Moving to Brunei from Vietnam
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from Vietnam to Brunei — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from Vietnam to Brunei, you would find that Brunei is 55.4% more expensive than Vietnam overall. A ₫1,900,000,000 salary in Vietnam would need to be roughly BND146,000 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.
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Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day
Restaurants
pay 2.2 times more
Groceries
pay 77.7% more
Transportation
pay 46.1% less
Housing
pay 95.5% more
Childcare
pay 33.7% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 2.7 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.
What salary do you need in Brunei?
What does your salary buy?
₫1,900,000,000 → BND146,000
To maintain the same standard of living in Brunei
Calculate with your salary →Get free moving quotes to Brunei
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Key Indicator Comparison
Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Vietnam to Brunei.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Brunei performs significantly better than Vietnam 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 Vietnam leads in healthcare spending per person.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Vietnam 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 generally does better on infrastructure, though Vietnam leads in broadband per 100 people.
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 Vietnam 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 Vietnam across all family life metrics.
Sources: World Bank (2016–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2011–2021), World Health Organization (2024), General Department Of Taxation - Ministry Of Finance (2016), Ministry of Finance, Revenue Division, Brunei (2016), The World Factbook (2021). How we calculate this
Weather in Brunei vs Vietnam
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Ho Chi Minh City | Bandar Seri Begawan |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 91°/75°F (33°/24°C) | 88°/74°F (31°/23°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 94°/79°F (34°/26°C) | 90°/75°F (33°/24°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 91°/77°F (33°/25°C) | 90°/74°F (32°/23°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 90°/76°F (32°/25°C) | 89°/74°F (31°/23°C) |
View all months
| Month | Ho Chi Minh City | Bandar Seri Begawan |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 90°/74°F (32.0°/23.4°C) | 87°/74°F (30.4°/23.3°C) |
| Feb | 91°/74°F (32.7°/23.1°C) | 87°/74°F (30.7°/23.3°C) |
| Mar | 92°/77°F (33.6°/24.9°C) | 89°/74°F (31.9°/23.5°C) |
| Apr | 94°/80°F (34.5°/26.4°C) | 90°/75°F (32.5°/23.7°C) |
| May | 95°/80°F (34.9°/26.4°C) | 91°/75°F (32.6°/23.7°C) |
| Jun | 92°/78°F (33.5°/25.5°C) | 90°/74°F (32.5°/23.4°C) |
| Jul | 91°/77°F (33.0°/25.2°C) | 90°/73°F (32.3°/23.0°C) |
| Aug | 91°/77°F (32.9°/25.1°C) | 90°/74°F (32.4°/23.1°C) |
| Sep | 91°/77°F (32.6°/25.0°C) | 90°/74°F (32.0°/23.1°C) |
| Oct | 90°/77°F (32.3°/25.0°C) | 89°/74°F (31.6°/23.2°C) |
| Nov | 90°/77°F (32.4°/24.9°C) | 89°/74°F (31.4°/23.2°C) |
| Dec | 89°/75°F (31.6°/23.9°C) | 88°/74°F (31.0°/23.2°C) |
Data:
Viet Nam Meteorological and Hydrological Administration,
Brunei Darussalam Meteorological Department
Can you move from Vietnam to Brunei?
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Vietnam 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.
Vietnam passport holder visiting Brunei
Visa Free
Brunei passport holder visiting Vietnam
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 Vietnam?
No — Brunei is on average about 55% more expensive than Vietnam. City-level variation matters.
How much money do I need to move to Brunei?
Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly BND36,500 in Brunei on a ₫1,900,000,000 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees).
Can I work remotely from Brunei?
Internet is rarely the blocker — Brunei has 21.2 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people. The real questions are legal: digital nomad visa eligibility, your employer's overseas-work policy, and tax residency in both countries.
Is Brunei safe for expats?
Brunei performs significantly better than Vietnam across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Brunei is 0.5 per 100,000 people, compared to 1.5 in Vietnam.
How is healthcare in Brunei compared to Vietnam?
Brunei generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Vietnam leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 18.9 doctors per 10,000 people in Brunei, compared to 11.1 in Vietnam. Brunei scores 78 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Vietnam: 68).
What's the weather like in Brunei compared to Vietnam?
The average high temperature in Bandar Seri Begawan is 89°F, compared to 91°F in Ho Chi Minh City. Bandar Seri Begawan receives around 114.7 in of rainfall per year, while Ho Chi Minh City gets 65.1 in.
What language do they speak in Brunei?
The official language in Brunei is Malay. In Vietnam, the official language is Vietnamese.
