Cost of Living Comparison Between Australia and Bhutan Cost of Living Comparison Between Australia and Bhutan

Name: Bhutan
Address: BT

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,547 per month in Australia vs $176 in Bhutan, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,678 per month in Australia vs $284 in Bhutan, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,808 per month in Australia vs $391 in Bhutan, rent included.

The cost of living in Australia is about 1347% higher than in Bhutan on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Australia sits 85% above the global median, while Bhutan is 87% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.74 A$24.80

$2.63 BTN 222

574.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$86.9 A$121

$14.18 BTN 1,197

512.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.35 A$15.86

$3.61 BTN 305

214.40%

Cappuccino

$3.99 A$5.58

$1.34 BTN 113

197.76%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 A$4.15

$0.53 BTN 44.87

460.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.51 A$3.51

$0.18 BTN 15.36

1294.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.75 A$10.83

$2.69 BTN 227

188.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.07 A$11.28

$2.06 BTN 174

291.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.76 A$2.46

$0.85 BTN 72.0

107.06%

White Bread (500g)

$2.87 A$4.01

$0.85 BTN 71.8

237.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.37 A$3.31

$0.98 BTN 83.0

141.84%

Eggs

$5.11 A$7.15

$1.61 BTN 136

217.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.13 A$14.17

$3.40 BTN 287

197.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.57 A$13.38

$3.94 BTN 333

142.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.59 A$21.80

$3.75 BTN 316

315.73%

Apples (1kg)

$3.83 A$5.35

$2.49 BTN 210

53.82%

Banana (1kg)

$3.13 A$4.37

$1.60 BTN 135

95.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.35 A$4.69

$1.61 BTN 136

108.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.88 A$6.82

$0.93 BTN 78.4

424.73%

Potato (1kg)

$2.92 A$4.08

$0.55 BTN 46.60

430.91%

Onion (1kg)

$2.36 A$3.30

$0.73 BTN 62.0

223.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.46 A$3.44

$0.64 BTN 53.9

284.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 A$2.38

$0.34 BTN 28.29

400.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$39.46 A$55.2

$3.90 BTN 329

911.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.69 A$20.53

$2.89 BTN 244

408.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.07 A$7.09

$0.80 BTN 67.2

533.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.36 A$7.50

$1.11 BTN 94.1

382.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.84 A$3.97

$0.82 BTN 69.1

246.34%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$97.3 A$136

$5.17 BTN 436

1781.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.56 A$4.97

$0.81 BTN 68.3

339.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.68 A$2.35

$1.60 BTN 135

5.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.94 A$57.2

$0.15 BTN 12.95

27193.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 A$1.89

$0.78 BTN 66.2

73.08%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$29.1K A$40.6K

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$29.5K A$41.2K

$15.1K BTN 1.3M

95.12%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$207 A$290

$34.89 BTN 2,945

494.70%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$29.34 A$41.01

$36.96 BTN 3,120

-20.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.0 A$83.9

$24.70 BTN 2,085

143.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.3 A$82.8

$47.04 BTN 3,971

25.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.28 A$28.34

$5.97 BTN 504

239.70%

Cinema Ticket

$16.04 A$22.42

$3.13 BTN 264

412.46%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$2,194 A$3,067

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.6K A$26.0K

$584 BTN 49.3K

3087.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$81.1 A$113

$21.57 BTN 1,821

275.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.9 A$79.5

$10.47 BTN 884

443.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$119 A$166

$56.3 BTN 4,752

110.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 A$177

$25.84 BTN 2,182

389.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,637 A$2,288

$123 BTN 10.4K

1228.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,306 A$1,825

$88.6 BTN 7,478

1374.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,589 A$3,618

$179 BTN 15.1K

1344.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,963 A$2,744

$151 BTN 12.8K

1199.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,394 A$11.7K

$5,486 BTN 463.1K

53.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,140 A$8,582

$1,690 BTN 142.7K

263.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,067 A$5,685

$328 BTN 27.7K

1140.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.93

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Australia: September 6, 2026

Last update for Bhutan: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,426 in Australia vs $85.0 in Bhutan. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,845 in Canberra and $131 in Thimphu.

Average salary: $3,945 in Australia vs $301 in Bhutan. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 1578% higher in Australia.

Dining out costs 2733% more in Australia.

Public transport is 7900% more expensive in Australia.

Salaries are 1211% higher in Australia, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Bhutan.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Australia vs Bhutan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bhutan is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 818% lower on average. The gap is consistent across housing, groceries, transport, and entertainment.

Housing costs more in Australia, and the gap is biggest in capital cities. Regional towns show less difference, but Australia consistently has higher rents.

Groceries, transport, and utilities all cost less in Bhutan, contributing to the overall 818% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.

$1,000 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Bhutan, but in Australia it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

Bhutan is the budget-friendly choice for expats – lower housing and daily costs. But cost isn't everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.