Moving to Brunei from Saudi Arabia
What to Expect
Considering a move from Saudi Arabia to Brunei? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Saudi Arabia to Brunei, you would find that Brunei is 7.2% cheaper than Saudi Arabia overall. A SAR280,000 salary in Saudi Arabia would need to be roughly BND88,700 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.
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A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Saudi Arabia and Brunei.
What does your salary buy?
SAR280,000 → BND88,700
To maintain the same standard of living in Brunei
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 1.5% more
Groceries
pay 45.8% more
Transportation
pay 67.9% less
Housing
pay 7.9% more
Childcare
pay 24.2% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 21.1% 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
The numbers behind daily life in Brunei compared to Saudi Arabia.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Brunei performs significantly better than Saudi Arabia 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 Saudi Arabia 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
Saudi Arabia 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
Saudi Arabia generally does better on infrastructure, though Brunei leads in water stress level.
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
Saudi Arabia performs better than Brunei 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
Saudi Arabia performs better than Brunei across all family life metrics.
Sources: World Bank (2016–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2013–2021), World Health Organization (2024), Department of Zakat and Income Tax (2016), Ministry of Finance, Revenue Division, Brunei (2016), The World Factbook (2021). How we calculate this
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Riyadh | Bandar Seri Begawan |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 75°/50°F (24°/10°C) | 88°/74°F (31°/23°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 101°/72°F (38°/22°C) | 90°/75°F (33°/24°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 109°/77°F (43°/25°C) | 90°/74°F (32°/23°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 84°/56°F (29°/13°C) | 89°/74°F (31°/23°C) |
View all months
| Month | Riyadh | Bandar Seri Begawan |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 68°/44°F (20.1°/6.9°C) | 87°/74°F (30.4°/23.3°C) |
| Feb | 74°/49°F (23.3°/9.3°C) | 87°/74°F (30.7°/23.3°C) |
| Mar | 82°/56°F (27.7°/13.2°C) | 89°/74°F (31.9°/23.5°C) |
| Apr | 92°/65°F (33.3°/18.4°C) | 90°/75°F (32.5°/23.7°C) |
| May | 103°/74°F (39.4°/23.4°C) | 91°/75°F (32.6°/23.7°C) |
| Jun | 109°/78°F (42.6°/25.3°C) | 90°/74°F (32.5°/23.4°C) |
| Jul | 111°/80°F (43.7°/26.4°C) | 90°/73°F (32.3°/23.0°C) |
| Aug | 111°/79°F (43.7°/26.3°C) | 90°/74°F (32.4°/23.1°C) |
| Sep | 105°/73°F (40.6°/22.9°C) | 90°/74°F (32.0°/23.1°C) |
| Oct | 96°/65°F (35.5°/18.2°C) | 89°/74°F (31.6°/23.2°C) |
| Nov | 83°/56°F (28.1°/13.3°C) | 89°/74°F (31.4°/23.2°C) |
| Dec | 72°/47°F (22.1°/8.4°C) | 88°/74°F (31.0°/23.2°C) |
Data:
National Center for Meteorology,
Brunei Darussalam Meteorological Department
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Saudi Arabia 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.
Saudi Arabia passport holder visiting Brunei
Visa on Arrival
Brunei passport holder visiting Saudi Arabia
Visa on ArrivalData: 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 Saudi Arabia?
On average Brunei is about 7% less expensive than Saudi Arabia, with major cities narrowing the gap.
How much money do I need to move to Brunei?
Budget about BND22,175 for 3 months in Brunei (based on a SAR280,000 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: 21.2 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 Saudi Arabia across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Brunei is 0.5 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.9 in Saudi Arabia.
How is healthcare in Brunei compared to Saudi Arabia?
Brunei generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Saudi Arabia leads in doctors per 10,000 people. There are 18.9 doctors per 10,000 people in Brunei, compared to 34.1 in Saudi Arabia. Brunei scores 78 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Saudi Arabia: 74).
What's the weather like in Brunei compared to Saudi Arabia?
The average high temperature in Bandar Seri Begawan is 89°F, compared to 92°F in Riyadh. Bandar Seri Begawan receives around 114.7 in of rainfall per year, while Riyadh gets 4.4 in.
What language do they speak in Brunei?
The official language in Brunei is Malay. In Saudi Arabia, the official language is Arabic.
