BND 77.5

1.91%

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

$15.66 BND 20.03

$21.95 BND 28.08

-28.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.1 BND 82.0

$64.3 BND 82.2

-0.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$27.52 BND 35.20

$45.76 BND 58.5

-39.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.87 BND 8.79

Cinema Ticket

$5.36 BND 6.86

$5.49 BND 7.02

-2.37%

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

$216 BND 276

$220 BND 281

-1.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,750 BND 12.5K

$9,548 BND 12.2K

2.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$31.04 BND 39.71

$76.1 BND 97.3

-59.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.71 BND 35.45

$95.0 BND 122

-70.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$50.3 BND 64.4

$100 BND 128

-49.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$46.16 BND 59.1

$71.0 BND 90.8

-34.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$728 BND 932

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$466 BND 596

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,137 BND 1,455

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$702 BND 898

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,058 BND 3,912

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,285 BND 2,924

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$716 BND 917

$1,773 BND 2,269

-59.60%

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 Seria: October 10, 2026

Last update for Bandar Seri Begawan: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Seria

$203 35.9%

Bandar Seri Begawan

$218 18.7% 7.4% $15

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seria

$142 25%

Bandar Seri Begawan

$147 12.6% 3.7% $5.3

Eating Out

Seria

$94 16.5%

Bandar Seri Begawan

$104 8.9% 11% $10

Clothing & Footwear

Seria

$70 12.3%

Bandar Seri Begawan

$154 13.2% 121% $84

Sport & Entertainment

Seria

$38 6.8%

Bandar Seri Begawan

$57 4.9% 48.4% $18

Getting Around

Seria

$20 * 3.6%

Bandar Seri Begawan

$24 2.1% 18.9% $3.8

Accommodation & Living

Seria

- * 0%

Bandar Seri Begawan

$466 39.8%

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

Cost Breakdown

Salaries run about 148% higher in Bandar Seri Begawan, 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 $27.00 in Seria versus $27.00 in Bandar Seri Begawan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $203 vs $218 – making Seria the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇳 Seria

🇧🇳 Bandar Seri Begawan

🕒 Local time

09:04 9:04 AM

Same time as Seria

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

30,097

50,000 Capital

💱 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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Between locations

Seria Bandar Seri Begawan 74 km

From you

Seria
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

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

Yes – Bandar Seri Begawan is pricier by about 106%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $850 per month in Seria and $1,755 in Bandar Seri Begawan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $27.00 in Seria and $27.00 in Bandar Seri Begawan. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 7% more in Bandar Seri Begawan, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Seria, where all-in costs run around $567, than in Bandar Seri Begawan at $1,170. In Seria it covers expenses comfortably, while in Bandar Seri Begawan 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, Bandar Seri Begawan makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.