Moving to Brunei from Indonesia
What to Expect
Considering a move from Indonesia to Brunei? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Indonesia to Brunei, you would find that Brunei is 2.2 times more expensive than Indonesia overall. A IDR1,336,972,500 salary in Indonesia would need to be roughly BND189,625 in Brunei to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Malay.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Indonesia and Brunei.
What does your salary buy?
IDR1,336,972,500 → BND189,625
To maintain the same standard of living in Brunei
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 90.3% more
Groceries
pay 78.0% more
Transportation
pay 2.8 times more
Housing
pay 2.6 times more
Childcare
pay 79.0% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 2.6 times 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?
What the data shows about people moving from Indonesia to Brunei.
Key Indicator Comparison
The numbers behind daily life in Brunei compared to Indonesia.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Brunei performs significantly better than Indonesia 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
Indonesia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Brunei 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
Indonesia generally does better on environment, though Brunei leads in air pollution deaths.
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 performs significantly better than Indonesia 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 Indonesia 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
percentage of adults who can read and write
Brunei performs significantly better than Indonesia across all family life metrics.
Data: Direktorat Jenderal Pajak, 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 | Jakarta | Bandar Seri Begawan |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 87°/76°F (31°/25°C) | 88°/74°F (31°/23°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 90°/77°F (32°/25°C) | 90°/75°F (33°/24°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 90°/77°F (32°/25°C) | 90°/74°F (32°/23°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 90°/77°F (32°/25°C) | 89°/74°F (31°/23°C) |
View all months
| Month | Jakarta | Bandar Seri Begawan |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 86°/76°F (29.9°/24.2°C) | 87°/74°F (30.4°/23.3°C) |
| Feb | 87°/76°F (30.3°/24.3°C) | 87°/74°F (30.7°/23.3°C) |
| Mar | 89°/77°F (31.5°/25.2°C) | 89°/74°F (31.9°/23.5°C) |
| Apr | 90°/77°F (32.5°/25.1°C) | 90°/75°F (32.5°/23.7°C) |
| May | 90°/78°F (32.5°/25.4°C) | 91°/75°F (32.6°/23.7°C) |
| Jun | 89°/77°F (31.4°/24.8°C) | 90°/74°F (32.5°/23.4°C) |
| Jul | 90°/77°F (32.3°/25.1°C) | 90°/73°F (32.3°/23.0°C) |
| Aug | 90°/77°F (32.0°/24.9°C) | 90°/74°F (32.4°/23.1°C) |
| Sep | 91°/78°F (33.0°/25.5°C) | 90°/74°F (32.0°/23.1°C) |
| Oct | 91°/78°F (32.7°/25.5°C) | 89°/74°F (31.6°/23.2°C) |
| Nov | 88°/77°F (31.3°/24.9°C) | 89°/74°F (31.4°/23.2°C) |
| Dec | 90°/77°F (32.0°/24.9°C) | 88°/74°F (31.0°/23.2°C) |
Data:
Meteorological, Climatological and Geophysical Agency (BMKG),
Brunei Darussalam Meteorological Department
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Indonesia 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.
Indonesia passport holder visiting Brunei
Visa Free
Brunei passport holder visiting Indonesia
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 Indonesia?
On average Brunei is around 96% pricier than Indonesia, with notable variation by city.
How much money do I need to move to Brunei?
Budget about BND47,406 for 3 months in Brunei (based on a IDR1,336,972,500 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Brunei?
Connectivity is usually fine (Brunei: 20.1 fixed broadband per 100). What actually decides it is legal: does Brunei offer a digital nomad visa, will your employer permit overseas work, and where are you tax-resident?
Is Brunei safe for expats?
Brunei performs significantly better than Indonesia across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Brunei is 0.5 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.6 in Indonesia.
How is healthcare in Brunei compared to Indonesia?
Indonesia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Brunei leads in doctors per 10,000 people. There are 19.1 doctors per 10,000 people in Brunei, compared to 6.9 in Indonesia. Brunei scores 78 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Indonesia: 55).
What's the weather like in Brunei compared to Indonesia?
The average high temperature in Bandar Seri Begawan is 89°F, compared to 89°F in Jakarta. Bandar Seri Begawan receives around 114.7 in of rainfall per year, while Jakarta gets 65.2 in.
What language do they speak in Brunei?
The official language in Brunei is Malay. In Indonesia, the official language is Indonesian.
