Money, cards and ATMs in Brunei

One currency in two countries, near enough

• The Currency Interchangeability Agreement has been in force since 1967. Under it the Brunei Darussalam Central Bank and the Monetary Authority of Singapore accept each other's notes and coins at par and without charge.
• Banks in both countries take the other's currency for deposit at par, from the public and from businesses. MAS's own wording is that businesses and members of the public should not be concerned about accepting payments in Brunei currency.
• In practice this means Singapore dollars circulate in Brunei and Brunei dollars circulate in Singapore. If you are arriving from Changi with leftover cash, it is not dead money.
• It is an interchangeability agreement, not a shared currency. A shop can decline, and the notes look different. Do not plan a whole trip on it, but do not throw the change away either.

Cash and cards

• Carry some cash. Water taxis are negotiated in cash, buses are cash, and the fixed-price airport taxi list is a cash-and-paper arrangement.
• A foreign-registered car buys fuel at designated stations, usually cash only. Another reason not to arrive with none.

What things cost to move around

• A bus ride averages about BND 1. A metered taxi starts at BND 3.50 and adds BND 3.00 for the airport. A day's car hire is BND 60 to 100.
• Those three numbers set the scale of everything else here.