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 $1,796 per month in Italy vs $176 in Bhutan, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,739 per month in Italy vs $284 in Bhutan, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,682 per month in Italy vs $391 in Bhutan, rent included.

The cost of living in Italy is about 920% higher than in Bhutan on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Italy sits 30% above the global median, while Bhutan is 87% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.24 €18.32

$2.63 BTN 222

707.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.8 €69.7

$14.18 BTN 1,197

470.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.41 €9.84

$3.61 BTN 305

216.07%

Cappuccino

$2.08 €1.79

$1.34 BTN 113

55.22%

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

$3.05 €2.63

$0.53 BTN 44.87

475.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$0.18 BTN 15.36

666.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.79 €4.99

$2.69 BTN 227

115.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 €4.96

$2.06 BTN 174

179.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 €1.47

$0.85 BTN 72.0

100.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.41 €2.08

$0.85 BTN 71.8

183.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.01 €2.59

$0.98 BTN 83.0

207.14%

Eggs

$4.32 €3.72

$1.61 BTN 136

168.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.93 €15.46

$3.40 BTN 287

427.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.67 €10.92

$3.94 BTN 333

221.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.57 €17.74

$3.75 BTN 316

448.53%

Apples (1kg)

$2.62 €2.26

$2.49 BTN 210

5.22%

Banana (1kg)

$2.15 €1.85

$1.60 BTN 135

34.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.80 €2.42

$1.61 BTN 136

73.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.32 €2.87

$0.93 BTN 78.4

256.99%

Potato (1kg)

$2.10 €1.81

$0.55 BTN 46.60

281.82%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 €1.63

$0.73 BTN 62.0

158.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 €1.33

$0.64 BTN 53.9

142.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 €0.48

$0.34 BTN 28.29

64.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.16 €6.18

$3.90 BTN 329

83.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.35 €6.34

$2.89 BTN 244

154.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 €1.55

$0.80 BTN 67.2

125.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 €2.07

$1.11 BTN 94.1

117.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.93 €1.66

$0.82 BTN 69.1

135.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.24 €39.01

$5.17 BTN 436

775.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.74 €4.95

$0.81 BTN 68.3

608.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.70 €1.47

$1.60 BTN 135

6.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.25 €30.39

$0.15 BTN 12.95

23400.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.04 €1.76

$0.78 BTN 66.2

161.54%

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

$37.5K €32.3K

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

$37.1K €32.0K

$15.1K BTN 1.3M

145.31%

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

$231 €199

$34.89 BTN 2,945

561.97%

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

$12.34 €10.64

$36.96 BTN 3,120

-66.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.17 €26.88

$24.70 BTN 2,085

26.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.2 €47.64

$47.04 BTN 3,971

17.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.91 €21.48

$5.97 BTN 504

317.25%

Cinema Ticket

$11.13 €9.60

$3.13 BTN 264

255.59%

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

$568 €490

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.5K €10.8K

$584 BTN 49.3K

2043.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$93.0 €80.2

$21.57 BTN 1,821

330.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.82 €34.33

$10.47 BTN 884

280.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €89.9

$56.3 BTN 4,752

85.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$135 €116

$25.84 BTN 2,182

422.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$852 €734

$123 BTN 10.4K

591.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$645 €556

$88.6 BTN 7,478

627.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,449 €1,250

$179 BTN 15.1K

708.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,084 €935

$151 BTN 12.8K

617.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,813 €3,288

$5,486 BTN 463.1K

-30.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,357 €2,032

$1,690 BTN 142.7K

39.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,933 €1,667

$328 BTN 27.7K

489.40%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.57

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

Last update for Italy: September 5, 2026

Last update for Bhutan: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $755 in Italy vs $85.0 in Bhutan. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,247 in Rome and $131 in Thimphu.

Average salary: $1,964 in Italy vs $301 in Bhutan. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 788% higher in Italy.

Dining out costs 2433% more in Italy.

Public transport is 4200% more expensive in Italy.

Salaries are 552% 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 659% 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 659% 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.