Moving to Brunei from Tonga

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What to Expect

A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Tonga to Brunei — from daily expenses to quality of life.

If you moved from Tonga to Brunei, and you’d need to navigate life in Malay.

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Key Indicator Comparison

How Tonga and Brunei stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.

Is it safe?

Homicide rate United Nations SDG Indicators, 2019

per 100,000 people per year

TO
0.9
BN
0.5
Road traffic deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

per 100,000 people per year

TO
8.5
BN
3.6

Brunei performs significantly better than Tonga across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

Healthcare spending per person World Bank, 2023

annual government + private spending per person

TO
$512
BN
$1,896
Doctors per 10,000 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

affects wait times and access to care

TO
10.1
BN
19.1

Brunei generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Tonga leads in healthcare spending per person.

What about the environment?

Air pollution deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2019

deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people

TO
24.0
BN
20.0
CO₂ emissions per capita World Bank, 2024

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

TO
1.6t
BN
20.2t

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

Will I have good infrastructure?

Broadband per 100 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work

TO
8.0
BN
20.1
Internet access The World Factbook, 2021

share of households with internet

TO
67.0%
BN
98.0%

Brunei performs significantly better than Tonga across all infrastructure metrics.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate The World Factbook, 2023

percentage of the labour force without work

TO
2.3%
BN
5.3%
GDP per capita The World Factbook, 2023

a broad measure of economic output per person

TO
$6,600
BN
$77,900

Tonga generally does better on employment & economy, though Brunei leads in gdp per capita.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy The World Factbook, 2022

average years of life at birth

TO
77.5 yrs
BN
78.4 yrs
Infant mortality The World Factbook, 2022

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

TO
12.4
BN
10.5

Tonga generally does better on family life, though Brunei leads in life expectancy.

Data: The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators, World Bank

Visitor Visa Requirements

Short-stay tourist visa rules between Tonga 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.

Tonga passport

Tonga passport holder visiting Brunei

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

Brunei passport holder visiting Tonga

Visa on Arrival
Brunei passport holders can obtain a visa on arrival in Tonga.

Data: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.

Frequently Asked Questions

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 Tonga and Brunei.

Is Brunei safe for expats?

Brunei performs significantly better than Tonga across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Brunei is 0.5 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.9 in Tonga.

How is healthcare in Brunei compared to Tonga?

Brunei generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Tonga leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 19.1 doctors per 10,000 people in Brunei, compared to 10.1 in Tonga. Brunei scores 78 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Tonga: 57).

What language do they speak in Brunei?

The official language in Brunei is Malay. In Tonga, the official languages are English and Tongan.

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At a Glance

TO BN
Population 105,517 478,054
Currency Tongan Paʻanga (TOP) Brunei Dollar (BND)
Languages English, Tongan Malay
Driving side Left Left
Calling code +676 +673
Time zones 1 1