Moving to Brunei from Syria

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What to Expect

Considering a move from Syria to Brunei? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.

If you moved from Syria to Brunei, you would find that Brunei is 82.9% more expensive than Syria overall. A SYP980,000,000 salary in Syria would need to be roughly BND177,000 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 78°F in Damascus, making it significantly warmer.

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Is Brunei cheaper than Syria?

How key spending categories compare

Restaurants

pay 0.1% more

Groceries

pay 2.3 times more

Transportation

pay 54.9% less

Housing

pay 3.0 times more

Childcare

pay 4.7 times more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 2.1 times more

See full cost of living breakdown
Exchange rate: 1 SYP = 0.0001 BND (October 2026)

Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.

What salary do you need in Brunei?

What does your salary buy?

SYP980,000,000 → BND177,000

To maintain the same standard of living in Brunei

Calculate with your salary →

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Key Indicator Comparison

The numbers behind daily life in Brunei compared to Syria.

Is it safe?

Homicide rate United Nations SDG Indicators, 2013

per 100,000 people per year

SY
2.1
BN
0.5
Road traffic deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

per 100,000 people per year

SY
29.9
BN
3.6

Brunei performs significantly better than Syria across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

Healthcare spending per person World Bank, 2023

annual government + private spending per person

SY
$122
BN
$1,896
Doctors per 10,000 people World Bank, 2021

affects wait times and access to care

SY
15.2
BN
18.9

Syria generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Brunei leads in doctors per 10,000 people.

What about the environment?

Air pollution deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2019

deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people

SY
83.0
BN
20.0
CO₂ emissions per capita World Bank, 2024

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

SY
1.3t
BN
20.2t

Syria generally does better on environment, though Brunei leads in air pollution deaths.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Broadband per 100 people World Bank, 2024

fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work

SY
6.9
BN
21.2
Water stress level World Bank, 2022

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

SY
124.4%
BN
3.5%

Brunei performs significantly better than Syria across all infrastructure metrics.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate World Bank, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

SY
13.6%
BN
5.3%
GDP per capita World Bank, 2025

a broad measure of economic output per person

SY
$1,057
BN
$32,235

Brunei performs significantly better than Syria across all employment & economy metrics.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy World Bank, 2024

average years of life at birth

SY
72.6 yrs
BN
75.5 yrs
Infant mortality World Bank, 2024

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

SY
17.7
BN
8.6

Brunei generally does better on family life, though Syria leads in education spending.

Sources: World Bank (2016–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2010–2021), The World Factbook (2009–2022), World Health Organization (2024), Ministry of Finance, Syria (2016), Ministry of Finance, Revenue Division, Brunei (2016). How we calculate this

Weather in Brunei vs Syria

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

Damascus Rain: 5.3 in/yr (134 mm)
78° / 47°F

Avg. annual high / low

Bandar Seri Begawan Rain: 114.7 in/yr (2913 mm)
89° / 74°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months Damascus Bandar Seri Begawan
Jan–Mar 60°/35°F (15°/2°C) 88°/74°F (31°/23°C)
Apr–Jun 85°/51°F (29°/11°C) 90°/75°F (33°/24°C)
Jul–Sep 96°/60°F (35°/15°C) 90°/74°F (32°/23°C)
Oct–Dec 70°/40°F (21°/5°C) 89°/74°F (31°/23°C)
View all months
Month Damascus Bandar Seri Begawan
Jan 55°/33°F (12.6°/0.4°C) 87°/74°F (30.4°/23.3°C)
Feb 59°/34°F (14.8°/1.3°C) 87°/74°F (30.7°/23.3°C)
Mar 66°/39°F (18.9°/3.7°C) 89°/74°F (31.9°/23.5°C)
Apr 76°/45°F (24.5°/7.0°C) 90°/75°F (32.5°/23.7°C)
May 85°/51°F (29.7°/10.5°C) 91°/75°F (32.6°/23.7°C)
Jun 94°/58°F (34.2°/14.2°C) 90°/74°F (32.5°/23.4°C)
Jul 98°/62°F (36.5°/16.9°C) 90°/73°F (32.3°/23.0°C)
Aug 97°/62°F (36.2°/16.5°C) 90°/74°F (32.4°/23.1°C)
Sep 92°/55°F (33.4°/13.0°C) 90°/74°F (32.0°/23.1°C)
Oct 82°/48°F (28.0°/8.9°C) 89°/74°F (31.6°/23.2°C)
Nov 69°/39°F (20.3°/4.0°C) 89°/74°F (31.4°/23.2°C)
Dec 58°/34°F (14.2°/1.3°C) 88°/74°F (31.0°/23.2°C)

Data: Ministry of Defence Meteorological Department Ministry of Defence Meteorological Department, Brunei Darussalam Meteorological Department Brunei Darussalam Meteorological Department

Can you move from Syria to Brunei?

Short-stay tourist visa rules between Syria 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.

Syria passport

Syria passport holder visiting Brunei

Visa Required
Syria passport holders need a visa to enter Brunei.
Brunei passport

Brunei passport holder visiting Syria

Visa Online (e-Visa)
Brunei passport holders need to apply for an e-Visa before travelling to Syria.

Data: 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 Syria?

On average Brunei is around 83% pricier than Syria, with notable variation by city.

How much money do I need to move to Brunei?

Budget about BND44,250 for 3 months in Brunei (based on a SYP980,000,000 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 Syria across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Brunei is 0.5 per 100,000 people, compared to 2.1 in Syria.

How is healthcare in Brunei compared to Syria?

Syria generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Brunei leads in doctors per 10,000 people. There are 18.9 doctors per 10,000 people in Brunei, compared to 15.2 in Syria. Brunei scores 78 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Syria: 64).

What's the weather like in Brunei compared to Syria?

The average high temperature in Bandar Seri Begawan is 89°F, compared to 78°F in Damascus. Bandar Seri Begawan receives around 114.7 in of rainfall per year, while Damascus gets 5.3 in.

What language do they speak in Brunei?

The official language in Brunei is Malay. In Syria, the official language is Arabic.

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At a Glance

SY BN
Population 25,620,427 466,330
Currency Syrian Pound (SYP) Brunei Dollar (BND)
Languages Arabic Malay
Driving side Right Left
Calling code +963 +673
Time zones 1 1