Moving to Israel from Brunei
What to Expect
Considering a move from Brunei to Israel? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Brunei to Israel, you would find that Israel is 2.3 times more expensive than Brunei overall. A BND96,000 salary in Brunei would need to be roughly ₪532,000 in Israel to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Arabic and Hebrew. You’ll also switch from driving on the left to the right. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Jerusalem averages 72°F vs 89°F in Bandar Seri Begawan, making it significantly cooler.
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A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Brunei and Israel.
What does your salary buy?
BND96,000 → ₪532,000
To maintain the same standard of living in Israel
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 3.6 times more
Groceries
pay 19.1% more
Transportation
pay 6.7 times more
Housing
pay 2.1 times more
Childcare
pay 4.0 times more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 86.8% 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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Key Indicator Comparison
The numbers behind daily life in Israel compared to Brunei.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Brunei performs better than Israel 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
Israel generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Brunei leads in healthcare spending per person.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Israel 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 Israel 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
Israel generally does better on employment & economy, though Brunei leads in top income tax 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
percentage of adults who can read and write
Israel performs significantly better than Brunei across all family life metrics.
Sources: World Bank (2016–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2013–2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook (2011–2021), Ministry of Finance, Revenue Division, Brunei (2016), Israel Ministry of Finance Tax Authority (2016). How we calculate this
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Bandar Seri Begawan | Jerusalem |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 88°/74°F (31°/23°C) | 58°/46°F (15°/8°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 90°/75°F (33°/24°C) | 78°/60°F (25°/15°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 90°/74°F (32°/23°C) | 85°/67°F (29°/20°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 89°/74°F (31°/23°C) | 68°/55°F (20°/13°C) |
View all months
| Month | Bandar Seri Begawan | Jerusalem |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 87°/74°F (30.4°/23.3°C) | 55°/44°F (12.8°/6.9°C) |
| Feb | 87°/74°F (30.7°/23.3°C) | 57°/45°F (13.8°/7.1°C) |
| Mar | 89°/74°F (31.9°/23.5°C) | 63°/49°F (17.0°/9.2°C) |
| Apr | 90°/75°F (32.5°/23.7°C) | 71°/54°F (21.5°/12.1°C) |
| May | 91°/75°F (32.6°/23.7°C) | 79°/61°F (25.9°/16.0°C) |
| Jun | 90°/74°F (32.5°/23.4°C) | 83°/65°F (28.4°/18.2°C) |
| Jul | 90°/73°F (32.3°/23.0°C) | 86°/68°F (30.0°/20.2°C) |
| Aug | 90°/74°F (32.4°/23.1°C) | 86°/68°F (29.9°/20.0°C) |
| Sep | 90°/74°F (32.0°/23.1°C) | 83°/66°F (28.4°/18.7°C) |
| Oct | 89°/74°F (31.6°/23.2°C) | 78°/62°F (25.3°/16.8°C) |
| Nov | 89°/74°F (31.4°/23.2°C) | 68°/55°F (19.9°/12.8°C) |
| Dec | 88°/74°F (31.0°/23.2°C) | 59°/48°F (15.2°/9.0°C) |
Data:
Brunei Darussalam Meteorological Department,
Israel Meteorological Service
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Brunei and Israel. To live, work, or study long-term in Israel, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Israel's immigration authority.
Brunei passport holder visiting Israel
Visa Required
Israel passport holder visiting Brunei
Visa RequiredData: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Israel than Brunei?
On average Israel is around 132% pricier than Brunei, with notable variation by city.
How much money do I need to move to Israel?
Budget about ₪133,000 for 3 months in Israel (based on a BND96,000 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Israel?
Connectivity is usually fine (Israel: 29.2 fixed broadband per 100). What actually decides it is legal: does Israel offer a digital nomad visa, will your employer permit overseas work, and where are you tax-resident?
Is Israel safe for expats?
Brunei performs better than Israel across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Israel is 1.6 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.5 in Brunei.
How is healthcare in Israel compared to Brunei?
Israel generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Brunei leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 38.0 doctors per 10,000 people in Israel, compared to 18.9 in Brunei. Israel scores 85 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Brunei: 78).
What's the weather like in Israel compared to Brunei?
The average high temperature in Jerusalem is 72°F, compared to 89°F in Bandar Seri Begawan. Jerusalem receives around 21.1 in of rainfall per year, while Bandar Seri Begawan gets 114.7 in.
What language do they speak in Israel?
The official languages in Israel are Arabic and Hebrew. In Brunei, the official language is Malay.
