Moving to Australia from Brunei
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Brunei to Australia — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Brunei to Australia, you would find that Australia is 2.3 times more expensive than Brunei overall. A BND96,811 salary in Brunei would need to be roughly A$122,848 in Australia to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in English. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Canberra averages 67°F vs 89°F in Bandar Seri Begawan, making it significantly cooler.
Planning this move? Get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes from vetted international movers. Get free quotes ↓How Far Will Your Money Go?
How your spending power changes when you relocate from Brunei to Australia.
What does your salary buy?
BND96,811 → A$122,848
To maintain the same standard of living in Australia
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 3.2 times more
Groceries
pay 6.0% more
Transportation
pay 57.4% more
Housing
pay 76.8% more
Childcare
pay 5.3 times more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 98.3% more
Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
Real numbers on people moving from Brunei to Australia, and how the trend has changed.
Who's moving to Australia?
Top countries of origin for Australia's foreign-born residents.
- 1,285,149
- 653,232
- 611,266
- 579,264
- 286,303
- 269,812
- · · ·
-
101.3,294
Brunei
Key Indicator Comparison
How Brunei and Australia stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Brunei performs better than Australia across all safety metrics.
How's the healthcare?
annual government + private spending per person
affects wait times and access to care
WHO index from 0–100 measuring essential service access
share of adults with obesity
per 100,000 people — a proxy for mental health support
Brunei generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Australia leads in doctors per 10,000 people.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Australia performs significantly better than Brunei across all environment metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work
higher means greater strain on freshwater supply
annual consumption — reflects grid capacity
share of households with internet
Brunei generally does better on infrastructure, though Australia leads in broadband per 100 people.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
the highest marginal rate on personal income
Brunei generally does better on employment & economy, though Australia leads in unemployment rate.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better
government spending on education as % of GDP
Australia performs significantly better than Brunei across all family life metrics.
Data: Ministry of Finance, Revenue Division, Brunei, The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators, World Bank
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Bandar Seri Begawan | Canberra |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 88°/74°F (31°/23°C) | 80°/54°F (26°/12°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 90°/75°F (33°/24°C) | 61°/39°F (16°/4°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 90°/74°F (32°/23°C) | 56°/35°F (13°/1°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 89°/74°F (31°/23°C) | 73°/47°F (23°/9°C) |
View all months
| Month | Bandar Seri Begawan | Canberra |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 87°/74°F (30.4°/23.3°C) | 82°/55°F (27.7°/13.0°C) |
| Feb | 87°/74°F (30.7°/23.3°C) | 81°/55°F (27.0°/12.9°C) |
| Mar | 89°/74°F (31.9°/23.5°C) | 76°/51°F (24.4°/10.7°C) |
| Apr | 90°/75°F (32.5°/23.7°C) | 68°/44°F (19.8°/6.6°C) |
| May | 91°/75°F (32.6°/23.7°C) | 60°/38°F (15.4°/3.1°C) |
| Jun | 90°/74°F (32.5°/23.4°C) | 54°/34°F (12.1°/0.9°C) |
| Jul | 90°/73°F (32.3°/23.0°C) | 52°/32°F (11.2°/-0.2°C) |
| Aug | 90°/74°F (32.4°/23.1°C) | 55°/34°F (12.9°/1.0°C) |
| Sep | 90°/74°F (32.0°/23.1°C) | 61°/38°F (16.0°/3.1°C) |
| Oct | 89°/74°F (31.6°/23.2°C) | 67°/43°F (19.2°/6.0°C) |
| Nov | 89°/74°F (31.4°/23.2°C) | 72°/47°F (22.4°/8.5°C) |
| Dec | 88°/74°F (31.0°/23.2°C) | 79°/52°F (26.0°/11.2°C) |
Data:
Brunei Darussalam Meteorological Department,
Bureau of Meteorology
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Brunei and Australia. To live, work, or study long-term in Australia, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Australia's immigration authority.
Brunei passport holder visiting Australia
Electronic Travel Authorisation
Australia passport holder visiting Brunei
Visa on ArrivalData: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Australia than Brunei?
Day-to-day costs in Australia run about 14% higher than Brunei on average; specific cities can swing further.
How much money do I need to move to Australia?
A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a BND96,811 comparable salary, that's around A$30,712 in Australia for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Australia?
With 35.1 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Australia can support video calls in major cities. The hard part is paperwork — visa category, employer policy on overseas staff, and tax residency in Brunei and Australia.
Is Australia safe for expats?
Brunei performs better than Australia across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Australia is 0.8 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.5 in Brunei.
How is healthcare in Australia compared to Brunei?
Brunei generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Australia leads in doctors per 10,000 people. There are 39.8 doctors per 10,000 people in Australia, compared to 19.1 in Brunei. Australia scores 87 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Brunei: 78).
What's the weather like in Australia compared to Brunei?
The average high temperature in Canberra is 67°F, compared to 89°F in Bandar Seri Begawan. Canberra receives around 24.8 in of rainfall per year, while Bandar Seri Begawan gets 114.7 in.
What language do they speak in Australia?
The official language in Australia is English. In Brunei, the official language is Malay.
