Cost of Living Comparison Between China and Bhutan Cost of Living Comparison Between China and Bhutan

Name: Bhutan
Address: BT

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $712 per month in China vs $204 in Bhutan, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,132 per month in China vs $314 in Bhutan, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,551 per month in China vs $424 in Bhutan, rent included.

China costs about 249% more than Bhutan on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Both China and Bhutan are more affordable than the global median – China 47% lower, Bhutan 85% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.81 ¥19.00

$2.95 BTN 249

-4.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.30 ¥158

$17.23 BTN 1,454

35.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.01 ¥33.91

$3.44 BTN 290

45.64%

Cappuccino

$3.01 ¥20.41

$1.45 BTN 123

107.59%

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

$0.45 ¥3.03

$0.48 BTN 40.47

-6.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 ¥1.97

$0.16 BTN 13.43

81.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.95 ¥6.42

$2.98 BTN 252

-68.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 ¥13.89

$2.31 BTN 195

-11.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.76 ¥11.89

$0.87 BTN 73.5

102.30%

White Bread (500g)

$1.62 ¥10.99

$0.85 BTN 71.8

90.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.95 ¥6.46

$0.67 BTN 56.9

41.79%

Eggs

$1.56 ¥10.56

$1.96 BTN 165

-20.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.06 ¥88.4

$3.18 BTN 269

310.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.28 ¥22.19

$3.66 BTN 309

-10.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.65 ¥72.1

$4.23 BTN 357

151.77%

Apples (1kg)

$1.78 ¥12.04

$2.77 BTN 234

-35.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.24 ¥8.43

$1.75 BTN 148

-29.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 ¥10.13

$2.12 BTN 179

-29.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.15 ¥7.80

$0.92 BTN 78.0

25.00%

Potato (1kg)

$0.75 ¥5.08

$0.51 BTN 43.33

47.06%

Onion (1kg)

$0.86 ¥5.82

$0.71 BTN 60.0

21.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.62 ¥4.17

$0.40 BTN 33.57

55.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ¥3.81

$0.41 BTN 34.50

36.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.51 ¥23.79

$3.80 BTN 321

-7.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.66 ¥78.9

$3.25 BTN 274

258.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 ¥5.40

$0.74 BTN 62.5

8.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 ¥11.26

$1.19 BTN 100

39.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.43 ¥2.93

$1.99 BTN 168

-78.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.86 ¥141

$4.10 BTN 347

408.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.37 ¥9.27

$0.91 BTN 76.4

50.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.35 ¥2.39

$2.26 BTN 191

-84.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.63 ¥44.87

$0.15 BTN 12.69

4320.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.14 ¥7.70

$0.95 BTN 80.3

20.00%

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

$19.2K ¥129.8K

$19.3K BTN 1.6M

-0.73%

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

$16.8K ¥113.5K

$24.7K BTN 2.1M

-32.04%

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

$51.2 ¥346

$22.67 BTN 1,914

125.72%

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

$10.16 ¥68.8

$37.55 BTN 3,170

-72.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.51 ¥77.9

$22.97 BTN 1,939

-49.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.53 ¥274

$48.34 BTN 4,081

-16.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.05 ¥102

$6.29 BTN 531

139.27%

Cinema Ticket

$6.10 ¥41.30

$3.53 BTN 298

72.80%

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

$402 ¥2,722

$242 BTN 20.4K

66.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.7K ¥119.6K

$680 BTN 57.4K

2498.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.57 ¥308

$20.29 BTN 1,713

124.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.26 ¥225

$11.58 BTN 978

187.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.6 ¥491

$48.51 BTN 4,095

49.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$74.5 ¥504

$39.46 BTN 3,331

88.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$429 ¥2,906

$105 BTN 8,854

309.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$257 ¥1,741

$68.9 BTN 5,815

273.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$895 ¥6,061

$176 BTN 14.9K

407.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$541 ¥3,664

$141 BTN 11.9K

284.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,015 ¥33.9K

$5,532 BTN 466.9K

-9.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,469 ¥16.7K

$1,689 BTN 142.5K

46.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,055 ¥7,139

$423 BTN 35.7K

149.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.06

10.75

-62.23%

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

Last update for China: June 1, 2026

Last update for Bhutan: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $286 in China vs $85.0 in Bhutan. For reference, capital cities sit at $916 in Beijing (Pekin) and $118 in Thimphu.

Average salary: $861 in China vs $393 in Bhutan. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 236% higher in China.

Dining out costs 425% more in China.

Public transport is 1700% more expensive in China.

Salaries are 119% higher in China, 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

China vs Bhutan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bhutan is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 280% lower on average. The gap is consistent across housing, groceries, transport, and entertainment.

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

Groceries, transport, and utilities all cost less in Bhutan, contributing to the overall 280% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.

$1,000 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Bhutan, but in China 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.