Cost Of Living For a Student in Bhutan 2025
Average Monthly Expenditure
Currency: BTN
Average monthly spending for students in Bhutan
How much money does a student need in a month to survive in Bhutan?
Students in Bhutan spend around 19,000 BTN per month on average. Depending on the lifestyle, a student can survive with a monthly budget as low as 2,900 BTN or as high as 130,000 BTN. Location is a very important factor and has a huge influence on expenditure and budget.
Prices and cost of goods and services in Bhutan
Dining, food, and beverages costs
Fast food combo meal
Restaurant meal for one
Fine dining meal for one
| 250 BTN | 370 BTN | 1,500 BTN |
Cappuccino or latte
Grocery and market costs
Milk large bottle
12 eggs
Fresh whole chicken
Pack of beef
Medium bag of rice
Bag of tomatos
Bag of apples
Commute, travel, and transportation costs
20 minutes taxi ride
Average car full tank
Average car 1-day rental
Average car price
| 93,000 BTN | 190,000 BTN | 250,000 BTN |
Bus ticket one way
Car Service
Utility cost (monthly)
Utility Bill - Student
| 120 BTN | 770 BTN | 5,100 BTN |
Internet and cable
Mobile phone charges
Leisure and activities costs
Movie ticket
One month gym membership
Cloths and accessories costs
Pair of jeans or pants
Woman dress
Woman shoes
Men's shoes
Men suit
| 190 BTN | 230 BTN | 1,200 BTN |
Regular t-shirt
Housing costs / monthly rent
Studio apartment
| 3,100 BTN | 4,700 BTN | 12,000 BTN |
1-bedroom apartment
| 4,700 BTN | 7,500 BTN | 19,000 BTN |
2-bedroom apartment
| 6,200 BTN | 9,300 BTN | 25,000 BTN |
Housing costs / Buying
Studio apartment
| 620,000 BTN | 930,000 BTN | 1.9M BTN |
1-bedroom apartment
| 750,000 BTN | 1.2M BTN | 4.7M BTN |
2-bedroom apartment
| 1.2M BTN | 3.7M BTN | 7.5M BTN |
Furniture Costs
King Size Bed
| 3,700 BTN | 4,700 BTN | 6,200 BTN |
Double Bed
| 2,500 BTN | 3,700 BTN | 4,700 BTN |
Single Bed
| 2,200 BTN | 2,900 BTN | 3,700 BTN |
Living Room
| 4,200 BTN | 5,300 BTN | 19,000 BTN |
Dining Table
| 1,900 BTN | 2,500 BTN | 4,700 BTN |
Sofa or Couch
| 2,500 BTN | 3,400 BTN | 7,500 BTN |
Electronics and House Appliance Costs
TV Set
| 2,500 BTN | 3,700 BTN | 7,500 BTN |
Fridge or Freezer
| 2,200 BTN | 3,400 BTN | 4,700 BTN |
Washing Machine
| 2,900 BTN | 4,200 BTN | 7,500 BTN |
Stove or Cooker
| 2,700 BTN | 3,400 BTN | 4,700 BTN |
Mobile Phone
| 3,100 BTN | 3,700 BTN | 5,300 BTN |
Laptop or Computer
| 3,400 BTN | 4,200 BTN | 7,500 BTN |
How do students spend their money in Bhutan?
We asked thousands of students about their spending habits and expenditure break down.
Housing and accomodation expenditure for students
Accomodation Cost17%
17% of total expenses on average (12% to 23%)
| LOW | $8.3 690 BTN |
| AVERAGE | $56 4,600 BTN |
| HIGH | $370 31,000 BTN |
| Per Month |
Students in Bhutan typically spend from 12% to 23% of their total monthly expenditure on housing with 17% being the average. The average monthly spend on housing is 4,600 BTN with expenditure ranging from 690 BTN to 31,000 BTN. This cost mainly goes for rent but it also includes other accommodation-related expenses.
