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 $202 in Bhutan, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,131 per month in China vs $313 in Bhutan, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,550 per month in China vs $424 in Bhutan, rent included.

The cost of living in China is about 252% 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 47% lower, Bhutan 85% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.86 ¥19.32

$2.87 BTN 242

-0.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.44 ¥158

$17.49 BTN 1,477

34.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.84 ¥32.70

$3.41 BTN 288

41.94%

Cappuccino

$3.11 ¥21.03

$1.41 BTN 119

120.57%

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

$0.44 ¥2.99

$0.48 BTN 40.11

-8.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 ¥1.99

$0.17 BTN 14.34

70.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.98 ¥6.63

$2.90 BTN 245

-66.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 ¥13.86

$2.34 BTN 198

-12.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 ¥12.45

$0.86 BTN 72.4

113.95%

White Bread (500g)

$1.62 ¥10.92

$0.81 BTN 68.5

100.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.93 ¥6.27

$0.67 BTN 56.6

38.81%

Eggs

$1.63 ¥11.01

$1.96 BTN 165

-16.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.15 ¥88.8

$3.19 BTN 269

312.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.26 ¥22.06

$3.60 BTN 304

-9.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.62 ¥71.8

$4.28 BTN 362

148.13%

Apples (1kg)

$1.80 ¥12.17

$2.82 BTN 238

-36.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.30 ¥8.76

$1.68 BTN 142

-22.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.46 ¥9.88

$2.15 BTN 182

-32.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.20 ¥8.13

$0.90 BTN 76.0

33.33%

Potato (1kg)

$0.76 ¥5.13

$0.55 BTN 46.40

38.18%

Onion (1kg)

$0.88 ¥5.93

$0.67 BTN 56.4

31.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.57 ¥3.86

$0.39 BTN 32.97

46.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 ¥3.62

$0.41 BTN 34.37

31.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.42 ¥23.14

$3.84 BTN 325

-10.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.75 ¥79.4

$3.05 BTN 258

285.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 ¥5.39

$0.75 BTN 63.0

6.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 ¥10.94

$1.14 BTN 96.4

42.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.43 ¥2.93

$2.08 BTN 176

-79.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.47 ¥138

$3.92 BTN 331

422.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.36 ¥9.22

$0.85 BTN 71.9

60.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.35 ¥2.39

$2.29 BTN 193

-84.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.50 ¥43.90

$0.15 BTN 12.64

4233.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.12 ¥7.58

$0.96 BTN 80.8

16.67%

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

$19.5K ¥131.6K

$19.3K BTN 1.6M

1.05%

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

$16.9K ¥113.9K

$24.8K BTN 2.1M

-32.03%

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

$51.7 ¥349

$22.94 BTN 1,937

125.37%

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

$10.17 ¥68.7

$37.07 BTN 3,129

-72.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.16 ¥75.4

$23.00 BTN 1,942

-51.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.62 ¥268

$48.83 BTN 4,122

-18.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.53 ¥98.2

$6.10 BTN 515

138.20%

Cinema Ticket

$6.38 ¥43.12

$3.45 BTN 291

84.93%

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

$407 ¥2,752

$242 BTN 20.4K

68.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.8K ¥120.5K

$665 BTN 56.1K

2583.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.53 ¥308

$20.30 BTN 1,714

124.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.31 ¥218

$11.71 BTN 988

175.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.6 ¥490

$48.46 BTN 4,091

49.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$74.4 ¥503

$38.75 BTN 3,271

92.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$443 ¥2,992

$103 BTN 8,725

328.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$258 ¥1,745

$67.9 BTN 5,729

280.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$910 ¥6,152

$173 BTN 14.6K

426.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$543 ¥3,672

$137 BTN 11.5K

297.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,934 ¥33.3K

$5,481 BTN 462.7K

-9.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,398 ¥16.2K

$1,689 BTN 142.6K

41.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,065 ¥7,194

$425 BTN 35.9K

150.64%

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Bhutan: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $287 in China vs $83.0 in Bhutan. For reference, capital cities sit at $894 in Beijing (Pekin) and $114 in Thimphu.

Average salary: $855 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 246% higher in China.

Dining out costs 425% more in China.

Public transport is 1700% more expensive in China.

Salaries are 118% 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 277% 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 277% 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.