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 $2,185 per month in Australia vs $202 in Bhutan, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,220 per month in Australia vs $313 in Bhutan, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,254 per month in Australia vs $424 in Bhutan, rent included.

The cost of living in Australia is about 982% higher than in Bhutan on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Australia sits 64% above the global median, while Bhutan is 85% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.19 A$23.11

$2.87 BTN 242

464.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.1 A$110

$17.49 BTN 1,477

340.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.47 A$13.52

$3.41 BTN 288

177.71%

Cappuccino

$3.46 A$4.94

$1.41 BTN 119

145.39%

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

$2.68 A$3.83

$0.48 BTN 40.11

458.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.19 A$3.12

$0.17 BTN 14.34

1188.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.61 A$9.44

$2.90 BTN 245

127.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.10 A$10.14

$2.34 BTN 198

203.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 A$2.21

$0.86 BTN 72.4

80.23%

White Bread (500g)

$2.47 A$3.53

$0.81 BTN 68.5

204.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.10 A$3.00

$0.67 BTN 56.6

213.43%

Eggs

$4.24 A$6.06

$1.96 BTN 165

116.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.57 A$12.24

$3.19 BTN 269

168.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.60 A$12.28

$3.60 BTN 304

138.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.81 A$19.73

$4.28 BTN 362

222.66%

Apples (1kg)

$3.17 A$4.53

$2.82 BTN 238

12.41%

Banana (1kg)

$2.72 A$3.88

$1.68 BTN 142

61.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.96 A$4.23

$2.15 BTN 182

37.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.31 A$6.15

$0.90 BTN 76.0

378.89%

Potato (1kg)

$2.47 A$3.52

$0.55 BTN 46.40

349.09%

Onion (1kg)

$2.10 A$2.99

$0.67 BTN 56.4

213.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.19 A$3.13

$0.39 BTN 32.97

461.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.53 A$2.18

$0.41 BTN 34.37

273.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$31.29 A$44.69

$3.84 BTN 325

714.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.94 A$19.91

$3.05 BTN 258

357.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.46 A$6.37

$0.75 BTN 63.0

494.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.01 A$7.16

$1.14 BTN 96.4

339.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.00 A$4.29

$2.08 BTN 176

44.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$96.0 A$137

$3.92 BTN 331

2348.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.56 A$5.09

$0.85 BTN 71.9

318.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.75 A$2.50

$2.29 BTN 193

-23.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$37.88 A$54.1

$0.15 BTN 12.64

25153.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 A$1.65

$0.96 BTN 80.8

19.79%

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

$29.4K A$41.9K

$19.3K BTN 1.6M

52.39%

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

$23.1K A$33.0K

$24.8K BTN 2.1M

-6.95%

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

$174 A$248

$22.94 BTN 1,937

656.41%

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

$26.88 A$38.39

$37.07 BTN 3,129

-27.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.7 A$75.3

$23.00 BTN 1,942

129.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.69 A$68.1

$48.83 BTN 4,122

-2.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.51 A$23.57

$6.10 BTN 515

170.66%

Cinema Ticket

$13.73 A$19.61

$3.45 BTN 291

297.97%

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

$1,555 A$2,220

$242 BTN 20.4K

543.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.7K A$18.1K

$665 BTN 56.1K

1805.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.6 A$99.4

$20.30 BTN 1,714

242.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.2 A$73.2

$11.71 BTN 988

337.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 A$145

$48.46 BTN 4,091

109.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 A$160

$38.75 BTN 3,271

189.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,359 A$1,941

$103 BTN 8,725

1214.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,080 A$1,542

$67.9 BTN 5,729

1491.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,300 A$3,285

$173 BTN 14.6K

1230.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,751 A$2,501

$137 BTN 11.5K

1181.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,618 A$10.9K

$5,481 BTN 462.7K

38.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,762 A$8,228

$1,689 BTN 142.6K

241.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,023 A$5,745

$425 BTN 35.9K

847.14%

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for Bhutan: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,231 in Australia vs $83.0 in Bhutan. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,549 in Canberra and $114 in Thimphu.

Average salary: $3,775 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 1383% higher in Australia.

Dining out costs 1825% more in Australia.

Public transport is 6600% more expensive in Australia.

Salaries are 861% 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 863% 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 863% 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.