Electricity, utilities, energy, water, internet, and mobile expenditure for students
Cost of utilities7%
7% of total expenses on average (5% to 11%)
| LOW | $1.4 120 BTN |
| AVERAGE | $9.3 770 BTN |
| HIGH | $62 5,100 BTN |
| Per Month |
Utility expenditure like electricity, water, and gas in Bhutan ranges from 5% to 11% of total expenses with 7% being the average for most students. The average monthly cost of utilities is 770 BTN with 120 BTN and 5,100 BTN being the upper and lower limits for a student of four.
Transport, fuel, and commute expenditure for students
Cost of transport and fuel4%
4% of total expenses on average (4% to 10%)
| LOW | $2.4 200 BTN |
| AVERAGE | $16 1,300 BTN |
| HIGH | $110 9,000 BTN |
| Per Month |
Fuel consumption and cost of transport depend heavily on whether a student resides near school and work, but roughly speaking a student would expect to spend from 200 BTN to 9,000 BTN in a month on commuting with 1,300 BTN being the norm for most students. This means that money spent on transport constitutes about 4% of total spending on average but can go as low as 4% or as high as 10%.
Food, groceries, and basic shopping expenditure for students
Food and Groceries Cost23%
23% of total expenses on average (17% to 27%)
| LOW | $7 580 BTN |
| AVERAGE | $46 3,800 BTN |
| HIGH | $310 26,000 BTN |
| Per Month |
The average outlay on groceries and basic houshold items for a typical student in a month in Bhutan is 3,800 BTN. The cost of groceries can range between 580 BTN to 26,000 BTN. Students spend on average about 23% on food and groceries with upper and lower bounds of 17% and 27% respectively.
Healthcare and medical services expenditure for students
Cost of healthcare9%
9% of total expenses on average (6% to 12%)
| LOW | $2.1 170 BTN |
| AVERAGE | $14 1,200 BTN |
| HIGH | $93 7,700 BTN |
| Per Month |
Students in Bhutan allocate 6% to 12% of their total monthly expenditure to healthcare including health insurance and out-of-pocket medical expenses. The average spending on medical services and clinic visits is around 9%. The range of medical expenses range from 170 BTN to 7,700 BTN with 1,200 BTN being the norm for most students.
Leisure and shopping expenditure for students
Cost of leisure and shopping2%
2% of total expenses on average (2% to 6%)
| LOW | $1.7 140 BTN |
| AVERAGE | $12 960 BTN |
| HIGH | $77 6,400 BTN |
| Per Month |
This category mostly contains discretionary or non-essential expenses but also some non-discretionary spending like furniture for example. The monthly expenses range from 140 BTN to 6,400 BTN with 960 BTN being the average. Speaking of percentages, that equates to 2% to 6% of total expenses with an average of 2% for most students.
Education and schooling expenditure for students
Cost of education and schooling18%
18% of total expenses on average (11% to 23%)
| LOW | $6.6 550 BTN |
| AVERAGE | $44 3,700 BTN |
| HIGH | $290 24,000 BTN |
| Per Month |
Spending on education can vary drastically between different students. On average, education constitutes 18% of the monthly expenditure of students with 11% and 23% being the lower and upper bounds respectively. The average reported education cost is 3,700 BTN per month with 550 BTN being the minimum spent amount and 24,000 BTN being the maximum.
Other Expenses19%
19% of total expenses on average (13% to 25%)
| LOW | $5.2 430 BTN |
| AVERAGE | $35 2,900 BTN |
| HIGH | $230 19,000 BTN |
| Per Month |
A typical and healthy budgeting structure
The 50/30/20 rule
Spending among different people can vary significantly based on factors such as their income, lifestyle,
location, and personal preferences. A commonly used guideline for budgeting is the 50/30/20 rule,
which suggests allocating your income into three main categories in the following percentages.
50% for needs and financial obligations
This category includes essential expenses like housing, utilities, groceries, transportation, and healthcare.
