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 $720 per month in China vs $176 in Bhutan, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,148 per month in China vs $284 in Bhutan, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,576 per month in China vs $391 in Bhutan, rent included.

The cost of living in China is about 309% higher than in Bhutan on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Both China and Bhutan are more affordable than the global median – China 48% lower, Bhutan 87% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.93 ¥19.60

$2.63 BTN 222

11.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.72 ¥152

$14.18 BTN 1,197

60.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.07 ¥33.95

$3.61 BTN 305

40.44%

Cappuccino

$2.94 ¥19.70

$1.34 BTN 113

119.40%

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

$0.48 ¥3.21

$0.53 BTN 44.87

-9.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ¥2.02

$0.18 BTN 15.36

66.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.06 ¥7.10

$2.69 BTN 227

-60.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 ¥15.07

$2.06 BTN 174

9.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 ¥11.99

$0.85 BTN 72.0

110.59%

White Bread (500g)

$1.70 ¥11.35

$0.85 BTN 71.8

100.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.96 ¥6.45

$0.98 BTN 83.0

-2.04%

Eggs

$1.61 ¥10.79

$1.61 BTN 136

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.60 ¥91.1

$3.40 BTN 287

300.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.41 ¥22.84

$3.94 BTN 333

-13.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.07 ¥74.2

$3.75 BTN 316

195.20%

Apples (1kg)

$1.81 ¥12.09

$2.49 BTN 210

-27.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.30 ¥8.74

$1.60 BTN 135

-18.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.48 ¥9.91

$1.61 BTN 136

-8.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.30 ¥8.72

$0.93 BTN 78.4

39.78%

Potato (1kg)

$0.72 ¥4.82

$0.55 BTN 46.60

30.91%

Onion (1kg)

$0.94 ¥6.31

$0.73 BTN 62.0

28.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.61 ¥4.08

$0.64 BTN 53.9

-4.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ¥3.73

$0.34 BTN 28.29

64.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.67 ¥24.58

$3.90 BTN 329

-5.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.90 ¥79.7

$2.89 BTN 244

311.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 ¥5.56

$0.80 BTN 67.2

3.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 ¥11.08

$1.11 BTN 94.1

48.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 ¥1.92

$0.82 BTN 69.1

-64.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.61 ¥151

$5.17 BTN 436

337.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.45 ¥9.72

$0.81 BTN 68.3

79.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.34 ¥2.31

$1.60 BTN 135

-78.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.27 ¥48.72

$0.15 BTN 12.95

4746.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 ¥8.26

$0.78 BTN 66.2

57.69%

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

$19.5K ¥130.9K

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

$17.2K ¥115.5K

$15.1K BTN 1.3M

14.16%

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

$55.5 ¥371

$34.89 BTN 2,945

58.96%

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

$8.51 ¥57.0

$36.96 BTN 3,120

-76.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.81 ¥72.4

$24.70 BTN 2,085

-56.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.02 ¥268

$47.04 BTN 3,971

-14.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.80 ¥99.1

$5.97 BTN 504

147.91%

Cinema Ticket

$6.73 ¥45.09

$3.13 BTN 264

115.02%

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

$454 ¥3,042

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.5K ¥130.8K

$584 BTN 49.3K

3241.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.95 ¥301

$21.57 BTN 1,821

108.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.81 ¥240

$10.47 BTN 884

242.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.8 ¥514

$56.3 BTN 4,752

36.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.3 ¥518

$25.84 BTN 2,182

199.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$385 ¥2,581

$123 BTN 10.4K

212.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$242 ¥1,623

$88.6 BTN 7,478

173.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$837 ¥5,603

$179 BTN 15.1K

366.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 ¥3,177

$151 BTN 12.8K

214.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,619 ¥30.9K

$5,486 BTN 463.1K

-15.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,316 ¥15.5K

$1,690 BTN 142.7K

37.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,062 ¥7,110

$328 BTN 27.7K

223.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.47

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

Last update for China: September 5, 2026

Last update for Bhutan: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $295 in China vs $85.0 in Bhutan. For reference, capital cities sit at $957 in Beijing (Pekin) and $131 in Thimphu.

Average salary: $865 in China vs $301 in Bhutan. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 247% higher in China.

Dining out costs 600% more in China.

Public transport is 1600% more expensive in China.

Salaries are 187% higher in China, 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

China vs Bhutan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bhutan is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 242% 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 242% 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.