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 $1,717 per month in Italy vs $204 in Bhutan, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,624 per month in Italy vs $314 in Bhutan, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,530 per month in Italy vs $424 in Bhutan, rent included.

Italy costs about 742% more than Bhutan on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Italy sits 28% above the global median, while Bhutan is 85% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.44 €15.02

$2.95 BTN 249

491.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.5 €68.4

$17.23 BTN 1,454

361.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.76 €10.12

$3.44 BTN 290

241.86%

Cappuccino

$2.00 €1.72

$1.45 BTN 123

37.93%

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

$3.00 €2.59

$0.48 BTN 40.47

525.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 €1.16

$0.16 BTN 13.43

743.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.94 €5.11

$2.98 BTN 252

99.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.36 €4.61

$2.31 BTN 195

132.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 €1.41

$0.87 BTN 73.5

88.51%

White Bread (500g)

$2.41 €2.08

$0.85 BTN 71.8

183.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.99 €2.58

$0.67 BTN 56.9

346.27%

Eggs

$3.96 €3.41

$1.96 BTN 165

102.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.84 €14.50

$3.18 BTN 269

429.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.43 €10.70

$3.66 BTN 309

239.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.29 €17.47

$4.23 BTN 357

379.67%

Apples (1kg)

$2.47 €2.13

$2.77 BTN 234

-10.83%

Banana (1kg)

$2.15 €1.85

$1.75 BTN 148

22.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.65 €2.28

$2.12 BTN 179

25.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.40 €2.92

$0.92 BTN 78.0

269.57%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$0.51 BTN 43.33

276.47%

Onion (1kg)

$1.81 €1.56

$0.71 BTN 60.0

154.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 €1.33

$0.40 BTN 33.57

287.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 €0.47

$0.41 BTN 34.50

31.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.79 €5.85

$3.80 BTN 321

78.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.18 €6.18

$3.25 BTN 274

120.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 €1.55

$0.74 BTN 62.5

143.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.42 €2.08

$1.19 BTN 100

103.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.00 €1.72

$1.99 BTN 168

0.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$42.35 €36.46

$4.10 BTN 347

932.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.94 €5.12

$0.91 BTN 76.4

552.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.51 €1.30

$2.26 BTN 191

-33.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.04 €29.31

$0.15 BTN 12.69

22593.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.05 €1.77

$0.95 BTN 80.3

115.79%

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

$32.8K €28.3K

$19.3K BTN 1.6M

69.96%

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

$33.7K €29.0K

$24.7K BTN 2.1M

36.52%

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

$225 €194

$22.67 BTN 1,914

894.31%

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

$13.25 €11.41

$37.55 BTN 3,170

-64.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.95 €26.65

$22.97 BTN 1,939

34.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.7 €48.00

$48.34 BTN 4,081

15.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.15 €21.65

$6.29 BTN 531

299.84%

Cinema Ticket

$10.25 €8.83

$3.53 BTN 298

190.37%

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

$576 €496

$242 BTN 20.4K

137.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K €9,007

$680 BTN 57.4K

1438.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.8 €79.1

$20.29 BTN 1,713

352.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.72 €35.06

$11.58 BTN 978

251.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 €84.4

$48.51 BTN 4,095

102.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 €113

$39.46 BTN 3,331

231.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$860 €740

$105 BTN 8,854

719.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$667 €574

$68.9 BTN 5,815

867.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,475 €1,270

$176 BTN 14.9K

736.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,087 €936

$141 BTN 11.9K

672.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,850 €3,316

$5,532 BTN 466.9K

-30.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,359 €2,031

$1,689 BTN 142.5K

39.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,933 €1,665

$423 BTN 35.7K

357.32%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Bhutan: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $743 in Italy vs $85.0 in Bhutan. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,325 in Rome and $118 in Thimphu.

Average salary: $1,949 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 774% higher in Italy.

Dining out costs 1750% more in Italy.

Public transport is 4300% more expensive in Italy.

Salaries are 396% higher in Italy, 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

Italy vs Bhutan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bhutan is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 708% 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 708% 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.