Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Thimphu and Giza

For one person, living is cheaper in Giza: $479 a month against $518 in Thimphu, rent and utilities included – about $470 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

25

Cost of Living Index in Thimphu
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Thimphu Living Index
23

Cost of Living Index in Giza
Learn more

Giza Living Index

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Thimphu

🇧🇹 Bhutan

$518

/mo nomad

Giza

🇪🇬 Egypt

$479

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Thimphu and in Giza

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $518 in Thimphu versus $479 in Giza.

Thimphu $518
Giza $479

Estimated couple costs with rent: $809 in Thimphu versus $757 in Giza.

Thimphu $809
Giza $757

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,100 in Thimphu versus $1,034 in Giza.

Thimphu $1,100
Giza $1,034

Living in Thimphu is roughly 8% more expensive than in Giza, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Thimphu 62% lower, Giza 64% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.57 BTN 245

$4.07 E£218

-36.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$14.30 BTN 1,360

$14.21 E£759

0.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.04 BTN 479

$4.83 E£258

4.35%

Cappuccino

$1.32 BTN 125

$1.24 E£66.3

6.45%

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

$0.52 BTN 49.11

$0.38 E£20.10

36.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.17 BTN 15.86

$0.14 E£7.62

21.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.54 BTN 242

$1.50 E£80.2

69.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 BTN 145

$2.78 E£149

-45.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.79 BTN 75.5

$0.84 E£45.12

-5.95%

White Bread (500g)

$1.07 BTN 101

$0.34 E£18.36

214.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.97 BTN 92.2

$0.67 E£35.83

44.78%

Eggs

$1.94 BTN 184

$1.36 E£72.8

42.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.85 BTN 366

$2.49 E£133

54.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.91 BTN 372

$3.65 E£195

7.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$3.96 BTN 377

$7.67 E£409

-48.37%

Apples (1kg)

$2.62 BTN 249

$1.52 E£80.9

72.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 BTN 142

$0.57 E£30.34

161.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.63 BTN 155

$0.39 E£21.01

317.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.76 BTN 72.4

$0.31 E£16.76

145.16%

Potato (1kg)

$0.59 BTN 56.4

$0.44 E£23.23

34.09%

Onion (1kg)

$0.72 BTN 68.3

$0.42 E£22.59

71.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.40 BTN 37.65

$0.27 E£14.32

48.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.29 BTN 27.38

$0.21 E£11.43

38.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.86 BTN 367

$1.87 E£99.8

106.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$2.95 BTN 280

$4.89 E£261

-39.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 BTN 59.4

$1.02 E£54.6

-38.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.34 BTN 127

$1.57 E£83.7

-14.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 BTN 75.2

$0.33 E£17.71

139.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$5.34 BTN 508

$8.14 E£435

-34.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.82 BTN 77.8

$0.27 E£14.40

203.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.54 BTN 146

$0.40 E£21.29

285.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$0.15 BTN 14.67

$1.85 E£98.7

-91.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.77 BTN 73.5

$0.45 E£24.19

71.11%

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

$16.6K BTN 1.6M

$31.6K E£1.7M

-47.49%

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

$15.2K BTN 1.4M

$25.0K E£1.3M

-39.39%

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

$33.45 BTN 3,181

$15.16 E£809

120.65%

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

$36.61 BTN 3,481

$6.91 E£369

429.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.55 BTN 2,334

$25.59 E£1,367

-4.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.29 BTN 4,402

$18.37 E£981

151.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.74 BTN 736

$6.72 E£359

15.18%

Cinema Ticket

$3.06 BTN 291

$3.74 E£200

-18.18%

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

$44.53 BTN 4,234

$86.6 E£4,622

-48.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$574 BTN 54.6K

$2,386 E£127.4K

-75.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.4 BTN 4,888

$10.28 E£549

400.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.86 BTN 2,364

$47.74 E£2,549

-47.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.5 BTN 6,517

$158 E£8,438

-56.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$13.83 BTN 1,315

$54.9 E£2,933

-74.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$126 BTN 12.0K

$155 E£8,265

-18.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$86.7 BTN 8,240

$88.3 E£4,713

-1.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$189 BTN 18.0K

$328 E£17.5K

-42.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$159 BTN 15.1K

$153 E£8,153

3.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,634 BTN 630.8K

$579 E£30.9K

1045.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$387 BTN 36.8K

$285 E£15.2K

35.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$344 BTN 32.7K

$146 E£7,779

136.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

22.5

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

Last update for Thimphu: October 10, 2026

Last update for Giza: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Thimphu

$126 24.3%

Giza

$107 22.3% 15% $19

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Thimphu

$95 18.3%

Giza

$48 9.9% 49.6% $47

Accommodation & Living

Thimphu

$87 16.7%

Giza

$88 18.4% 1.8% $1.6

Clothing & Footwear

Thimphu

$71 13.8%

Giza

$122 25.5% 70.8% $51

Eating Out

Thimphu

$70 13.5%

Giza

$77 16.1% 10.2% $7.2

Sport & Entertainment

Thimphu

$52 10.1%

Giza

$26 5.4% 50.7% $27

Getting Around

Thimphu

$17 3.3%

Giza

$12 2.5% 31.1% $5.3

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $126 in Thimphu and $155 in Giza. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Thimphu pays 136% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $14.00 in Thimphu vs $14.00 in Giza. Groceries flip the comparison at $126 vs $107, with Giza cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇧🇹 Thimphu

🇪🇬 Giza

🕒 Local time

09:41 9:41 AM

06:41 6:41 AM

3 h behind Thimphu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

98,676 Capital

2,681,863

💱 Currency

Bhutanese Ngultrum BTN Nu.

Egyptian Pound EGP £

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 BTN = 10.52 USD

1,000 BTN = 9.36 EUR

100 EGP = 1.87 USD

100 EGP = 1.67 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

EGP, USD, EUR to BTN – Bhutanese Ngultrum Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇹 Bhutanese Ngultrum (Nu.)

Bhutanese Ngultrum exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 95.08 BTN (100 BTN = 1.05 USD). 1 EUR = 107 BTN (1,000 BTN = 9.36 EUR).

Egyptian Pound exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 53.4 EGP (100 EGP = 1.87 USD). 1 EUR = 60.03 EGP (100 EGP = 1.67 EUR).

USD to BTN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Thimphu Giza 5,640 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Thimphu
Giza

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 Giza: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Giza is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, utilities, and leisure. The 8% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 136% higher in Thimphu, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $126 in Thimphu versus $155 in Giza. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Giza runs roughly 52% less than in Thimphu. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $44.53 in Thimphu versus $86.6 in Giza. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Either city works on $1,000 a month, though Giza gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Thimphu and Giza are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Giza gentler on the wallet – expenses run 8% less than in Thimphu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.