30% for wants and discretionary spending
This category covers discretionary spending on non-essential items, such as dining out, entertainment, travel, and other lifestyle choices.
20% for savings and emergency fund
This is the percentage that must be allocated to savings, emergency funds, and retirement accounts.
About financial planning, money management, and household budgeting
The 50/30/20 rule is used as a general guideline but may not be the best choice for all people. There are in fact many budgeting plans out there like the 70/20/10 and the 60/20/20 rules, all claiming to be the best. More important than all of this is to establish financial discipline by creating a budget tailored to your specific financial goals and situation. It is very important that your financial outflow be less than your income to maintain a healthy cash flow.
Affordable living in Bhutan
Income and cost of living compatibility
We asked students one simple question and recorded their answers.
Is it affordable or economical to live in Bhutan?
Around 48% of surveyed students think that living in Bhutan is affordable with proper budgeting while 52% reported that it is just too expensive and not affordable even with frugality and thriftness.
Low-cost alternatives in Bhutan
People are always looking for ways to cut down expenses and reduce expenditures. The hallmark of any affordable place is the availability of discount stores, bargain deals, smart or secondhand shopping, refurbished items, and couponing. We asked students how easily cost-cutting is and the answers were distributed as follows:
Plenty of low-cost options55%
Few low-cost options45%
Based on the survey, 55% of the students living in Bhutan have no problem finding low-cost alternatives to support a frugal lifestyle while 45% think that thriftness is difficult due to scarcity in discount markets and secondhand outlets.
Emergency Funds For Students
An emergency fund is a financial safety net comprised of easily accessible savings set aside to cover unexpected expenses or financial emergencies, typically amounting to three to six months' worth of living expenses. We asked students of Bhutan whether they have an emergency fund and the answers were as follows.
Yes47%
No53%
Based on the survey, 53% of the students living in Bhutan said that they don't have an emergency fund while 47% said that they do.
Financial Literacy in Bhutan
Financial literacy is the knowledge of concepts and principles related to personal finance that allow individuals to make informed decisions regarding their money such as budgeting, saving, investing, borrowing, managing debt, financial risk management, and planning.
Financial Leteracy43%
We asked student guardians and parents in Bhutan whether they acquired any adequate personal financial training in their lives. Approximately 57% of the people who participated in the survey said that they are not well informed about the topics of budgeting, saving, etc., and just manage things based on their own experience, while 43% said that they know about the general principles of personal finance from sources other than their own experience.
Difficulty in Budgeting and Financial Planning
We wanted to understand whether students of Bhutan have problems or difficulties in managing their expenditures and savings so we asked people one simple question: do you struggle with your personal finances? 51% of the participants reported that they indeed struggle in creating budgets and in organizing their finances while 49% said that they have everything under control.
Struggles with finance51%
Easily manages finances49%
Housing costs, accommodation, and housing affordability in Bhutan
Rental costs and house/apartment prices can vary drastically between different areas and locations.
Rent Cost in Bhutan
Monthly Rent Prices
Studio apartment monthly rent cost
| 3,100 BTN | 4,700 BTN | 12,000 BTN |
1-bedroom apartment monthly rent cost
| 4,700 BTN | 7,500 BTN | 19,000 BTN |
2-bedroom apartment monthly rent cost
| 6,200 BTN | 9,300 BTN | 25,000 BTN |
3-bedroom apartment monthly rent cost
| 7,500 BTN | 12,000 BTN | 34,000 BTN |
Furnished apartment monthly rent cost
| 15,000 BTN | 37,000 BTN | 75,000 BTN |
Townhouse monthly rent cost
| 12,000 BTN | 19,000 BTN | 53,000 BTN |
House monthly rent cost
| 15,000 BTN | 37,000 BTN | 75,000 BTN |
Villa monthly rent cost
| 19,000 BTN | 47,000 BTN | 75,000 BTN |
The monthly rental cost of a studio apartment in Bhutan ranges between 3,100 BTN and 12,000 BTN, meanwhile the cost of monthly rental of a one-bedroom apartment can be anywhere from 4,700 BTN to 19,000 BTN. Two-bedroom rentals rate ranges between 6,200 BTN and 25,000 BTN per month. The monthly rental for a three-bedroom apartment ranges from 7,500 BTN to 34,000 BTN. The average rent of a townhouse in Bhutan is around 19,000 BTN while house rental costs can be as high as 37,000 BTN per month. Finally, if you want to rent a villa, expect to pay anywhere from 19,000 BTN to 75,000 BTN per month.
