The Economist’s 2017 global cost of living survey found that Bandar Seri Begawan was amongst the most cost effective cities to live in Southeast Asia, while the capital of Brunei was ranked 92nd out of 133 cities worldwide (ninety fifth within the 2016 rating; higher positions indicate the next cost of living).
Other relatively inexpensive cities within the region include Manila (92nd, tied with Bandar Seri Begawan), Jakarta (82nd), Phnom Penh and Ho Chi Minh City (each 78th). Singapore was again ranked as the costliest city to live in not only ASEAN however the world (1st), while Bangkok got here in second as the costliest city within the region (51st). Data was not available for Laos and Myanmar.
According to a Thai expat who has lived in Brunei for 3 years, food prices listed here are considered low. One example is the crabs sold on the wet market.
“I am going to the Gadong fish market every Sunday and the mud crabs are affordable in comparison with those in Bangkok, and the traffic jams listed here are nothing in comparison with back home.
“Traffic can be a bit congested at times in this area, but even during traffic jams, everything runs smoothly and it takes less than 30 to 45 minutes to clear the traffic,” he said.
An identical opinion is expressed by an emigrant from Hong Kong who has been working within the maritime industry for a 12 months.
“The rent for a three-room apartment near the capital is far lower than in Hong Kong and there will not be as much hustle and bustle as at home,” he said.
Another Australian expat working within the restaurant industry said he enjoys the peace and quiet here and enjoys local delicacies resembling the ever-popular “Nasi Katok” for a dollar.
He also expressed joy on the close proximity of the 2 countries. “The flight back home on Royal Brunei Airlines takes only about seven hours,” he said.
A value of living survey by the Economist Intelligence Unit, a sister company, also found that Singapore retains the title of the world’s costliest city for the fourth 12 months in a row.
The study, which compared the costs of 160 goods and services in 133 cities around the globe (largely utilized by human resources managers to calculate salaries for overseas work), found that Singapore is 20 per cent costlier than New York and five per cent costlier than Hong Kong, which is available in second.
Additionally, the continued appreciation of the Japanese yen led to higher costs in Osaka and Tokyo.
Currently, five of the six costliest cities on the planet are in Asia.
This contrasts with the gradual decline within the rating of European cities, which a decade ago occupied eight places in the highest ten costliest, and now account for just 4.
Meanwhile, within the UK, the depreciation of sterling following the Brexit referendum contributed to a big drop within the rankings for London and Manchester, with London falling to its lowest position in 20 years.
American cities also fell within the rankings, although they continue to be relatively expensive compared with five years ago, when New York ranked forty sixth on the planet. San Francisco and Lexington, Ky., were the one American cities of the 16 surveyed to maneuver up within the rankings.
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