Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bangalore and Kathmandu

For one person, living is cheaper in Kathmandu: $488 a month against $562 in Bangalore, rent and utilities included – about $890 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Bangalore outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

27

Cost of Living Index in Bangalore
Learn more

Bangalore Living Index
23

Cost of Living Index in Kathmandu
Learn more

Kathmandu Living Index

Jump to prices

Bangalore

🇮🇳 India

$562

/mo nomad

Kathmandu

🇳🇵 Nepal

$488

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bangalore 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 Bangalore and in Kathmandu actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $562 in Bangalore versus $488 in Kathmandu.

Bangalore $562
Kathmandu $488

Estimated couple costs with rent: $949 in Bangalore versus $783 in Kathmandu.

Bangalore $949
Kathmandu $783

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,336 in Bangalore versus $1,077 in Kathmandu.

Bangalore $1,336
Kathmandu $1,077

Living in Bangalore is roughly 15% more expensive than in Kathmandu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Bangalore 59% lower, Kathmandu 64% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.20 ₹303

$1.92 NPR 291

66.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.12 ₹1,720

$20.72 NPR 3,146

-12.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.66 ₹442

$7.02 NPR 1,065

-33.62%

Cappuccino

$2.33 ₹221

$1.56 NPR 236

49.36%

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

$0.44 ₹41.73

$0.51 NPR 78.2

-13.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.14 ₹13.28

$0.14 NPR 20.87

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.38 ₹225

$3.11 NPR 472

-23.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₹345

$3.32 NPR 504

9.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.65 ₹62.0

$0.77 NPR 117

-15.58%

White Bread (500g)

$0.58 ₹55.0

$0.62 NPR 93.9

-6.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.77 ₹73.2

$0.92 NPR 139

-16.30%

Eggs

$1.09 ₹103

$1.74 NPR 264

-37.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.35 ₹603

$7.51 NPR 1,141

-15.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.81 ₹362

$3.10 NPR 471

22.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.99 NPR 909

Apples (1kg)

$2.80 ₹266

$2.08 NPR 316

34.62%

Banana (1kg)

$0.76 ₹72.2

$1.19 NPR 181

-36.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.26 ₹119

$1.44 NPR 219

-12.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.42 ₹39.80

$0.59 NPR 89.3

-28.81%

Potato (1kg)

$0.36 ₹34.10

$0.39 NPR 58.8

-7.69%

Onion (1kg)

$0.40 ₹37.58

$0.54 NPR 81.8

-25.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.39 ₹37.44

$0.49 NPR 74.9

-20.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.30 ₹28.07

$0.22 NPR 33.20

36.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.65 ₹442

$2.46 NPR 373

89.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.06 ₹860

$7.97 NPR 1,209

13.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.89 ₹180

$2.30 NPR 349

-17.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.99 ₹284

$3.02 NPR 458

-0.99%

Buffalo Round (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) (1kg)

$6.52 ₹619

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 ₹51.4

$0.17 NPR 26.26

217.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.52 ₹1,189

$9.75 NPR 1,481

28.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.07 ₹101

$1.79 NPR 272

-40.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 ₹28.58

$1.16 NPR 176

-74.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.06 ₹195

$3.33 NPR 505

-38.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.10 ₹104

$1.39 NPR 210

-20.86%

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

$11.1K ₹1.1M

$35.7K NPR 5.4M

-68.80%

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

$19.2K ₹1.8M

$35.9K NPR 5.4M

-46.53%

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

$31.15 ₹2,958

$31.31 NPR 4,753

-0.51%

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

$4.11 ₹390

$3.58 NPR 544

14.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.56 ₹1,002

$9.30 NPR 1,411

13.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$21.90 ₹2,079

$24.50 NPR 3,720

-10.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.86 ₹557

$6.97 NPR 1,059

-15.93%

Cinema Ticket

$4.64 ₹440

$2.94 NPR 446

57.82%

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

$103 ₹9,732

$66.9 NPR 10.1K

53.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,902 ₹275.5K

$5,521 NPR 838.1K

-47.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$32.91 ₹3,124

$23.85 NPR 3,621

37.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.69 ₹2,913

$26.77 NPR 4,064

14.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$56.0 ₹5,319

$62.6 NPR 9,510

-10.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$40.75 ₹3,869

$29.36 NPR 4,458

38.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$312 ₹29.6K

$217 NPR 32.9K

43.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$182 ₹17.3K

$104 NPR 15.8K

74.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$842 ₹80.0K

$432 NPR 65.5K

95.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$488 ₹46.4K

$200 NPR 30.4K

144.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,878 ₹178.3K

$2,336 NPR 354.6K

-19.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,045 ₹99.2K

$1,330 NPR 201.9K

-21.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$928 ₹88.1K

$268 NPR 40.6K

246.51%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.47

9.98

-15.13%

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

Last update for Bangalore: October 25, 2026

Last update for Kathmandu: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bangalore

$182 32.4%

Kathmandu

$104 21.4% 42.7% $78

Groceries & Markets

Bangalore

$124 22.1%

Kathmandu

$147 30.2% 18.6% $23

Eating Out

Bangalore

$89 15.8%

Kathmandu

$80 16.4% 10.3% $9.2

Clothing & Footwear

Bangalore

$72 12.9%

Kathmandu

$64 13.2% 11.1% $8

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bangalore

$46 8.2%

Kathmandu

$44 9.1% 3.6% $1.6

Sport & Entertainment

Bangalore

$31 5.6%

Kathmandu

$30 6.2% 2.6% $0.8

Getting Around

Bangalore

$17 3.1%

Kathmandu

$18 3.7% 4.5% $0.8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $312 in Bangalore and $217 in Kathmandu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bangalore pays about 3.5 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $18 in Bangalore vs $21 in Kathmandu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $124 vs $147 per month, with Bangalore cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇳 Bangalore

🇳🇵 Kathmandu

🕒 Local time

12:18 12:18 PM

12:33 12:33 PM

15 min ahead of Bangalore

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,495,492

975,000 Capital

💱 Currency

Indian Rupee INR ₹

Nepalese Rupee NPR रु

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 INR = 10.53 USD

1,000 INR = 9.43 EUR

1,000 NPR = 6.59 USD

1,000 NPR = 5.9 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

NPR, USD, EUR to INR – Indian Rupee Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇳 Indian Rupee (₹)

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 94.94 INR (100 INR = 1.05 USD). 1 EUR = 106 INR (1,000 INR = 9.43 EUR).

Nepalese Rupee exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 152 NPR (1,000 NPR = 6.59 USD). 1 EUR = 170 NPR (1,000 NPR = 5.9 EUR).

USD to INR in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Bangalore Kathmandu 1,820 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Bangalore
Kathmandu

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

Bangalore vs Kathmandu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kathmandu wins on cost – living expenses run 13% lower than in Bangalore. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Kathmandu the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay in Bangalore is about 3.5 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $312 in Bangalore versus $217 in Kathmandu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Kathmandu runs roughly 22% less than in Bangalore. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $103 in Bangalore versus $67 in Kathmandu. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Either city works on $800 a month, though Kathmandu 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.

It comes down to priorities – Kathmandu wins on affordability, Bangalore on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.