Apartment and house prices in Bhutan
Cost of buying a property
Studio apartment price
| 620,000 BTN | 930,000 BTN | 1.9M BTN |
1-bedroom apartment price
| 750,000 BTN | 1.2M BTN | 4.7M BTN |
2-bedroom apartment price
| 1.2M BTN | 3.7M BTN | 7.5M BTN |
3-bedroom apartment price
| 4.2M BTN | 6.2M BTN | 19M BTN |
Townhouse price
| $64,000 | $150,000 | $560,000 |
House price
| $75,000 | $450,000 | $640,000 |
Villa price
| $90,000 | $500,000 | $750,000 |
The average price of a studio apartment in Bhutan can range from 620,000 BTN to 1.9M BTN depending on location. One bedroom cost can be anywhere from 750,000 BTN to 4.7M BTN. A villa can cost you 42M BTN on average with prices ranging from 7.5M BTN to 62M BTN.
If you're leasing or purchasing, housing costs in Bhutan will probably constitute your biggest expenditure, yet it's an area where you wield considerable influence. This is due to the substantial variance in housing prices across communities. Keep in mind the location of your workplace and the accessibility of essential amenities to prevent negating the savings from lower rental rates with increased transportation expenses.
House / apartment prices to income ratio
Property price to income ratio
( average property price / average monthly income ) x 100
| 30 | x83 monthly income | 190 |
Property prices in Bhutan can be x83 to x190 multiples of the monthly income depending on the property and the income of the person. On average, property prices are approximately x83 multiples of the average monthly salary in Bhutan.
Rent to income ratio
Rent to income ratio
( monthly rental / monthly income ) x 100
The average rent-to-income ratio in Bhutan is around 28%. This means that people pay 28% of their income for rent. Those figures can range from 18% to 38% depending on the salary, location, and type of property.
The housing-to-income ratio is a very important metric to evaluate and measure how affordable living is in a particular area, city, or country since housing comprises the biggest chunk of expenditure. A higher housing to income ratio means that the place is relatively expensive. The figure by itself does tell much. It only starts to make sense when comparing the housing to income ratio across different locations.
Housing affordability index
The housing affordability index measures how affordable accommodation is in a particular place. This can measured in multiple ways, the most common being housing expenditure to total expenditure ratio and the rent to income ratio. The housing expenditure ratio is a figure reported by individuals on the percentage they allocate for housing. Rent to income ratio is calculated by dividing the average monthly rent by the average income. Because these values are both percentages, we can find their average and get the best of the two worlds.
Housing Affordability Index
26% Property Taxes
Real estate owners pay property taxes to local tax authorities, which are determined by the assessed value of their property. Typically, these taxes are paid once a year. Property tax funds contribute to community development, financing infrastructure improvements, public services, and local education initiatives.
Home Maintenance Costs
Home maintenance costs encompass various expenses associated with the upkeep and repair of a residence. These expenditures include regular tasks such as lawn care, pest control, and HVAC system servicing, as well as occasional repairs and renovations like fixing leaks, painting, or replacing appliances.
Urban vs. rural living costs
Urban living typically entails higher housing and transportation costs due to demand and limited space, while rural areas generally offer lower housing expenses but may have higher prices for goods and services. The differnce in rental rates between urban areas and rural areas can be as high as 300% in some cases.
Monthly costs and expenses of energy and basic utilities in Bhutan
Utilities expenditure can vary slightly between different areas and locations.
