Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Thimphu and Bali

For one person, living is cheaper in Thimphu: $537 a month against $1,187 in Bali, rent and utilities included – about $7,800 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
57

Cost of Living Index in Bali
Learn more

Bali Living Index

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Thimphu

🇧🇹 Bhutan

$537

/mo nomad

Bali

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$1,187

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Thimphu and in Bali

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 Bali actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $537 per month in Thimphu vs $1,187 in Bali, rent included.

Thimphu $537
Bali $1,187

A couple spends around $842 per month in Thimphu vs $2,004 in Bali, rent included.

Thimphu $842
Bali $2,004

A family of three spends $1,147 per month in Thimphu vs $2,822 in Bali, rent included.

Thimphu $1,147
Bali $2,822

Thimphu is about 55% cheaper than Bali, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Thimphu and Bali are more affordable than the global median – Thimphu 60% lower, Bali 12% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.61 BTN 247

$2.80 Rp 50.6K

-6.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$14.40 BTN 1,363

$28.85 Rp 520.8K

-50.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.88 BTN 461

$4.76 Rp 86.0K

2.52%

Cappuccino

$1.33 BTN 126

$2.23 Rp 40.3K

-40.36%

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

$0.50 BTN 47.26

$1.30 Rp 23.4K

-61.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.17 BTN 16.06

$0.56 Rp 10.2K

-69.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.69 BTN 255

$2.23 Rp 40.3K

20.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 BTN 154

$3.55 Rp 64.1K

-54.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.82 BTN 77.3

$1.41 Rp 25.4K

-41.84%

White Bread (500g)

$1.23 BTN 117

$2.18 Rp 39.4K

-43.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.90 BTN 85.6

$1.05 Rp 18.9K

-14.29%

Eggs

$2.10 BTN 198

$1.92 Rp 34.7K

9.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.88 BTN 367

$14.84 Rp 267.9K

-73.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.81 BTN 455

$3.86 Rp 69.7K

24.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.99 BTN 472

$10.69 Rp 192.9K

-53.32%

Apples (1kg)

$3.47 BTN 328

$3.34 Rp 60.2K

3.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.67 BTN 158

$1.46 Rp 26.4K

14.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.68 BTN 159

$2.22 Rp 40.1K

-24.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.05 BTN 99.5

$1.80 Rp 32.6K

-41.67%

Potato (1kg)

$0.71 BTN 67.6

$1.72 Rp 31.0K

-58.72%

Onion (1kg)

$0.97 BTN 91.4

$2.23 Rp 40.2K

-56.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.40 BTN 38.06

$0.92 Rp 16.5K

-56.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.34 BTN 31.72

$0.46 Rp 8,308

-26.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.18 BTN 395

$2.06 Rp 37.1K

102.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$2.59 BTN 245

$20.38 Rp 367.8K

-87.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 BTN 55.4

$2.16 Rp 39.1K

-72.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 BTN 105

$2.85 Rp 51.4K

-61.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.82 BTN 77.3

$0.25 Rp 4,531

228.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$5.42 BTN 513

$8.68 Rp 156.7K

-37.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.54 BTN 51.3

$0.44 Rp 7,956

22.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 BTN 151

$0.43 Rp 7,766

272.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$0.16 BTN 15.00

$5.38 Rp 97.2K

-97.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.73 BTN 68.7

$0.85 Rp 15.3K

-14.12%

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

$16.5K BTN 1.6M

$23.7K Rp 428.5M

-30.30%

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

$15.1K BTN 1.4M

$32.9K Rp 592.9M

-53.91%

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

$34.01 BTN 3,218

$76.7 Rp 1.4M

-55.68%

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

$36.52 BTN 3,456

$6.33 Rp 114.2K

476.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.69 BTN 2,336

$18.93 Rp 341.6K

30.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.44 BTN 4,489

$41.65 Rp 751.7K

13.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.52 BTN 712

$14.78 Rp 266.7K

-49.12%

Cinema Ticket

$3.17 BTN 300

$3.58 Rp 64.6K

-11.45%

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

$44.60 BTN 4,220

$437 Rp 7.9M

-89.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$589 BTN 55.7K

$11.0K Rp 199.2M

-94.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.4 BTN 4,771

$43.09 Rp 777.7K

17.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.63 BTN 2,331

$33.51 Rp 604.8K

-26.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$69.1 BTN 6,536

$75.0 Rp 1.4M

-7.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$14.42 BTN 1,365

$73.9 Rp 1.3M

-80.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$130 BTN 12.3K

$957 Rp 17.3M

-86.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$86.4 BTN 8,173

$570 Rp 10.3M

-84.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$197 BTN 18.6K

$3,028 Rp 54.6M

-93.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$155 BTN 14.7K

$1,446 Rp 26.1M

-89.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,816 BTN 645.0K

$2,096 Rp 37.8M

225.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$391 BTN 37.0K

$1,885 Rp 34.0M

-79.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$352 BTN 33.3K

$215 Rp 3.9M

63.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

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

Last update for Thimphu: November 2, 2026

Last update for Bali: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Thimphu

$143 26.5%

Bali

$263 22.2% 84.6% $121

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Thimphu

$95 17.7%

Bali

$102 8.6% 7.1% $6.8

Accommodation & Living

Thimphu

$86 16.1%

Bali

$570 48% 560% $483

Clothing & Footwear

Thimphu

$71 13.3%

Bali

$101 8.6% 42.2% $30

Eating Out

Thimphu

$71 13.2%

Bali

$89 7.5% 25.9% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Thimphu

$54 10%

Bali

$49 4.1% 9.2% $5

Getting Around

Thimphu

$17 3.2%

Bali

$12 1% 28.6% $4.9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $130 in Thimphu versus $957 in Bali. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 64% higher in Thimphu, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $14 in Thimphu versus $29 in Bali. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $143 vs $263 – making Thimphu the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇹 Thimphu

🇮🇩 Bali

🕒 Local time

16:58 4:58 PM

18:58 6:58 PM

2 h ahead of Thimphu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

98,676 Capital

💱 Currency

Bhutanese Ngultrum BTN Nu.

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 BTN = 10.57 USD

1,000 BTN = 9.41 EUR

100,000 IDR = 5.54 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.93 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

IDR, 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).

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 18,049 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.54 USD). 1 EUR = 20,271 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.93 EUR).

USD to BTN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Thimphu Bali 4,860 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Thimphu
Bali

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 Bali: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bali costs about 121% more than Thimphu, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. 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 $1,780 in Bali. 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 $957 in Bali.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $14 in Thimphu and $29 in Bali. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $537 in Thimphu and $1,187 in Bali. That makes Thimphu about 55% cheaper.

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.

For expats, Thimphu is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 55% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.