Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between the United States and Bhutan

Name: Bhutan
Address: BT

For one person, living is cheaper in Bhutan: $502 a month against $2,734 in the United States, rent and utilities included – about $26,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

131

Cost of Living Index in the United States
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United States Living Index
24

Cost of Living Index in Bhutan
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Bhutan Living Index

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🇺🇸 United States

$2,734

/mo nomad

🇧🇹 Bhutan

$502

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in the United States and in Bhutan

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

A single person spends $2,734 per month in the United States vs $502 in Bhutan, rent included.

United States $2,734
Bhutan $502

A couple spends around $3,985 per month in the United States vs $778 in Bhutan, rent included.

United States $3,985
Bhutan $778

A family of three spends $5,235 per month in the United States vs $1,053 in Bhutan, rent included.

United States $5,235
Bhutan $1,053

The regional cost range is wider in the United States ($979–$5,160) than in Bhutan ($103–$522), so city choice matters more there.

The cost of living in the United States is about 445% higher than in Bhutan on average.

The United States sits 101% above the global median, while Bhutan is 63% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.03 $20.03

$2.65 BTN 253

655.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.0 $80.0

$14.13 BTN 1,346

466.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.80 $11.80

$5.01 BTN 477

135.53%

Cappuccino

$5.55 $5.55

$1.29 BTN 123

330.23%

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

$2.66 $2.66

$0.48 BTN 46.17

454.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 $2.17

$0.16 BTN 15.48

1256.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.12 $6.12

$2.56 BTN 244

139.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.94 $7.94

$1.62 BTN 155

390.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.04 $1.04

$0.78 BTN 74.0

33.33%

White Bread (500g)

$3.59 $3.59

$0.84 BTN 80.2

327.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$0.99 BTN 94.1

356.57%

Eggs

$4.28 $4.28

$1.56 BTN 149

174.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.22 $13.22

$3.33 BTN 318

297.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.60 $12.60

$3.71 BTN 354

239.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.60 $17.60

$3.91 BTN 373

350.13%

Apples (1kg)

$5.30 $5.30

$2.44 BTN 232

117.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 $1.69

$1.57 BTN 150

7.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.44 $4.44

$1.59 BTN 152

179.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.77 $4.77

$0.92 BTN 87.6

418.48%

Potato (1kg)

$2.97 $2.97

$0.61 BTN 58.0

386.89%

Onion (1kg)

$3.15 $3.15

$0.69 BTN 65.6

356.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.20 $2.20

$0.64 BTN 60.9

243.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.35 $2.35

$0.33 BTN 31.73

612.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.98 $10.98

$3.88 BTN 369

182.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$2.91 BTN 277

417.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 $2.06

$0.84 BTN 80.4

145.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.79 $3.79

$1.07 BTN 102

254.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.94 $1.94

$0.82 BTN 78.2

136.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$59.4 $59.4

$5.12 BTN 488

1059.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.58 $3.58

$0.83 BTN 78.8

331.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.88 $1.88

$1.54 BTN 146

22.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.84 $29.84

$0.14 BTN 13.61

21214.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 $1.02

$0.77 BTN 73.2

32.47%

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

$28.8K $28.8K

$16.4K BTN 1.6M

74.85%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$15.2K BTN 1.4M

72.59%

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

$218 $218

$34.15 BTN 3,254

538.24%

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

$62.5 $62.5

$36.40 BTN 3,469

71.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$74.5 $74.5

$24.12 BTN 2,299

208.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.86 $41.86

$46.93 BTN 4,472

-10.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.81 $22.81

$6.19 BTN 590

268.50%

Cinema Ticket

$14.70 $14.70

$3.16 BTN 301

365.19%

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

$1,489 $1,489

$44.49 BTN 4,240

3247.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.3K $25.3K

$588 BTN 56.0K

4194.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.3 $54.3

$35.65 BTN 3,397

52.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.71 $42.71

$17.58 BTN 1,675

142.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.1 $94.1

$54.7 BTN 5,211

72.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 $114

$25.70 BTN 2,449

341.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,659 $1,659

$120 BTN 11.4K

1284.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,348 $1,348

$85.6 BTN 8,152

1475.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,682 $2,682

$180 BTN 17.1K

1394.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,169 $2,169

$150 BTN 14.3K

1346.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,283 $3,283

$5,519 BTN 525.9K

-40.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,482 $2,482

$1,676 BTN 159.7K

48.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,296 $4,296

$322 BTN 30.7K

1234.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.55

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

Last update for the United States: October 25, 2026

Last update for Bhutan: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

United States

$1.3K 49.3%

Bhutan

$86 17% 93.7% $1.3K

Groceries & Markets

United States

$415 15.2%

Bhutan

$121 24.1% 70.8% $294

Monthly Utilities & Internet

United States

$355 13%

Bhutan

$95 18.9% 73.3% $260

Eating Out

United States

$328 12%

Bhutan

$70 14% 78.6% $258

Clothing & Footwear

United States

$137 5%

Bhutan

$60 12% 56.1% $77

Getting Around

United States

$80 2.9%

Bhutan

$17 3.4% 78.9% $63

Sport & Entertainment

United States

$71 2.6%

Bhutan

$53 10.6% 25.3% $18

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,620 in the United States vs $142 in Bhutan. For reference, capital cities sit at $2,768 in Washington, DC and $128 in Thimphu.

Average salary: $4,549 in the United States vs $295 in Bhutan. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 1041% higher in the United States.

Dining out costs 436% more in the United States.

Public transport is 1160% more expensive in the United States.

Salaries are about 15 times higher in the United States, and purchasing power comes out stronger in the United States.

Good to know

🇺🇸 United States

🇧🇹 Bhutan

🕒 Local time

23:20 11:20 PM

09:20 9:20 AM

10 h ahead of the United States

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

340,110,988

787,424

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Bhutanese Ngultrum BTN Nu.

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.893 EUR

1,000 BTN = 10.49 USD

1,000 BTN = 9.37 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BTN, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇧🇹 Bhutanese Ngultrum (Nu.)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 31, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.893 EUR).

Bhutanese Ngultrum exchange rates as of October 31, 2026: 1 USD = 95.29 BTN (100 BTN = 1.05 USD). 1 EUR = 107 BTN (1,000 BTN = 9.37 EUR).

BTN to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

United States Bhutan 12,990 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

United States
Bhutan

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

United States vs Bhutan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bhutan is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 82% lower on average.

Housing costs more in the United States: a central one-bedroom averages $1,620 versus $142 in Bhutan.

Groceries, public transport, and eating out all cost less in Bhutan – part of why living there is about 82% cheaper overall.

Bhutan is the budget-friendly choice for expats. But cost isn’t everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.