Energy, electricity, water, gas, internet, and mobile cost in Bhutan
Utility Bill Cost / Electricity + Water + Gas / Student
| 120 BTN | 770 BTN | 5,100 BTN |
Internet and cable cost
Mobile phone bill and charges
Because most utility bills club electricity, water, and gas costs in one bill, we can't provide a breakup for each type of utility and will display electricity, gas, and water as single cost.
The average monthly energy and water consumption of students is around 770 BTN. The cost of internet and WiFi ranges from 190 BTN to 500 BTN with 370 BTN being the average internet bill. Finally, the average monthly mobile charges is around 250 BTN but can range between 150 BTN and 750 BTN depending on consumption. Mobile charges include both calling minutes as well as data packages.
Energy / Utility expense to income ratio
( monthly utility expenses / monthly income ) x 100
The average utility-to-income ratio in Bhutan is around 7%. This means that people pay 7% of their income for energy, water, internet, and mobile charges. Those figures can range from 4% to 11% depending on salary and location.
Food Prices, Dining Expenses, and Grocery Costs in Bhutan
Grocery / Food expenditure and prices can vary drastically between different areas and locations.
Prices and cost of goods and services in Bhutan
Dining out, food, and beverages costs. Price variations for common food items.
Fast food combo meal price
The average price of a regular combo meal at a fast food outlet or chain like McDonald's, Pizzahut, or KFC in Bhutan is approximatly 75 BTN with meal cost ranging from 37 BTN to 120 BTN. The typical combo meal consists of a burger, french fries, and a drink.
Restaurant meal for one price
If you are planning to have a nice meal at a mid-range restaurant, expect to pay anywhere between 120 BTN and 370 BTN with 190 BTN being the average price of a plate for one person at a regular restaurant in Bhutan.
Fine dining meal for one price
| 250 BTN | 370 BTN | 1,500 BTN |
The price range of a meal at fine-dining restaurant is 250 BTN to 1,500 BTN with the average cost being 370 BTN for one person. This is what you would expect to pay a top-tier diner in Bhutan.
Beverage prices, cappuccino, latte etc..
The average price of a regular beverage like cappuccino or latte at Starbucks, Costa, or similar coffee shops and cafes in Bhutan is around 50 BTN. Price ranges between 31 BTN and 75 BTN depending on the type of beverage, the size, and optional add-ons.
Grocery and market costs
Large bottle of milk price
The average price of a large bottle of milk in Bhutan is 30 BTN. The maximum what you would pay for milk is 37 BTN and the minimum being 25 BTN depending on the brand of milk and other properties.
12 eggs price
A dozen eggs costs around 25 BTN on average with 19 BTN and 37 BTN being the lower and upper limits respectively.
Fresh whole chicken price
The price range of a fresh whole chicken in Bhutan is between 42 BTN and 78 BTN depending on the size of the chicken and whether it is oraganic or not. The average price is approximatly 55 BTN.
Pack of beef price
The price of a regular pack of beef or meat is around 75 BTN. A pack of beef contains around 1Kg or 1lb depending on packing.
Medium bag of rice price
A bag of rice in Bhutan costs around 27 BTN on average with prices rangeing between 20 BTN and 39 BTN depending on the brand and quality.
Bag of tomatos price
A bag of tomatoes costs anywhere from 7.5 BTN to 19 BTN. A bag of tomatoes denotes 1Kg or 1lb depending on location.
Bag of apples price
A bag of apples costs 17 BTN on average. A bag of apples denotes 1Kg or 1lb depending on location.
Grocery and food expenditure to income ratio
( monthly grocery expenses / monthly income ) x 100
The average grocery-to-income ratio in Bhutan is around 27%. This means that students spend 27% of their income on grocery and basic household items. The expenditure can range from 19% to 33% depending on salary and location.
Expenditure on food and grocery for students
Students' spending on grocery ranges from 580 BTN to 26,000 BTN with the location, income, and size of the student being the most determinite factors.
