Moving to Brunei from Costa Rica
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Costa Rica to Brunei — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Costa Rica to Brunei, you would find that Brunei is 2.8% cheaper than Costa Rica overall. A CRC33,997,640 salary in Costa Rica would need to be roughly BND99,006 in Brunei to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Malay. You’ll also switch from driving on the right to the left. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Bandar Seri Begawan averages 89°F vs 77°F in San Jose, making it significantly warmer.
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How your spending power changes when you relocate from Costa Rica to Brunei.
What does your salary buy?
CRC33,997,640 → BND99,006
To maintain the same standard of living in Brunei
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 51.6% less
Groceries
pay 6.2% more
Transportation
pay 7.4% less
Housing
pay 2.0% more
Childcare
pay 19.9% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 19.4% 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
How Costa Rica and Brunei 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 significantly better than Costa Rica 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 Costa Rica 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
Costa Rica performs 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 Costa Rica 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 performs significantly better than Costa Rica across all employment & economy metrics.
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
Costa Rica performs better than Brunei across all family life metrics.
Data: Directorate General of Taxation of Costa Rica, 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 | San Jose | Bandar Seri Begawan |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 75°/60°F (24°/16°C) | 88°/74°F (31°/23°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 78°/62°F (26°/17°C) | 90°/75°F (33°/24°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 77°/62°F (25°/16°C) | 90°/74°F (32°/23°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 76°/61°F (24°/16°C) | 89°/74°F (31°/23°C) |
View all months
| Month | San Jose | Bandar Seri Begawan |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 74°/60°F (23.4°/15.4°C) | 87°/74°F (30.4°/23.3°C) |
| Feb | 75°/60°F (23.9°/15.3°C) | 87°/74°F (30.7°/23.3°C) |
| Mar | 77°/60°F (25.1°/15.8°C) | 89°/74°F (31.9°/23.5°C) |
| Apr | 78°/62°F (25.7°/16.4°C) | 90°/75°F (32.5°/23.7°C) |
| May | 79°/63°F (26.1°/17.0°C) | 91°/75°F (32.6°/23.7°C) |
| Jun | 78°/62°F (25.7°/16.9°C) | 90°/74°F (32.5°/23.4°C) |
| Jul | 77°/61°F (24.9°/16.3°C) | 90°/73°F (32.3°/23.0°C) |
| Aug | 77°/62°F (25.2°/16.7°C) | 90°/74°F (32.4°/23.1°C) |
| Sep | 78°/62°F (25.8°/16.5°C) | 90°/74°F (32.0°/23.1°C) |
| Oct | 78°/62°F (25.4°/16.4°C) | 89°/74°F (31.6°/23.2°C) |
| Nov | 76°/61°F (24.2°/16.3°C) | 89°/74°F (31.4°/23.2°C) |
| Dec | 74°/60°F (23.4°/15.8°C) | 88°/74°F (31.0°/23.2°C) |
Data:
Instituto Meteorológico Nacional,
Brunei Darussalam Meteorological Department
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Costa Rica and Brunei. To live, work, or study long-term in Brunei, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Brunei's immigration authority.
Costa Rica passport holder visiting Brunei
Visa Free
Brunei passport holder visiting Costa Rica
Visa FreeData: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Brunei than Costa Rica?
Headline costs are within a few percent between Brunei and Costa Rica; rent and dining are where you'll actually feel differences.
How much money do I need to move to Brunei?
A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a CRC33,997,640 comparable salary, that's around BND24,752 in Brunei for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Brunei?
With 20.1 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Brunei can support video calls in major cities. The hard part is paperwork — visa category, employer policy on overseas staff, and tax residency in Costa Rica and Brunei.
Is Brunei safe for expats?
Brunei performs significantly better than Costa Rica across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Brunei is 0.5 per 100,000 people, compared to 17.4 in Costa Rica.
How is healthcare in Brunei compared to Costa Rica?
Brunei generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Costa Rica leads in doctors per 10,000 people. There are 19.1 doctors per 10,000 people in Brunei, compared to 26.4 in Costa Rica. Brunei scores 78 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Costa Rica: 81).
What's the weather like in Brunei compared to Costa Rica?
The average high temperature in Bandar Seri Begawan is 89°F, compared to 77°F in San Jose. Bandar Seri Begawan receives around 114.7 in of rainfall per year, while San Jose gets 73.5 in.
What language do they speak in Brunei?
The official language in Brunei is Malay. In Costa Rica, the official language is Spanish.
