Cost of Living Comparison Between Spain and Brunei Cost of Living Comparison Between Spain and Brunei

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,642 in Spain versus $811 in Brunei.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,392 in Spain versus $1,275 in Brunei.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,142 in Spain versus $1,738 in Brunei.

Living in Spain is roughly 102% more expensive than in Brunei on average.

Spain (23% above) and Brunei (39% below) straddle the global median.

Internal cost variation is higher in Spain: monthly costs span $1,122 to $3,254, compared to $3.00$1,630 in Brunei. City choice carries more weight in Spain.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Spain
Brunei
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.06 €14.00
$5.32 BND 6.86
201.88%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$56.9 €49.57
$33.31 BND 42.91
70.70%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.30 €8.98
$6.27 BND 8.08
64.27%
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)
-
$1.93 BND 2.48
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$2.36 BND 3.04
-
Cappuccino
$2.32 €2.02
$4.07 BND 5.25
-43.00%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.60 €2.27
$1.14 BND 1.47
128.07%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.84 €1.60
$0.71 BND 0.92
159.15%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.43 €2.99
-
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.97 €3.46
-
-
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Spain
Brunei
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.19 €1.04
$2.30 BND 2.97
-48.26%
White Bread (500g)
$1.52 €1.33
$2.00 BND 2.58
-24.00%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.67 €1.46
$2.01 BND 2.60
-16.92%
Eggs
$2.98 €2.60
$2.50 BND 3.22
19.20%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$14.42 €12.58
$15.75 BND 20.29
-8.44%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.59 €7.49
$7.07 BND 9.10
21.50%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$15.95 €13.91
$18.93 BND 24.39
-15.74%
Apples (1kg)
$2.51 €2.19
$3.94 BND 5.08
-36.29%
Banana (1kg)
$2.07 €1.81
$3.30 BND 4.25
-37.27%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.04 €1.78
$3.78 BND 4.88
-46.03%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.64 €2.30
$3.81 BND 4.91
-30.71%
Potato (1kg)
$1.76 €1.53
$2.22 BND 2.86
-20.72%
Onion (1kg)
$1.98 €1.73
$2.45 BND 3.15
-19.18%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.35 €1.17
$4.57 BND 5.89
-70.46%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.74 €0.65
$0.95 BND 1.22
-22.11%
Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)
-
$11.76 BND 15.15
-
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
-
$5.11 BND 6.59
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$1.32 BND 1.70
-
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.27 €5.46
$11.59 BND 14.93
-45.90%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.75 €5.01
-
-
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.30 €1.14
-
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.06 €1.80
-
-
🚌 Getting Around
Spain
Brunei
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.77 €1.54
$0.79 BND 1.02
124.05%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$34.49 €30.07
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.49 €3.91
$4.82 BND 6.21
-6.85%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.32 €1.15
$2.57 BND 3.31
-48.64%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$27.12 €23.64
$11.65 BND 15.01
132.79%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.80 €1.57
$0.41 BND 0.52
339.02%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$38.2K €33.3K
$23.5K BND 30.2K
62.96%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$30.8K €26.9K
$31.0K BND 39.9K
-0.57%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Spain
Brunei
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$149 €130
$53.8 BND 69.3
176.60%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$20.14 €17.56
$22.03 BND 28.38
-8.58%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$33.50 €29.21
$92.7 BND 119
-63.84%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Spain
Brunei
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$46.30 €40.37
$44.06 BND 56.8
5.08%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$15.61 €13.61
$5.79 BND 7.46
169.60%
Cinema Ticket
$9.40 €8.20
$5.36 BND 6.91
75.37%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Spain
Brunei
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$522 €455
$172 BND 222
203.50%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$9,880 €8,613
$10.9K BND 14.0K
-9.10%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Spain
Brunei
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$88.1 €76.8
$82.4 BND 106
6.87%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$35.98 €31.36
$64.4 BND 82.9
-44.11%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$89.0 €77.6
$99.7 BND 128
-10.78%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$108 €94.2
$91.3 BND 118
18.32%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Spain
Brunei
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,039 €906
$771 BND 994
34.73%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$820 €715
$530 BND 683
54.57%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,689 €1,472
$1,306 BND 1,682
29.32%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,214 €1,058
$876 BND 1,129
38.54%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,301 €3,750
$3,057 BND 3,938
40.71%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,604 €2,270
$2,275 BND 2,931
14.46%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Spain
Brunei
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,982 €1,728
$2,319 BND 2,988
-14.55%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.51
4.05
-13.33%

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

Last update for Spain: July 27, 2026

Last update for Brunei: July 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $898 in Spain, $295 in Brunei. Capital cities: $1,561 in Madrid vs $718 in Bandar Seri Begawan.

National salary averages: $1,989 in Spain, $2,228 in Brunei. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 204% higher in Spain.

Dining out costs 112% more in Spain.

Salaries are 12% higher in Brunei, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Brunei.

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
Spain vs Brunei: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the cost difference between Brunei and Spain?
At $817 per month in Brunei and $2,188 in Spain, there's a 168% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.
Which country is cheaper for everyday spending?
Day-to-day life is simply cheaper in Brunei: lower food prices, cheaper commutes, smaller household bills. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.
Which country has higher housing costs?
Rent in Spain is consistently higher than in Brunei across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.
Is $2,500 a realistic budget in Brunei or in Spain?
In Brunei, $2,500 covers most cities easily; in Spain it stretches only to regional areas and falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.
Should I move to Brunei or to Spain?
It depends on what you're after: Brunei wins on affordability; Spain may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.

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