Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bhutan and the United States

Name: United States
Address: US

For one person, living is cheaper in Bhutan: $502 a month against $2,734 in the United States, rent and utilities included – about $26,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

24

Cost of Living Index in Bhutan
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Bhutan Living Index
131

Cost of Living Index in the United States
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United States Living Index

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🇧🇹 Bhutan

$502

/mo nomad

🇺🇸 United States

$2,734

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bhutan and in the United States

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Bhutan and in the United States actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $502 per month in Bhutan vs $2,734 in the United States, rent included.

Bhutan $502
United States $2,734

A couple spends around $778 per month in Bhutan vs $3,985 in the United States, rent included.

Bhutan $778
United States $3,985

A family of three spends $1,053 per month in Bhutan vs $5,235 in the United States, rent included.

Bhutan $1,053
United States $5,235

The regional cost range is wider in the United States ($979–$5,160) than in Bhutan ($103–$522), so city choice matters more there.

The cost of living in Bhutan is roughly 82% lower than in the United States on average.

Bhutan sits 63% below the global median, while the United States is 101% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.65 BTN 253

$20.03 $20.03

-86.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$14.13 BTN 1,346

$80.0 $80.0

-82.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.01 BTN 477

$11.80 $11.80

-57.54%

Cappuccino

$1.29 BTN 123

$5.55 $5.55

-76.76%

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

$0.48 BTN 46.17

$2.66 $2.66

-81.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.16 BTN 15.48

$2.17 $2.17

-92.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 BTN 244

$6.12 $6.12

-58.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 BTN 155

$7.94 $7.94

-79.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.78 BTN 74.0

$1.04 $1.04

-25.00%

White Bread (500g)

$0.84 BTN 80.2

$3.59 $3.59

-76.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.99 BTN 94.1

$4.52 $4.52

-78.10%

Eggs

$1.56 BTN 149

$4.28 $4.28

-63.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.33 BTN 318

$13.22 $13.22

-74.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.71 BTN 354

$12.60 $12.60

-70.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$3.91 BTN 373

$17.60 $17.60

-77.78%

Apples (1kg)

$2.44 BTN 232

$5.30 $5.30

-53.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 BTN 150

$1.69 $1.69

-7.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.59 BTN 152

$4.44 $4.44

-64.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.92 BTN 87.6

$4.77 $4.77

-80.71%

Potato (1kg)

$0.61 BTN 58.0

$2.97 $2.97

-79.46%

Onion (1kg)

$0.69 BTN 65.6

$3.15 $3.15

-78.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.64 BTN 60.9

$2.20 $2.20

-70.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.33 BTN 31.73

$2.35 $2.35

-85.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.88 BTN 369

$10.98 $10.98

-64.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$2.91 BTN 277

$15.05 $15.05

-80.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 BTN 80.4

$2.06 $2.06

-59.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.07 BTN 102

$3.79 $3.79

-71.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.82 BTN 78.2

$1.94 $1.94

-57.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$5.12 BTN 488

$59.4 $59.4

-91.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.83 BTN 78.8

$3.58 $3.58

-76.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.54 BTN 146

$1.88 $1.88

-18.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$0.14 BTN 13.61

$29.84 $29.84

-99.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.77 BTN 73.2

$1.02 $1.02

-24.51%

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

$16.4K BTN 1.6M

$28.8K $28.8K

-42.81%

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

$15.2K BTN 1.4M

$26.2K $26.2K

-42.06%

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

$34.15 BTN 3,254

$218 $218

-84.33%

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

$36.40 BTN 3,469

$62.5 $62.5

-41.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.12 BTN 2,299

$74.5 $74.5

-67.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.93 BTN 4,472

$41.86 $41.86

12.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.19 BTN 590

$22.81 $22.81

-72.86%

Cinema Ticket

$3.16 BTN 301

$14.70 $14.70

-78.50%

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

$44.49 BTN 4,240

$1,489 $1,489

-97.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$588 BTN 56.0K

$25.3K $25.3K

-97.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.65 BTN 3,397

$54.3 $54.3

-34.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$17.58 BTN 1,675

$42.71 $42.71

-58.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$54.7 BTN 5,211

$94.1 $94.1

-41.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$25.70 BTN 2,449

$114 $114

-77.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$120 BTN 11.4K

$1,659 $1,659

-92.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$85.6 BTN 8,152

$1,348 $1,348

-93.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$180 BTN 17.1K

$2,682 $2,682

-93.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$150 BTN 14.3K

$2,169 $2,169

-93.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,519 BTN 525.9K

$3,283 $3,283

68.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,676 BTN 159.7K

$2,482 $2,482

-32.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$322 BTN 30.7K

$4,296 $4,296

-92.51%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.55

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

Last update for Bhutan: October 26, 2026

Last update for the United States: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Groceries & Markets

Bhutan

$121 24.1%

United States

$415 15.2% 243% $294

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bhutan

$95 18.9%

United States

$355 13% 275% $260

Accommodation & Living

Bhutan

$86 17%

United States

$1.3K 49.3% 1475% $1.3K

Eating Out

Bhutan

$70 14%

United States

$328 12% 366% $258

Clothing & Footwear

Bhutan

$60 12%

United States

$137 5% 128% $77

Sport & Entertainment

Bhutan

$53 10.6%

United States

$71 2.6% 33.8% $18

Getting Around

Bhutan

$17 3.4%

United States

$80 2.9% 374% $63

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $142 in Bhutan vs $1,620 in the United States. For reference, capital cities sit at $128 in Thimphu and $2,768 in Washington, DC.

Average salary: $295 in Bhutan vs $4,549 in the United States. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 1041% higher in the United States.

Dining out costs 436% more in the United States.

Public transport is 1160% more expensive in the United States.

Salaries are about 15 times higher in the United States, and purchasing power comes out stronger in the United States.

Good to know

🇧🇹 Bhutan

🇺🇸 United States

🕒 Local time

14:25 2:25 PM

04:25 4:25 AM

10 h behind Bhutan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

787,424

340,110,988

💱 Currency

Bhutanese Ngultrum BTN Nu.

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 BTN = 10.49 USD

1,000 BTN = 9.38 EUR

1 USD = 0.894 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to BTN – Bhutanese Ngultrum Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇹 Bhutanese Ngultrum (Nu.)

Bhutanese Ngultrum exchange rates as of October 30, 2026: 1 USD = 95.29 BTN (100 BTN = 1.05 USD). 1 EUR = 107 BTN (1,000 BTN = 9.38 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 30, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.894 EUR).

USD to BTN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Bhutan United States 12,990 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Bhutan
United States

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Bhutan vs United States: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bhutan is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 82% lower on average.

Housing costs more in the United States: a central one-bedroom averages $1,620 versus $142 in Bhutan.

Groceries, public transport, and eating out all cost less in Bhutan – part of why living there is about 82% cheaper overall.

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