Moving to Brunei from Iceland
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Iceland to Brunei — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Iceland to Brunei, you would find that Brunei is 44.4% cheaper than Iceland overall. A ISK9,402,000 salary in Iceland would need to be roughly BND49,152 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 45°F in Reykjavik, making it significantly warmer.
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How your spending power changes when you relocate from Iceland to Brunei.
What does your salary buy?
ISK9,402,000 → BND49,152
To maintain the same standard of living in Brunei
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 75.5% less
Groceries
pay 24.9% less
Transportation
pay 40.0% less
Housing
pay 49.1% less
Childcare
pay 56.4% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 42.4% less
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 Iceland 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
Iceland generally does better on safety, though Brunei leads in homicide rate.
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 Iceland 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
Iceland 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
Iceland performs better than Brunei across all infrastructure metrics.
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 Iceland 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
Iceland performs better than Brunei across all family life metrics.
Data: Directorate of Internal Revenue, 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 | Reykjavik | Bandar Seri Begawan |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 37°/28°F (3°/-2°C) | 88°/74°F (31°/23°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 48°/38°F (9°/4°C) | 90°/75°F (33°/24°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 54°/45°F (12°/7°C) | 90°/74°F (32°/23°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 39°/31°F (4°/-1°C) | 89°/74°F (31°/23°C) |
View all months
| Month | Reykjavik | Bandar Seri Begawan |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 35°/27°F (1.9°/-3.0°C) | 87°/74°F (30.4°/23.3°C) |
| Feb | 37°/28°F (2.8°/-2.1°C) | 87°/74°F (30.7°/23.3°C) |
| Mar | 38°/28°F (3.2°/-2.0°C) | 89°/74°F (31.9°/23.5°C) |
| Apr | 42°/33°F (5.7°/0.4°C) | 90°/75°F (32.5°/23.7°C) |
| May | 49°/38°F (9.4°/3.6°C) | 91°/75°F (32.6°/23.7°C) |
| Jun | 53°/44°F (11.7°/6.7°C) | 90°/74°F (32.5°/23.4°C) |
| Jul | 56°/47°F (13.3°/8.3°C) | 90°/73°F (32.3°/23.0°C) |
| Aug | 55°/46°F (13.0°/7.9°C) | 90°/74°F (32.4°/23.1°C) |
| Sep | 50°/41°F (10.1°/5.0°C) | 90°/74°F (32.0°/23.1°C) |
| Oct | 44°/36°F (6.8°/2.2°C) | 89°/74°F (31.6°/23.2°C) |
| Nov | 38°/30°F (3.4°/-1.3°C) | 89°/74°F (31.4°/23.2°C) |
| Dec | 36°/27°F (2.2°/-2.8°C) | 88°/74°F (31.0°/23.2°C) |
Data:
Icelandic Meteorological Office,
Brunei Darussalam Meteorological Department
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Iceland 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.
Iceland passport holder visiting Brunei
Visa Free
Brunei passport holder visiting Iceland
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 Iceland?
Generally yes: Brunei runs about 49% cheaper than Iceland on average, though it depends heavily on the city.
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 ISK9,402,000 comparable salary, that's around BND12,288 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 Iceland and Brunei.
Is Brunei safe for expats?
Iceland generally does better on safety, though Brunei leads in homicide rate. The homicide rate in Brunei is 0.5 per 100,000 people, compared to 1.1 in Iceland.
How is healthcare in Brunei compared to Iceland?
Brunei generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Iceland leads in doctors per 10,000 people. There are 19.1 doctors per 10,000 people in Brunei, compared to 45.2 in Iceland. Brunei scores 78 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Iceland: 89).
What's the weather like in Brunei compared to Iceland?
The average high temperature in Bandar Seri Begawan is 89°F, compared to 45°F in Reykjavik. Bandar Seri Begawan receives around 114.7 in of rainfall per year, while Reykjavik gets 31.4 in.
What language do they speak in Brunei?
The official language in Brunei is Malay. In Iceland, the official language is Icelandic.
