Is Gold Cheap in Bhutan? Everything You Need to Know
Bhutan, known for its serene landscapes and unique cultural heritage, is often considered a hidden gem in Asia. But did you recently hear about how cheap the gold is in Bhutan compared to India? It might not be as cheap as you think and comes with many terms and conditions.
In this blog, I explain everything you need to know about cheaper gold in Bhutan and how to buy it from duty-free shops.
Gold Price in Bhutan
Before I tell you how to buy cheap gold in Bhutan let’s see the gold prices in Bhutan. The gold prices in Bhutan keep changing like any other country and the best place to check the current gold price is this government website: https://gold-bt.onrender.com/
At the time of writing this blog(Jan’24), the Gold price in Bhutan is $1391 for 20g. When converted to INR or BTN it converts to ~ 1,15,622 BTN/INR.
Here are the gold prices from Major cities in India
| City | Gold Price/20gm |
|---|---|
| Bangalore | 126100 |
| Delhi | 126400 |
| Mumbai | 126100 |
| Chennai | 127520 |
| Kolkata | 126100 |
When we compare the 20g prices there is a difference of around 12-15k, which is not a lot when considering the requirements to buy this gold.
How to buy cheap gold in Bhutan: Requirements
To buy cheap gold in Bhutan one must follow these steps
- Must stay for 1 night in Bhutan in tourist certified hotel
- You must pay the SDF of ₹1200/day
- For men you can only buy 20gms of gold and women are allowed to carry 40gms.
- You can only avail of this cheaper price from a duty-free shop in Bhutan.
- To avail of this price you need to pay in US dollars only.
Apart from the above restrictions here are a few other things you need to know before buying gold in Bhutan
- Gold is not always available in duty-free shops
- You can only go between 10 am and 3 pm on weekdays to avail the gold at a cheaper price
- There is no option to get any jewelry you will only get a 20 gm bar/biscuit.
Duty-free shops in Bhutan
Paro Airport Terminal – Only accessible to flight passengers
Thimphu Shop – Google Maps
Phunetsholing Shop – Google Maps
Conclusion: Is gold really cheap in Bhutan?
While the gold price in Bhutan might be cheaper than in India it should not be the sole reason for you to visit Bhutan. It was just one of the ways to promote tourism in Bhutan for Indians. Only if you’re able to buy 60gms or more gold it would be a great deal to visit Bhutan.
I would recommend visiting Bhutan either way if you wish to buy gold or not and enjoy its beautiful landscape, monasteries, and culture.
Read more about 20 things to know before planning your Bhutan trip and Booking a Bhutan trip with a local tour operator is one of them. I booked my tour with Bhutan Druk Adventure and had an amazing experience with them. You can contact them here:
Website: Bhutan Druk Adventure
Contact Number: +975 7760 8671(Rinzin Dorji)
FAQ’s about cheaper gold in Bhutan
Q1. Why Gold is cheaper in Bhutan?
Ans. To promote tourism for Indians, Bhutan introduced providing tax-free gold for Indians for a cheaper price.
Q2. How to buy cheap gold from Bhutan?
Ans. If you are looking to buy gold for cheaper in Bhutan you need to stay 1nigth at a tourist-certified hotel and pay the SDF of ₹1200/day. You will be able to find tax-free gold in Duty-free shops in Bhutan.
Q3. How much gold can Indians buy in Bhutan?
Ans. Men are allowed to carry 20 gms and women are allowed to carry 40 gms of tax-free gold from Bhutan to India.
Q4. How much is the Bhutan gold price today?
Ans. You can find the exact Bhutan gold price on their govt website here: https://gold-bt.onrender.com/
Hope this helps you with all the information about cheaper gold in Bhutan. If you have any other questions about Bhutan or need help in planning a trip to Bhutan drop a comment or message me on Instagram: stories.of.raku and I’ll try my best to answer them.
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