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 $2,182 per month in Australia vs $204 in Bhutan, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,216 per month in Australia vs $314 in Bhutan, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,250 per month in Australia vs $424 in Bhutan, rent included.

Australia costs about 970% more than Bhutan on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Australia sits 63% above the global median, while Bhutan is 85% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.17 A$22.54

$2.95 BTN 249

448.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.6 A$110

$17.23 BTN 1,454

356.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.48 A$13.21

$3.44 BTN 290

175.58%

Cappuccino

$3.56 A$4.96

$1.45 BTN 123

145.52%

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

$2.60 A$3.62

$0.48 BTN 40.47

441.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.21 A$3.08

$0.16 BTN 13.43

1281.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.47 A$9.02

$2.98 BTN 252

117.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.19 A$10.02

$2.31 BTN 195

211.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 A$2.18

$0.87 BTN 73.5

79.31%

White Bread (500g)

$2.53 A$3.53

$0.85 BTN 71.8

197.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.02 A$2.82

$0.67 BTN 56.9

201.49%

Eggs

$4.47 A$6.23

$1.96 BTN 165

128.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.86 A$12.35

$3.18 BTN 269

178.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.38 A$11.68

$3.66 BTN 309

128.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.71 A$19.10

$4.23 BTN 357

224.11%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 A$4.50

$2.77 BTN 234

16.61%

Banana (1kg)

$2.84 A$3.96

$1.75 BTN 148

62.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.98 A$4.15

$2.12 BTN 179

40.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.38 A$6.10

$0.92 BTN 78.0

376.09%

Potato (1kg)

$2.45 A$3.41

$0.51 BTN 43.33

380.39%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 A$2.94

$0.71 BTN 60.0

197.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.16 A$3.02

$0.40 BTN 33.57

440.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 A$2.21

$0.41 BTN 34.50

285.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$30.61 A$42.65

$3.80 BTN 321

705.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.23 A$19.83

$3.25 BTN 274

337.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.55 A$6.34

$0.74 BTN 62.5

514.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.91 A$6.84

$1.19 BTN 100

312.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.89 A$4.03

$1.99 BTN 168

45.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$97.5 A$136

$4.10 BTN 347

2277.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.54 A$4.94

$0.91 BTN 76.4

289.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.75 A$2.43

$2.26 BTN 191

-22.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$38.10 A$53.1

$0.15 BTN 12.69

25300.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.16 A$1.62

$0.95 BTN 80.3

22.11%

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

$28.8K A$40.1K

$19.3K BTN 1.6M

49.08%

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

$23.2K A$32.3K

$24.7K BTN 2.1M

-5.98%

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

$179 A$249

$22.67 BTN 1,914

688.71%

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

$26.75 A$37.27

$37.55 BTN 3,170

-28.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.7 A$74.8

$22.97 BTN 1,939

133.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.44 A$67.5

$48.34 BTN 4,081

0.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.88 A$23.52

$6.29 BTN 531

168.36%

Cinema Ticket

$13.61 A$18.97

$3.53 BTN 298

285.55%

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

$1,605 A$2,236

$242 BTN 20.4K

562.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.7K A$17.7K

$680 BTN 57.4K

1772.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.4 A$99.5

$20.29 BTN 1,713

251.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.0 A$69.7

$11.58 BTN 978

332.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.8 A$139

$48.51 BTN 4,095

105.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 A$152

$39.46 BTN 3,331

176.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,385 A$1,930

$105 BTN 8,854

1220.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,076 A$1,500

$68.9 BTN 5,815

1462.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,284 A$3,183

$176 BTN 14.9K

1195.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,757 A$2,448

$141 BTN 11.9K

1149.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,462 A$10.4K

$5,532 BTN 466.9K

34.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,617 A$7,827

$1,689 BTN 142.5K

232.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,070 A$5,672

$423 BTN 35.7K

862.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.35

10.75

-40.93%

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

Last update for Australia: June 1, 2026

Last update for Bhutan: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,233 in Australia vs $85.0 in Bhutan. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,548 in Canberra and $118 in Thimphu.

Average salary: $3,906 in Australia vs $393 in Bhutan. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 1351% higher in Australia.

Dining out costs 1825% more in Australia.

Public transport is 6600% more expensive in Australia.

Salaries are 894% higher in Australia, giving Bhutan stronger purchasing power.

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 853% 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 853% 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.