Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between the United States and Brunei

Name: Brunei
Address: BN

For one person, living is cheaper in Brunei: $1,379 a month against $2,734 in the United States, rent and utilities included – about $16,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

131

Cost of Living Index in the United States
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United States Living Index
66

Cost of Living Index in Brunei
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Brunei Living Index

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🇺🇸 United States

$2,734

/mo nomad

🇧🇳 Brunei

$1,379

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in the United States and in Brunei

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,734 in the United States versus $1,379 in Brunei.

United States $2,734
Brunei $1,379

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,985 in the United States versus $2,067 in Brunei.

United States $3,985
Brunei $2,067

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,235 in the United States versus $2,755 in Brunei.

United States $5,235
Brunei $2,755

Internal cost variation is higher in the United States: monthly costs span $979 to $5,160, compared to $567–$1,726 in Brunei. City choice carries more weight in the United States.

Living in the United States is roughly 98% more expensive than in Brunei on average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.03 $20.03

$4.82 BND 6.16

315.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.0 $80.0

$37.32 BND 47.68

114.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.80 $11.80

$6.40 BND 8.17

84.38%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.00 BND 2.55

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 BND 2.91

Cappuccino

$5.55 $5.55

$3.92 BND 5.01

41.58%

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

$2.66 $2.66

$1.17 BND 1.50

127.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 $2.17

$0.72 BND 0.92

201.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.12 $6.12

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.94 $7.94

Milk (1 liter)

$1.04 $1.04

$2.31 BND 2.95

-54.98%

White Bread (500g)

$3.59 $3.59

$1.91 BND 2.44

87.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$2.02 BND 2.58

123.76%

Eggs

$4.28 $4.28

$2.28 BND 2.91

87.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.22 $13.22

$16.87 BND 21.55

-21.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.60 $12.60

$7.52 BND 9.60

67.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.60 $17.60

$17.62 BND 22.51

-0.11%

Apples (1kg)

$5.30 $5.30

$3.98 BND 5.08

33.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 $1.69

$3.66 BND 4.68

-53.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.44 $4.44

$3.52 BND 4.50

26.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.77 $4.77

$4.16 BND 5.32

14.66%

Potato (1kg)

$2.97 $2.97

$2.50 BND 3.19

18.80%

Onion (1kg)

$3.15 $3.15

$2.39 BND 3.05

31.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.20 $2.20

$4.50 BND 5.75

-51.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.35 $2.35

$1.00 BND 1.28

135.00%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$15.85 BND 20.25

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.18 BND 6.62

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.07 BND 1.37

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.98 $10.98

$11.76 BND 15.03

-6.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 $2.06

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.79 $3.79

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.94 $1.94

$0.75 BND 0.96

158.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$59.4 $59.4

$24.09 BND 30.77

146.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.58 $3.58

$3.97 BND 5.07

-9.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.88 $1.88

$3.28 BND 4.19

-42.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.84 $29.84

$11.77 BND 15.04

153.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 $1.02

$0.37 BND 0.47

175.68%

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

$28.8K $28.8K

$42.4K BND 54.1K

-32.12%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$30.2K BND 38.6K

-13.21%

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

$218 $218

$56.9 BND 72.7

283.06%

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

$62.5 $62.5

$21.37 BND 27.30

192.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$74.5 $74.5

$92.3 BND 118

-19.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.86 $41.86

$49.74 BND 63.5

-15.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.81 $22.81

$5.51 BND 7.03

313.97%

Cinema Ticket

$14.70 $14.70

$5.54 BND 7.08

165.34%

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

$1,489 $1,489

$181 BND 231

724.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.3K $25.3K

$11.5K BND 14.7K

119.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.3 $54.3

$76.4 BND 97.6

-28.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.71 $42.71

$84.4 BND 108

-49.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.1 $94.1

$111 BND 142

-15.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 $114

$98.6 BND 126

15.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,659 $1,659

$728 BND 931

127.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,348 $1,348

$502 BND 641

168.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,682 $2,682

$1,172 BND 1,497

128.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,169 $2,169

$785 BND 1,002

176.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,283 $3,283

$3,082 BND 3,937

6.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,482 $2,482

$2,263 BND 2,891

9.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,296 $4,296

$2,217 BND 2,832

93.78%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.55

3.88

68.81%

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

Last update for the United States: October 25, 2026

Last update for Brunei: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

United States

$1.3K 49.3%

Brunei

$502 36.4% 62.8% $846

Groceries & Markets

United States

$415 15.2%

Brunei

$319 23.2% 23.1% $96

Monthly Utilities & Internet

United States

$355 13%

Brunei

$171 12.4% 51.9% $184

Eating Out

United States

$328 12%

Brunei

$112 8.2% 65.7% $216

Clothing & Footwear

United States

$137 5%

Brunei

$167 12.1% 21.5% $30

Getting Around

United States

$80 2.9%

Brunei

$47 3.4% 40.8% $33

Sport & Entertainment

United States

$71 2.6%

Brunei

$61 4.4% 14.6% $10

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $1,620 in the United States, $728 in Brunei. Capital cities: $2,768 in Washington, DC vs $726 in Bandar Seri Begawan.

National salary averages: $4,549 in the United States, $2,209 in Brunei. Higher pay doesn’t always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 123% higher in the United States.

Dining out costs 134% more in the United States.

Public transport is 174% more expensive in the United States.

Salaries are about 2.1 times higher in the United States.

Good to know

🇺🇸 United States

🇧🇳 Brunei

🕒 Local time

22:46 10:46 PM

10:46 10:46 AM

12 h ahead of the United States

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

340,110,988

458,949

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Brunei Dollar BND $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

1 BND = 0.783 USD

1 BND = 0.701 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BND, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇧🇳 Brunei Dollar ($)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.896 EUR).

Brunei Dollar exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 1.28 BND (1 BND = 0.783 USD). 1 EUR = 1.43 BND (1 BND = 0.701 EUR).

BND to USD in detail →

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United States Brunei 14,960 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

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United States
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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

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

At $1,379 per month in Brunei and $2,734 in the United States, Brunei comes out about 50% cheaper. 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 cheaper in Brunei: lower grocery prices, cheaper commutes, and more affordable meals out. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent for a central one-bedroom averages $1,620 in the United States and $728 in Brunei. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.

In Brunei, $2,500 covers most cities easily; in the 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, while salaries, visas, language, and lifestyle can tip the balance either way.