Moving to Brunei from Oman
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Oman to Brunei — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Oman to Brunei, you would find that Brunei is 35.7% more expensive than Oman overall. A OMR28,837 salary in Oman would need to be roughly BND146,110 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.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
How your spending power changes when you relocate from Oman to Brunei.
What does your salary buy?
OMR28,837 → BND146,110
To maintain the same standard of living in Brunei
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 20.0% more
Groceries
pay 81.4% more
Transportation
pay 40.5% more
Housing
pay 39.7% more
Childcare
pay 14.5% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 9.8% 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 Oman 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
Oman generally does better on safety, though Brunei leads in road traffic deaths.
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
per 100,000 people — a proxy for mental health support
Oman generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Brunei leads in health coverage index.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Oman 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
Brunei performs significantly better than Oman 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
Oman generally does better on employment & economy, though Brunei leads in gdp per capita.
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 generally does better on family life, though Oman leads in education spending.
Data: Ministry of Finance, Oman, 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 | Muscat | Bandar Seri Begawan |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 81°/65°F (27°/18°C) | 88°/74°F (31°/23°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 100°/82°F (38°/28°C) | 90°/75°F (33°/24°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 97°/83°F (36°/28°C) | 90°/74°F (32°/23°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 87°/70°F (31°/21°C) | 89°/74°F (31°/23°C) |
View all months
| Month | Muscat | Bandar Seri Begawan |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 77°/62°F (25.1°/16.7°C) | 87°/74°F (30.4°/23.3°C) |
| Feb | 80°/64°F (26.4°/17.8°C) | 87°/74°F (30.7°/23.3°C) |
| Mar | 85°/69°F (29.5°/20.3°C) | 89°/74°F (31.9°/23.5°C) |
| Apr | 94°/76°F (34.7°/24.2°C) | 90°/75°F (32.5°/23.7°C) |
| May | 103°/84°F (39.6°/28.7°C) | 91°/75°F (32.6°/23.7°C) |
| Jun | 104°/87°F (40.0°/30.3°C) | 90°/74°F (32.5°/23.4°C) |
| Jul | 100°/86°F (38.0°/30.1°C) | 90°/73°F (32.3°/23.0°C) |
| Aug | 96°/83°F (35.6°/28.2°C) | 90°/74°F (32.4°/23.1°C) |
| Sep | 96°/80°F (35.6°/26.8°C) | 90°/74°F (32.0°/23.1°C) |
| Oct | 94°/76°F (34.6°/24.2°C) | 89°/74°F (31.6°/23.2°C) |
| Nov | 87°/69°F (30.3°/20.8°C) | 89°/74°F (31.4°/23.2°C) |
| Dec | 80°/65°F (26.8°/18.3°C) | 88°/74°F (31.0°/23.2°C) |
Data:
Directorate General of Meteorology - Civil Aviation Authority,
Brunei Darussalam Meteorological Department
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Oman 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.
Oman passport holder visiting Brunei
Visa Free
Brunei passport holder visiting Oman
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 Oman?
Day-to-day costs in Brunei run about 52% higher than Oman on average; specific cities can swing further.
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 OMR28,837 comparable salary, that's around BND36,528 in Brunei for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, deposits, 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 Oman and Brunei.
Is Brunei safe for expats?
Oman generally does better on safety, though Brunei leads in road traffic deaths. The homicide rate in Brunei is 0.5 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.3 in Oman.
How is healthcare in Brunei compared to Oman?
Oman generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Brunei leads in health coverage index. There are 19.1 doctors per 10,000 people in Brunei, compared to 20.6 in Oman. Brunei scores 78 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Oman: 70).
What's the weather like in Brunei compared to Oman?
The average high temperature in Bandar Seri Begawan is 89°F, compared to 91°F in Muscat. Bandar Seri Begawan receives around 114.7 in of rainfall per year, while Muscat gets 3.5 in.
What language do they speak in Brunei?
The official language in Brunei is Malay. In Oman, the official language is Arabic.
