Cost of Living Comparison Between Italy and Bhutan Cost of Living Comparison Between Italy and Bhutan

Name: Bhutan
Address: BT

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,718 per month in Italy vs $202 in Bhutan, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,621 per month in Italy vs $313 in Bhutan, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,524 per month in Italy vs $424 in Bhutan, rent included.

The cost of living in Italy is about 750% higher than in Bhutan on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Italy sits 29% above the global median, while Bhutan is 85% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.40

$2.87 BTN 242

512.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$82.5 €72.2

$17.49 BTN 1,477

371.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.72 €10.26

$3.41 BTN 288

243.70%

Cappuccino

$1.92 €1.68

$1.41 BTN 119

36.17%

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

$2.99 €2.62

$0.48 BTN 40.11

522.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.19

$0.17 BTN 14.34

700.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.76 €5.04

$2.90 BTN 245

98.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.22 €4.57

$2.34 BTN 198

123.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.69 €1.48

$0.86 BTN 72.4

96.51%

White Bread (500g)

$2.33 €2.04

$0.81 BTN 68.5

187.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.05 €2.67

$0.67 BTN 56.6

355.22%

Eggs

$3.99 €3.49

$1.96 BTN 165

103.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.68 €14.61

$3.19 BTN 269

422.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.57 €11.01

$3.60 BTN 304

249.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.53 €17.98

$4.28 BTN 362

379.67%

Apples (1kg)

$2.56 €2.24

$2.82 BTN 238

-9.22%

Banana (1kg)

$2.20 €1.93

$1.68 BTN 142

30.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.68 €2.35

$2.15 BTN 182

24.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.37 €2.95

$0.90 BTN 76.0

274.44%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.79

$0.55 BTN 46.40

270.91%

Onion (1kg)

$1.88 €1.65

$0.67 BTN 56.4

180.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.29

$0.39 BTN 32.97

276.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 €0.47

$0.41 BTN 34.37

31.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.00 €6.13

$3.84 BTN 325

82.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.09 €6.21

$3.05 BTN 258

132.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 €1.58

$0.75 BTN 63.0

140.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.51 €2.20

$1.14 BTN 96.4

120.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.96 €1.72

$2.08 BTN 176

-5.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.58 €36.42

$3.92 BTN 331

960.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.80 €5.08

$0.85 BTN 71.9

582.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 €1.40

$2.29 BTN 193

-30.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.07 €30.71

$0.15 BTN 12.64

23280.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.13 €1.87

$0.96 BTN 80.8

121.88%

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

$32.6K €28.5K

$19.3K BTN 1.6M

69.03%

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

$33.8K €29.6K

$24.8K BTN 2.1M

36.20%

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

$225 €197

$22.94 BTN 1,937

880.69%

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

$13.14 €11.51

$37.07 BTN 3,129

-64.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.19 €27.31

$23.00 BTN 1,942

35.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 €50.1

$48.83 BTN 4,122

17.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.85 €22.64

$6.10 BTN 515

323.77%

Cinema Ticket

$10.34 €9.05

$3.45 BTN 291

199.71%

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

$564 €494

$242 BTN 20.4K

133.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.3K €9,057

$665 BTN 56.1K

1455.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.9 €80.5

$20.30 BTN 1,714

352.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.54 €35.51

$11.71 BTN 988

246.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.2 €86.0

$48.46 BTN 4,091

102.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$132 €116

$38.75 BTN 3,271

240.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$855 €749

$103 BTN 8,725

727.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 €581

$67.9 BTN 5,729

877.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,522 €1,333

$173 BTN 14.6K

780.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,089 €954

$137 BTN 11.5K

696.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,747 €3,282

$5,481 BTN 462.7K

-31.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,299 €2,013

$1,689 BTN 142.6K

36.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,897 €1,661

$425 BTN 35.9K

346.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.41

10.75

-58.98%

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

Last update for Italy: July 11, 2026

Last update for Bhutan: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $742 in Italy vs $83.0 in Bhutan. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,328 in Rome and $114 in Thimphu.

Average salary: $1,912 in Italy vs $393 in Bhutan. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 794% higher in Italy.

Dining out costs 1750% more in Italy.

Public transport is 4300% more expensive in Italy.

Salaries are 387% higher in Italy, 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

Italy vs Bhutan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bhutan is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 697% lower on average. The gap is consistent across housing, groceries, transport, and entertainment.

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

Groceries, transport, and utilities all cost less in Bhutan, contributing to the overall 697% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.

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