Cost of Living inThimphu, Bhutan
Image credit: Supreet02
Purchasing Power vs. United States
Based on GDP per capita (PPP). Bhutan: $14,610/capita.
Income Category
GDP per Capita
City Population
Child Education
Public-schooling rules and international-school pricing are not sourced for Bhutan yet. Quality, expat-access, instruction language, and tuition will appear here once verified.
Childcare & Domestic Help
Nanny, housekeeper, and driver pricing is not yet sourced for Thimphu. We publish this section only when we can tie it to local job-board, agency, or country fallback evidence.
Getting Around
Neighborhood mobility profiles are rolling out city by city.Thimphu is still missing a verified walkability, transit, airport, and rideshare profile.
Healthcare
System strength, outcome signals, facility coverage, and self-pay visibility in Bhutan.
Method: country metrics come from public system indicators, facility coverage reflects mapped providers we can inventory, direct pricing only reflects observed self-pay pages, and relative care cost can fall back to broad cost-of-living healthcare indices. Sparse pricing does not imply sparse healthcare availability.
Healthcare system
LimitedDoctor staffing is lighter weigh on this rating.
Public care
MixedA visible public hospital footprint support this rating.
Private care
LimitedThe private footprint is not very visible yet and self-pay pricing transparency is still sparse weigh on this rating.
UHC coverage
69/100
2023
Physicians
0.55/1k
2022
Hospital beds
2.16/1k
2023
Out of pocket
25%
2023
Outcome signals
Life expectancy
73.3 yrs
2024
Maternal mortality
47/100k
2023
Neonatal mortality
7.3/1k
2024
International patient readiness
LimitedThere is visible specialty depth help, but the private footprint is still thin and price transparency is still sparse.
Pricing transparency
LimitedPublished self-pay prices are scarce weigh on this rating.
Facility coverage
Self-pay pricing visibility
No verified self-pay prices are published for the tracked facilities in Bhutan yet.
This usually reflects low online price transparency rather than a lack of healthcare providers.
Notable facilities
System metrics: World Bank WDI · Updated 2026-06-01
Safety & Governance
Street Safety
Source: Numbeo where a city row is matched; otherwise World Bank WGI and country-level safety context.
Political Stability
World Bank WGI scale: -2.5 to +2.5.
Wages by Sector
| Sector | Median |
|---|---|
| Administrative & Support Services | — |
| Agriculture & Farming | — |
| Arts, Entertainment & Recreation | — |
| Construction | — |
| Education | — |
| Finance & Insurance | — |
| Healthcare & Social Work | — |
| Hospitality & Food Service | — |
| Information & Technology | — |
| Manufacturing | — |
| Mining & Quarrying | — |
| Other Services | — |
| Professional & Scientific Services | — |
| Public Administration & Defence | — |
| Real Estate | — |
| Retail & Wholesale Trade | — |
| Transport & Logistics | — |
| Utilities | — |
2024 annual wages in Thimphu, Bhutan · Source: ILO ILOSTAT (national)
Price Comparison vs. US
Visa Information (US passport)
Short-stay entry
US passport holders need advance travel authorization or a visa before entry.
Quick comparison FAQ
Structured from the deltas already shown on this page — no invented facts, no extra data sources.
How far does your money go in Thimphu compared with the US?
Your money goes about 4.6x further in Thimphu than in the US, based on the current PPP estimate.
About Thimphu
Thimphu is the capital of Bhutan, with about 99,000 residents in a Himalayan valley at roughly 2,300 meters elevation, distinguished by a strict national approach to development that keeps building heights low and traditional dzongkha architectural elements mandatory. The economy combines government administration, hydropower-linked services, tourism, and a growing private sector still constrained by the country's small market. Dzongkha is the national language, with Tshangla, Nepali, and English widely used; English is the medium of instruction in schools and standard in government and business. Bhutan's visa regime requires nearly all foreign visitors to pre-arrange travel through licensed operators and pay a daily Sustainable Development Fee. Independent long-term relocation is effectively not available; Thimphu suits diplomatic, NGO, and specific contractual work only.
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