Cost of Living Comparison Between United States and Brunei Cost of Living Comparison Between United States and Brunei

Name: Brunei
Address: BN

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,626 in United States versus $843 in Brunei.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,830 in United States versus $1,295 in Brunei.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,034 in United States versus $1,747 in Brunei.

Living in United States is roughly 212% more expensive than in Brunei on average.

United States (92% above) and Brunei (38% below) straddle the global median.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.38 $20.38

$4.85 BND 6.18

320.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.0 $79.0

$37.82 BND 48.15

108.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.78 $11.78

$6.15 BND 7.83

91.54%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.91 BND 2.43

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.34 BND 2.98

Cappuccino

$5.42 $5.42

$4.03 BND 5.14

34.49%

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

$2.75 $2.75

$1.18 BND 1.50

133.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 $2.17

$0.73 BND 0.93

197.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.86 $5.86

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.03 $8.03

Milk (1 liter)

$1.04 $1.04

$2.34 BND 2.97

-55.56%

White Bread (500g)

$3.56 $3.56

$1.91 BND 2.43

86.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.70 $4.70

$2.02 BND 2.58

132.67%

Eggs

$4.26 $4.26

$2.36 BND 3.01

80.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.21 $13.21

$16.91 BND 21.53

-21.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.42 $12.42

$7.58 BND 9.64

63.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.49 $17.49

$18.02 BND 22.93

-2.94%

Apples (1kg)

$5.21 $5.21

$3.98 BND 5.07

30.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 $1.65

$3.73 BND 4.74

-55.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.47 $4.47

$3.45 BND 4.39

29.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.86 $4.86

$4.15 BND 5.28

17.11%

Potato (1kg)

$2.86 $2.86

$2.45 BND 3.12

16.73%

Onion (1kg)

$3.11 $3.11

$2.41 BND 3.07

29.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.22 $2.22

$4.38 BND 5.57

-49.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.34 $2.34

$1.02 BND 1.30

129.41%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$16.02 BND 20.39

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.21 BND 6.63

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.12 BND 1.43

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.41 $10.41

$11.98 BND 15.25

-13.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.23 $15.23

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.13 $2.13

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.74 $3.74

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.44 $2.44

$0.76 BND 0.96

221.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.2 $65.2

$0.78 BND 0.99

8253.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.44 $3.44

$4.02 BND 5.12

-14.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 $1.90

$3.27 BND 4.16

-41.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.70 $29.70

$11.76 BND 14.97

152.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.03 $1.03

$0.38 BND 0.48

171.05%

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

$35.8K $35.8K

$42.5K BND 54.2K

-15.86%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$29.8K BND 37.9K

-13.07%

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

$222 $222

$56.4 BND 71.8

293.90%

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

$62.6 $62.6

$20.89 BND 26.60

199.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$74.6 $74.6

$93.0 BND 118

-19.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.12 $45.12

$49.73 BND 63.3

-9.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.13 $23.13

$5.58 BND 7.10

314.52%

Cinema Ticket

$15.27 $15.27

$5.56 BND 7.07

174.64%

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

$1,474 $1,474

$176 BND 224

736.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.0K $25.0K

$11.5K BND 14.7K

116.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.1 $54.1

$77.2 BND 98.2

-29.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.55 $42.55

$85.3 BND 109

-50.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.4 $91.4

$104 BND 132

-11.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 $114

$100 BND 127

14.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,636 $1,636

$725 BND 923

125.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,367 $1,367

$505 BND 643

170.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,701 $2,701

$1,154 BND 1,470

133.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,239 $2,239

$770 BND 980

190.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,267 $3,267

$3,156 BND 4,018

3.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,651 $2,651

$2,296 BND 2,922

15.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,317 $4,317

$2,223 BND 2,830

94.19%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.22

3.88

60.31%

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

Last update for United States: September 13, 2026

Last update for Brunei: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $1,610 in United States, $293 in Brunei. Capital cities: $1,358 in Columbia, TN vs $716 in Bandar Seri Begawan.

National salary averages: $4,521 in United States, $2,231 in Brunei. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 449% higher in United States.

Dining out costs 200% more in United States.

Salaries are 103% higher in United States, 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

United States vs Brunei: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $860 per month in Brunei and $3,094 in United States, there's a 260% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

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.

Rent in United States 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.

In Brunei, $2,500 covers most cities easily; in United States it stretches only to regional areas and falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.

It depends on what you're after: Brunei wins on affordability; United States may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.