Moving to Norway from Brunei

moving to

What to Expect

A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Brunei to Norway — from daily expenses to quality of life.

If you moved from Brunei to Norway, you would find that Norway is 2.1 times more expensive than Brunei overall. A BND96,811 salary in Brunei would need to be roughly NOK916,117 in Norway to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Norwegian Bokmål, Norwegian Nynorsk and Sami. You’ll also switch from driving on the left to the right. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Oslo averages 49°F vs 89°F in Bandar Seri Begawan, making it significantly cooler.

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How Far Will Your Money Go?

How your spending power changes when you relocate from Brunei to Norway.

What does your salary buy?

BND96,811 NOK916,117

To maintain the same standard of living in Norway

Calculate with your salary →

The biggest cost differences at a glance

Restaurants

pay 4.1 times more

Groceries

pay 22.0% more

Transportation

pay 2.6 times more

Housing

pay 95.5% more

Childcare

pay 25.9% more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 2.3 times more

See full cost of living breakdown
Exchange rate: 1 BND = 7.47 NOK (July 2026)

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 Norway, and how the trend has changed.

Moved in 2023
3 ↓ 40% vs 2022

people moved from Brunei to Norway · OECD (latest data available)

Who's moving to Norway?

Top countries of origin for Norway's foreign-born residents.

Foreign-born population · UN DESA (2020)

Key Indicator Comparison

How Brunei and Norway stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.

Is it safe?

Homicide rate United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

per 100,000 people per year

BN
0.5
NO
0.6
Road traffic deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

per 100,000 people per year

BN
3.6
NO
1.5

Brunei generally does better on safety, though Norway leads in road traffic deaths.

How's the healthcare?

Healthcare spending per person World Bank, 2023

annual government + private spending per person

BN
$1,896
NO
$9,523
Doctors per 10,000 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

affects wait times and access to care

BN
19.1
NO
51.7

Brunei generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Norway leads in doctors per 10,000 people.

What about the environment?

Air pollution deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2019

deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people

BN
20.0
NO
8.0
CO₂ emissions per capita World Bank, 2024

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

BN
20.2t
NO
7.2t

Norway performs significantly better than Brunei across all environment metrics.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Broadband per 100 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work

BN
20.1
NO
45.9
Water stress level United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

BN
3.5%
NO
2.0%

Norway performs significantly better than Brunei across all infrastructure metrics.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate The World Factbook, 2023

percentage of the labour force without work

BN
5.3%
NO
3.6%
GDP per capita The World Factbook, 2023

a broad measure of economic output per person

BN
$77,900
NO
$90,500

Norway generally does better on employment & economy, though Brunei leads in top income tax rate.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy The World Factbook, 2022

average years of life at birth

BN
78.4 yrs
NO
82.5 yrs
Infant mortality The World Factbook, 2022

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

BN
10.5
NO
2.3

Norway 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.

Bandar Seri Begawan Rain: 114.7 in/yr (2913 mm)
89° / 74°F

Avg. annual high / low

Oslo Rain: 30.0 in/yr (763 mm)
49° / 36°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months Bandar Seri Begawan Oslo
Jan–Mar 88°/74°F (31°/23°C) 32°/22°F (0°/-6°C)
Apr–Jun 90°/75°F (33°/24°C) 59°/43°F (15°/6°C)
Jul–Sep 90°/74°F (32°/23°C) 66°/51°F (19°/10°C)
Oct–Dec 89°/74°F (31°/23°C) 39°/30°F (4°/-1°C)
View all months
Month Bandar Seri Begawan Oslo
Jan 87°/74°F (30.4°/23.3°C) 29°/20°F (-1.8°/-6.8°C)
Feb 87°/74°F (30.7°/23.3°C) 30°/20°F (-0.9°/-6.8°C)
Mar 89°/74°F (31.9°/23.5°C) 38°/26°F (3.5°/-3.3°C)
Apr 90°/75°F (32.5°/23.7°C) 48°/33°F (9.1°/0.8°C)
May 91°/75°F (32.6°/23.7°C) 60°/44°F (15.8°/6.5°C)
Jun 90°/74°F (32.5°/23.4°C) 69°/51°F (20.4°/10.6°C)
Jul 90°/73°F (32.3°/23.0°C) 71°/54°F (21.5°/12.2°C)
Aug 90°/74°F (32.4°/23.1°C) 68°/52°F (20.1°/11.3°C)
Sep 90°/74°F (32.0°/23.1°C) 59°/46°F (15.1°/7.5°C)
Oct 89°/74°F (31.6°/23.2°C) 49°/39°F (9.3°/3.8°C)
Nov 89°/74°F (31.4°/23.2°C) 38°/29°F (3.2°/-1.5°C)
Dec 88°/74°F (31.0°/23.2°C) 31°/22°F (-0.5°/-5.6°C)

Data: Brunei Darussalam Meteorological Department Brunei Darussalam Meteorological Department, Norwegian Meteorological Institute Norwegian Meteorological Institute

Visitor Visa Requirements

Short-stay tourist visa rules between Brunei and Norway. To live, work, or study long-term in Norway, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Norway's immigration authority.

Brunei passport

Brunei passport holder visiting Norway

Visa Free
Brunei passport holders can enter Norway without a visa.
Norway passport

Norway passport holder visiting Brunei

Visa Free
Norway passport holders can enter Brunei without a visa.

Data: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it cheaper to live in Norway than Brunei?

Day-to-day costs in Norway run about 27% higher than Brunei on average; specific cities can swing further.

How much money do I need to move to Norway?

A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a BND96,811 comparable salary, that's around NOK229,029 in Norway for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.

Can I work remotely from Norway?

With 45.9 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Norway 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 Norway.

Is Norway safe for expats?

Brunei generally does better on safety, though Norway leads in road traffic deaths. The homicide rate in Norway is 0.6 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.5 in Brunei.

How is healthcare in Norway compared to Brunei?

Brunei generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Norway leads in doctors per 10,000 people. There are 51.7 doctors per 10,000 people in Norway, compared to 19.1 in Brunei. Norway scores 87 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Brunei: 78).

What's the weather like in Norway compared to Brunei?

The average high temperature in Oslo is 49°F, compared to 89°F in Bandar Seri Begawan. Oslo receives around 30.0 in of rainfall per year, while Bandar Seri Begawan gets 114.7 in.

What language do they speak in Norway?

The official languages in Norway are Norwegian Bokmål, Norwegian Nynorsk and Sami. In Brunei, the official language is Malay.

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At a Glance

BN NO
Population 478,054 5,553,840
Currency Brunei Dollar (BND) Norwegian Krone (NOK)
Languages Malay Norwegian Bokmål, Norwegian Nynorsk, Sami
Driving side Left Right
Calling code +673 +47
Time zones 1 1
Emergency number 112