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 $814 in Brunei.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,399 in Spain versus $1,266 in Brunei.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,155 in Spain versus $1,717 in Brunei.

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

Spain (22% above) and Brunei (39% below) straddle the global median.

Spain ($1,127$3,255) and Brunei ($3.00$1,669) have similar cost spreads. Where you settle within each country has roughly equal impact on the budget.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Spain
Brunei
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$15.98 €13.77
$5.15 BND 6.59
210.29%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$57.6 €49.63
$32.71 BND 41.89
76.09%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.27 €8.85
$6.20 BND 7.94
65.65%
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)
-
$1.94 BND 2.48
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$2.31 BND 2.95
-
Cappuccino
$2.38 €2.05
$4.07 BND 5.22
-41.52%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.58 €2.22
$1.14 BND 1.47
126.32%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.83 €1.58
$0.76 BND 0.98
140.79%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.54 €3.05
-
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.09 €3.52
-
-
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Spain
Brunei
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.22 €1.05
$2.30 BND 2.94
-46.96%
White Bread (500g)
$1.53 €1.31
$1.93 BND 2.47
-20.73%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.60 €1.38
$2.11 BND 2.70
-24.17%
Eggs
$2.93 €2.53
$2.47 BND 3.17
18.62%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$14.33 €12.34
$15.65 BND 20.04
-8.43%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.31 €7.16
$7.06 BND 9.05
17.71%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$15.62 €13.46
$18.69 BND 23.93
-16.43%
Apples (1kg)
$2.53 €2.18
$3.87 BND 4.96
-34.63%
Banana (1kg)
$1.99 €1.72
$3.25 BND 4.16
-38.77%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.11 €1.82
$3.79 BND 4.86
-44.33%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.54 €2.19
$3.80 BND 4.87
-33.16%
Potato (1kg)
$1.77 €1.52
$2.17 BND 2.78
-18.43%
Onion (1kg)
$1.98 €1.70
$2.52 BND 3.23
-21.43%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.30 €1.12
$4.67 BND 5.98
-72.16%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.74 €0.64
$1.00 BND 1.28
-26.00%
Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)
-
$11.48 BND 14.70
-
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
-
$5.05 BND 6.47
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$1.32 BND 1.68
-
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.19 €5.33
$11.76 BND 15.06
-47.36%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.93 €5.11
-
-
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.25 €1.07
-
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.07 €1.78
-
-
🚌 Getting Around
Spain
Brunei
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.78 €1.53
$0.76 BND 0.97
134.21%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$34.91 €30.08
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.48 €3.86
$4.80 BND 6.15
-6.67%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.34 €1.15
$2.56 BND 3.28
-47.66%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$26.24 €22.61
$11.73 BND 15.03
123.70%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.76 €1.51
$0.40 BND 0.51
340.00%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$38.2K €32.9K
$23.1K BND 29.6K
65.13%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$31.6K €27.3K
$31.1K BND 39.8K
1.86%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Spain
Brunei
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$149 €128
$54.1 BND 69.3
174.64%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$20.16 €17.37
$21.82 BND 27.95
-7.61%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$34.11 €29.39
$90.2 BND 116
-62.20%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Spain
Brunei
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$47.12 €40.60
$45.21 BND 57.9
4.22%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$15.83 €13.64
$5.83 BND 7.47
171.53%
Cinema Ticket
$9.47 €8.16
$5.59 BND 7.15
69.41%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Spain
Brunei
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$517 €445
$175 BND 225
194.42%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$10.2K €8,752
$10.6K BND 13.6K
-4.12%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Spain
Brunei
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$87.2 €75.1
$84.0 BND 108
3.82%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$37.36 €32.19
$65.2 BND 83.5
-42.68%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$91.3 €78.7
$98.6 BND 126
-7.41%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$106 €91.0
$91.5 BND 117
15.32%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Spain
Brunei
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,074 €925
$780 BND 999
37.59%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$815 €702
$512 BND 656
59.13%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,691 €1,457
$1,296 BND 1,660
30.48%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,228 €1,058
$859 BND 1,100
42.98%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,338 €3,738
$2,012 BND 2,577
115.60%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,744 €2,364
$2,276 BND 2,915
20.56%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Spain
Brunei
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,031 €1,750
$2,355 BND 3,016
-13.76%
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: June 9, 2026

Last update for Brunei: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $898 in Spain, $299 in Brunei. Capital cities: $1,609 in Madrid vs $739 in Bandar Seri Begawan.

National salary averages: $2,011 in Spain, $2,271 in Brunei. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 200% higher in Spain.

Dining out costs 112% more in Spain.

Salaries are 13% higher in Brunei, giving Brunei stronger purchasing power.

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 $836 per month in Brunei and $2,191 in Spain, there's a 162% 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?
Brunei is simply cheaper day-to-day: 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 beats 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 Spain?
In Brunei, $2,500 covers most cities easily. In Spain, it works in regional areas but falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.
Should I move to Brunei or 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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