Property prices in Bhutan

Thimphu and a few other big towns in Bhutan have been experiencing shortage of houses on rent. This is due to increasing availability of employment and had seen people from across 20 Dzongkhaks migrate to places like Thimphu, Pheuntsholing, Gelephu etc.

I'm sharing a few insights and experiences in finding a rental accommodation in Thimphu. First, it is not easy to find rental accommodation in Thimphu town. Chances are better in areas like Babesa (south), Taba (north) and other fringe areas. It's always better to have a set of friends who are willing to help you find a house from their network. After a spree of house hunting, I ultimately found a great place owned by a friend's friend.

The posts on Facebook pages like Rent a House in Thimphu Bhutan and Housing.bt could be helpful but always be aware of greedy owners (rare but they're the ones who are overenthusiastic) who might want to rush you into a decision on the spot at unreasonable rents. One profitable (last ditch) bet could be to post your requirement in B-Bay -Buying and Selling Second hand stuffs in Bhutan (89k members) - the most active FB page by bBhutan's famous blogger, founder of Bhutan Toilet Org.

Monthly rental for a typical unfurnished 2 bed apartment could range between Nu 8,000 - 13,000 (Bhutanese Nultrum). Add another 2-3k, if it's a 3 bed apartment. Fully furnished 3 bed apartments could be around 25k per month, cable (Nu 300-400) and internet connections charged separately. Interestingly, there's this American designed and superbly built gated-community of studio, 2, 3, 4 bed apartments about 12 km north of Thimphu city centre - Yangphel Housing at Chamjeykha, Kabesa area. But because it's not well connected by public transport (even ubiquitous taxi is hard to find), doesn't have basic public amenities and it's colder/lonelier... people don't prefer to buy or rent those properties. If these factors aren't a problem, it's a wonderful place to stay.

The advance payment for houses is usually 1-2 months. Special Note: street dog menace is everywhere in Thimphu; they howl through the night and even 5-star hotels aren't an exception.

Hope this note is helpful.