Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Thimphu and Ankara

For one person, living is cheaper in Thimphu: $537 a month against $1,389 in Ankara, rent and utilities included – about $10,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

26

Cost of Living Index in Thimphu
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Thimphu Living Index
67

Cost of Living Index in Ankara
Learn more

Ankara Living Index

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Thimphu

🇧🇹 Bhutan

$537

/mo nomad

Ankara

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,389

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Thimphu and in Ankara

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Thimphu and in Ankara actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $537 per month in Thimphu vs $1,389 in Ankara, rent included.

Thimphu $537
Ankara $1,389

A couple spends around $842 per month in Thimphu vs $2,087 in Ankara, rent included.

Thimphu $842
Ankara $2,087

A family of three spends $1,147 per month in Thimphu vs $2,785 in Ankara, rent included.

Thimphu $1,147
Ankara $2,785

Thimphu is about 61% cheaper than Ankara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Thimphu sits 60% below the global median, while Ankara is 3% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.61 BTN 247

$10.10 ₺506

-74.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$14.40 BTN 1,363

$43.81 ₺2,192

-67.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.88 BTN 461

$9.78 ₺489

-50.10%

Cappuccino

$1.33 BTN 126

$4.12 ₺206

-67.72%

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

$0.50 BTN 47.26

$1.68 ₺84.1

-70.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.17 BTN 16.06

$0.72 ₺35.97

-76.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.69 BTN 255

$5.02 ₺251

-46.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 BTN 154

$6.60 ₺330

-75.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.82 BTN 77.3

$1.16 ₺58.2

-29.31%

White Bread (500g)

$1.23 BTN 117

$0.96 ₺48.28

28.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.90 BTN 85.6

$2.25 ₺112

-60.00%

Eggs

$2.10 BTN 198

$2.66 ₺133

-21.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.88 BTN 367

$10.09 ₺505

-61.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.81 BTN 455

$5.43 ₺272

-11.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.99 BTN 472

$19.99 ₺1,000

-75.04%

Apples (1kg)

$3.47 BTN 328

$1.91 ₺95.6

81.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.67 BTN 158

$2.18 ₺109

-23.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.68 BTN 159

$1.26 ₺63.1

33.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.05 BTN 99.5

$1.65 ₺82.4

-36.36%

Potato (1kg)

$0.71 BTN 67.6

$0.65 ₺32.62

9.23%

Onion (1kg)

$0.97 BTN 91.4

$0.55 ₺27.34

76.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.40 BTN 38.06

$0.99 ₺49.64

-59.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.34 BTN 31.72

$0.66 ₺32.82

-48.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.18 BTN 395

$2.25 ₺113

85.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$2.59 BTN 245

$12.37 ₺619

-79.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 BTN 55.4

$2.12 ₺106

-72.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 BTN 105

$3.20 ₺160

-65.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.82 BTN 77.3

$0.77 ₺38.77

6.49%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$5.42 BTN 513

$11.85 ₺593

-54.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.54 BTN 51.3

$1.28 ₺64.2

-57.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 BTN 151

$0.84 ₺41.93

90.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$0.16 BTN 15.00

$8.22 ₺411

-98.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.73 BTN 68.7

$1.39 ₺69.4

-47.48%

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

$16.5K BTN 1.6M

$48.4K ₺2.4M

-65.85%

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

$15.1K BTN 1.4M

$40.2K ₺2.0M

-62.38%

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

$34.01 BTN 3,218

$99.9 ₺5,000

-65.96%

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

$36.52 BTN 3,456

$11.15 ₺558

227.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.69 BTN 2,336

$17.94 ₺898

37.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.44 BTN 4,489

$72.0 ₺3,603

-34.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.52 BTN 712

$14.80 ₺740

-49.19%

Cinema Ticket

$3.17 BTN 300

$7.77 ₺389

-59.20%

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

$44.60 BTN 4,220

$1,084 ₺54.2K

-95.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$589 BTN 55.7K

$22.5K ₺1.1M

-97.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.4 BTN 4,771

$53.4 ₺2,671

-5.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.63 BTN 2,331

$47.87 ₺2,396

-48.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$69.1 BTN 6,536

$104 ₺5,217

-33.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$14.42 BTN 1,365

$97.8 ₺4,894

-85.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$130 BTN 12.3K

$748 ₺37.4K

-82.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$86.4 BTN 8,173

$557 ₺27.9K

-84.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$197 BTN 18.6K

$1,142 ₺57.2K

-82.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$155 BTN 14.7K

$902 ₺45.1K

-82.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,816 BTN 645.0K

$1,644 ₺82.3K

314.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$391 BTN 37.0K

$1,142 ₺57.2K

-65.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$352 BTN 33.3K

$1,058 ₺53.0K

-66.72%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

43.85

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

Last update for Thimphu: November 2, 2026

Last update for Ankara: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Groceries & Markets

Thimphu

$143 26.5%

Ankara

$251 18.1% 76% $108

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Thimphu

$95 17.7%

Ankara

$129 9.3% 35.5% $34

Accommodation & Living

Thimphu

$86 16.1%

Ankara

$557 40.1% 545% $470

Clothing & Footwear

Thimphu

$71 13.3%

Ankara

$136 9.8% 91.3% $65

Eating Out

Thimphu

$71 13.2%

Ankara

$208 14.9% 193% $137

Sport & Entertainment

Thimphu

$54 10%

Ankara

$88 6.3% 62.8% $34

Getting Around

Thimphu

$17 3.2%

Ankara

$20 1.5% 18.7% $3.2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $130 in Thimphu versus $748 in Ankara. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Ankara are about 3 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $14 in Thimphu versus $44 in Ankara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $143 vs $251 – making Thimphu the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇹 Thimphu

🇹🇷 Ankara

🕒 Local time

07:23 7:23 AM

04:23 4:23 AM

3 h behind Thimphu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

98,676 Capital

5,864,049 Capital

💱 Currency

Bhutanese Ngultrum BTN Nu.

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 BTN = 10.57 USD

1,000 BTN = 9.41 EUR

100 TRY = 2 USD

100 TRY = 1.78 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

TRY, USD, EUR to BTN – Bhutanese Ngultrum Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇹 Bhutanese Ngultrum (Nu.)

Bhutanese Ngultrum exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 94.62 BTN (100 BTN = 1.06 USD). 1 EUR = 106 BTN (1,000 BTN = 9.41 EUR).

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 50.04 TRY (100 TRY = 2 USD). 1 EUR = 56.18 TRY (100 TRY = 1.78 EUR).

USD to BTN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Thimphu Ankara 5,340 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Thimphu
Ankara

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Thimphu vs Ankara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ankara costs about 158% more than Thimphu, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $806 per month in Thimphu and $2,083 in Ankara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Thimphu, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $130 there versus $748 in Ankara.

Kindergarten costs $45 per month in Thimphu and $1,084 in Ankara. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 76% more in Ankara, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Thimphu, where all-in costs run around $537, than in Ankara at $1,389. In Thimphu it covers expenses comfortably, while in Ankara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Thimphu – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with Thimphu. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Ankara makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.