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This is Southeast Asia’s most affordable capital

This is Southeast Asia’s most affordable capital
Bandar Seri Begawan © Travelmarble

According to an expatriate from Thailand who has been residing in Brunei for three years, the price of food here is considered cheap. One example is the crabs sold in the wet market.

 

The Economist’s 2017 worldwide cost of living survey has ranked Bandar Seri Begawan among the cheapest cities in Southeast Asia to live in, with Brunei’s capital placed 92nd out of 133 cities globally (ranked 95th in 2016 survey; higher placing indicates higher cost of living).

Other relatively inexpensive cities in the region were Manila (92nd, tied with Bandar Seri Begawan), Jakarta (82nd), Phnom Penh and Ho Chi Minh City (both 78th). Singapore is once again ranked as the most expensive city to live in not just in Asean but in the world (1st), while Bangkok finished as the second most expensive city in the region (51st). No data was available for Laos and Myanmar.

According to an expatriate from Thailand who has been residing in Brunei for three years, the price of food here is considered cheap. One example is the crabs sold in the wet market.

“I go to the Gadong fish market every Sunday and found that the price of mud crabs is affordable compared to those sold in Bangkok, and the traffic jams here are nothing compared to back home.

Gadong Night Market: Amazing smoked fish for $3 | Tripadvisor
Gadong Night Market: Amazing smoked fish for $3 | Tripadvisor

 

“At times the traffic here can be slow, but even during jams it is still moving and takes less than 30 to 45 minutes to clear up,” he said.

This opinion is also echoed by an expatriate from Hong Kong who has been working in the maritime industry for about a year.

“The rent for a three bedroom condominium near the capital here is far cheaper than in Hong Kong and there is less hustle and bustle than back home,” he said.

Another expatriate from Australia who is working in the food and beverage industry said he enjoys the serenity here and likes the local delicacies such as the ever-popular $1 ‘Nasi Katok’ .

He also expressed delight in the proximity of both countries. “A flight back home is just roughly seven hours away with Royal Brunei Airlines,” he said.

The Economist’s cost-of-living survey, through its Economist Intelligence Unit sister company, also stated that Singapore retains its title as the world’s most costly city for a fourth consecutive year.

The survey, which compares the prices of 160 goods and services in 133 cities around the world – primarily used by human resources managers to calculate compensation packages for overseas postings – found that Singapore was 20 per cent more expensive than New York, and five per cent pricier than Hong Kong, which lies in second place.

Additionally, sustained recovery in the strength of the Japanese yen has led to rising costs in Osaka and Tokyo.

Asia now hosts five out of the six most expensive cities in the world.

This contrasts with a gradual drop down the rankings for European cities, which made up eight of the 10 most expensive places a decade ago, but now account for just four.

In Britain, meanwhile, the depreciation of the sterling after the Brexit referendum has helped push London and Manchester sharply down the rankings; London is at its lowest position in 20 years.

American cities have fallen down the rankings, too, although they still remain comparatively expensive compared with five years ago, when New York was ranked 46th worldwide. San Francisco and Lexington (of the state of Kentucky) were the only American cities out of the 16 surveyed to climb the rankings.


Source : Borneo Bulletin

Tags: market cheap
Akhyari Hananto

I began my career in the banking industry in 1997, and stayed approx 6 years in it. This industry boost his knowledge about the economic condition in Indonesia, both macro and micro, and how to More understand it. My banking career continued in Yogyakarta when I joined in a program funded by the Asian Development Bank (ADB),as the coordinator for a program aimed to help improve the quality of learning and teaching process in private universities in Yogyakarta. When the earthquake stroke Yogyakarta, I chose to join an international NGO working in the area of ?disaster response and management, which allows me to help rebuild the city, as well as other disaster-stricken area in Indonesia. I went on to become the coordinator for emergency response in the Asia Pacific region. Then I was assigned for 1 year in Cambodia, as a country coordinator mostly to deliver developmental programs (water and sanitation, education, livelihood). In 2009, he continued his career as a protocol and HR officer at the U.S. Consulate General in Surabaya, and two years later I joined the Political and Economic Section until now, where i have to deal with extensive range of people and government officials, as well as private and government institution troughout eastern Indonesia. I am the founder and Editor-in-Chief in Good News From Indonesia (GNFI), a growing and influential social media movement, and was selected as one of The Most Influential Netizen 2011 by The Marketeers magazine. I also wrote a book on "Fundamentals of Disaster Management in 2007"?, "Good News From Indonesia : Beragam Prestasi Anak Bangsa di dunia"? which was luanched in August 2013, and "Indonesia Bersyukur"? which is launched in Sept 2013. In 2014, 3 books were released in which i was one of the writer; "Indonesia Pelangi Dunia"?, "Indonesia The Untold Stories"? and "Growing! Meretas Jalan Kejayaan" I give lectures to students in lectures nationwide, sharing on full range of issues, from economy, to diplomacy Less
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