Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Banepa and Kathmandu

For one person, living is cheaper in Banepa: $324 a month against $485 in Kathmandu, rent and utilities included – about $1,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

16

Cost of Living Index in Banepa
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Banepa Living Index
24

Cost of Living Index in Kathmandu
Learn more

Kathmandu Living Index

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Banepa

🇳🇵 Nepal

$324

/mo nomad

Kathmandu

🇳🇵 Nepal

$485

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Banepa and in Kathmandu

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $324 in Banepa versus $485 in Kathmandu.

Banepa $324
Kathmandu $485

Estimated couple costs with rent: $530 in Banepa versus $780 in Kathmandu.

Banepa $530
Kathmandu $780

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $735 in Banepa versus $1,075 in Kathmandu.

Banepa $735
Kathmandu $1,075

Living in Banepa costs roughly 33% less than in Kathmandu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Banepa 76% lower, Kathmandu 64% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.94 NPR 294

$2.02 NPR 307

-3.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$20.15 NPR 3,062

$20.42 NPR 3,103

-1.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.55 NPR 995

$7.46 NPR 1,134

-12.20%

Cappuccino

$1.34 NPR 203

$1.51 NPR 230

-11.26%

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

$0.52 NPR 79.7

$0.55 NPR 83.8

-5.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.15 NPR 22.50

$0.17 NPR 25.74

-11.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.66 NPR 404

$3.24 NPR 492

-17.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.36 NPR 510

$3.24 NPR 492

3.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.48 NPR 73.4

$0.73 NPR 111

-34.25%

White Bread (500g)

$0.60 NPR 90.9

$0.63 NPR 95.9

-4.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.29 NPR 43.68

$0.87 NPR 132

-66.67%

Eggs

$1.39 NPR 211

$1.76 NPR 268

-21.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$2.92 NPR 443

$7.37 NPR 1,119

-60.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.17 NPR 482

$3.07 NPR 466

3.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$1.69 NPR 257

$5.99 NPR 909

-71.79%

Apples (1kg)

$2.01 NPR 306

$2.07 NPR 314

-2.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.16 NPR 176

Oranges (1kg)

$0.41 NPR 62.8

$1.45 NPR 221

-71.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.34 NPR 52.3

$0.55 NPR 84.0

-38.18%

Potato (1kg)

$0.27 NPR 41.10

$0.39 NPR 59.0

-30.77%

Onion (1kg)

$0.34 NPR 52.3

$0.50 NPR 76.7

-32.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.45 NPR 68.9

$0.45 NPR 68.8

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.22 NPR 33.35

$0.22 NPR 33.43

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.94 NPR 295

$2.52 NPR 383

-23.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.75 NPR 1,177

$7.74 NPR 1,175

0.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 NPR 154

$2.32 NPR 352

-56.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.44 NPR 219

$3.05 NPR 463

-52.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.22 NPR 33.25

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.02 NPR 4,561

$10.04 NPR 1,525

199.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.77 NPR 269

$1.76 NPR 267

0.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.22 NPR 186

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.33 NPR 506

$3.40 NPR 516

-2.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 NPR 216

$1.35 NPR 206

5.19%

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

$35.7K NPR 5.4M

$36.8K NPR 5.6M

-3.10%

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

$36.4K NPR 5.5M

$36.8K NPR 5.6M

-1.07%

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

$31.85 NPR 4,839

$32.06 NPR 4,872

-0.66%

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

$3.44 NPR 523

$3.59 NPR 545

-4.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.89 NPR 1,351

$9.24 NPR 1,404

-3.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$21.94 NPR 3,334

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.76 NPR 1,027

Cinema Ticket

$3.03 NPR 461

$2.98 NPR 453

1.68%

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

$66.2 NPR 10.1K

$67.8 NPR 10.3K

-2.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,563 NPR 845.3K

$5,618 NPR 853.6K

-0.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$24.40 NPR 3,707

$24.01 NPR 3,648

1.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.78 NPR 4,069

$26.88 NPR 4,084

-0.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$64.8 NPR 9,849

$64.8 NPR 9,838

0.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$28.45 NPR 4,322

$29.17 NPR 4,432

-2.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$220 NPR 33.4K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$101 NPR 15.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$433 NPR 65.8K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$201 NPR 30.5K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,355 NPR 357.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,334 NPR 202.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$261 NPR 39.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.98

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

Last update for Banepa: October 19, 2026

Last update for Kathmandu: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Banepa

$97 29.9%

Kathmandu

$145 29.9% 49.7% $48

Eating Out

Banepa

$74 22.8%

Kathmandu

$82 17% 11.3% $8.4

Clothing & Footwear

Banepa

$65 20.1%

Kathmandu

$65 13.4% 0.2% $0.2

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Banepa

$44 13.6%

Kathmandu

$45 9.3% 1.6% $0.7

Getting Around

Banepa

$38 * 11.7%

Kathmandu

$19 3.9% 50.4% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Banepa

$6.1 * 1.9%

Kathmandu

$28 5.8% 361% $22

Accommodation & Living

Banepa

- * 0%

Kathmandu

$101 20.9%

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $20.00 in Banepa vs $20.00 in Kathmandu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $97.0 vs $145 per month, with Banepa cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇳🇵 Banepa

🇳🇵 Kathmandu

🕒 Local time

16:34 4:34 PM

Same time as Banepa

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

67,629

975,000 Capital

💱 Currency

Nepalese Rupee NPR रु

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 NPR = 6.58 USD

1,000 NPR = 5.85 EUR

1,000 NPR = 6.58 USD

1,000 NPR = 5.85 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Banepa Kathmandu 21 km

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Banepa
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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

Banepa vs Kathmandu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Banepa is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 50% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $486 in Banepa and $728 in Kathmandu to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Supermarket bills run roughly 50% higher in Kathmandu. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Banepa – a meal for two runs $20.00 versus $20.00 in Kathmandu. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Either city works on $1,000 a month, though Banepa gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Banepa and Kathmandu are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Banepa gentler on the wallet – expenses run 50% less than in Kathmandu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.