Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bhaktapur and Kathmandu

For one person, living is cheaper in Bhaktapur: $294 a month against $485 in Kathmandu, rent and utilities included – about $2,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

14

Cost of Living Index in Bhaktapur
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Bhaktapur Living Index
24

Cost of Living Index in Kathmandu
Learn more

Kathmandu Living Index

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Bhaktapur

🇳🇵 Nepal

$294

/mo nomad

Kathmandu

🇳🇵 Nepal

$485

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $294 per month in Bhaktapur vs $485 in Kathmandu, rent included.

Bhaktapur $294
Kathmandu $485

A couple spends around $492 per month in Bhaktapur vs $776 in Kathmandu, rent included.

Bhaktapur $492
Kathmandu $776

A family of three spends $691 per month in Bhaktapur vs $1,067 in Kathmandu, rent included.

Bhaktapur $691
Kathmandu $1,067

Bhaktapur is about 40% cheaper than Kathmandu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Bhaktapur and Kathmandu are more affordable than the global median – Bhaktapur 78% lower, Kathmandu 64% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.94 NPR 295

$2.00 NPR 304

-3.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$20.29 NPR 3,083

$20.16 NPR 3,064

0.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.23 NPR 491

$7.64 NPR 1,160

-57.72%

Cappuccino

$0.88 NPR 134

$1.52 NPR 231

-42.11%

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

$0.50 NPR 76.1

$0.54 NPR 82.7

-7.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.13 NPR 20.17

$0.15 NPR 23.14

-13.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.64 NPR 250

$3.18 NPR 483

-48.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 NPR 245

$3.34 NPR 507

-51.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.69 NPR 104

$0.76 NPR 115

-9.21%

White Bread (500g)

$0.48 NPR 73.0

$0.62 NPR 94.6

-22.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.87 NPR 132

Eggs

$1.74 NPR 264

$1.66 NPR 252

4.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.34 NPR 508

$7.51 NPR 1,141

-55.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.05 NPR 464

$3.08 NPR 468

-0.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.86 NPR 891

$6.02 NPR 914

-2.66%

Apples (1kg)

$1.99 NPR 302

$2.07 NPR 315

-3.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.14 NPR 174

$1.19 NPR 180

-4.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.33 NPR 202

$1.37 NPR 208

-2.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.54 NPR 82.4

$0.54 NPR 81.6

Potato (1kg)

$0.39 NPR 59.1

$0.38 NPR 57.9

2.63%

Onion (1kg)

$0.50 NPR 76.6

$0.54 NPR 82.2

-7.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.38 NPR 57.0

$0.49 NPR 74.4

-22.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.19 NPR 28.64

$0.22 NPR 33.24

-13.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.44 NPR 371

$2.41 NPR 367

1.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.69 NPR 865

$7.61 NPR 1,156

-25.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.28 NPR 347

$2.20 NPR 334

3.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.64 NPR 250

$2.99 NPR 454

-45.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.22 NPR 33.95

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.76 NPR 1,482

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.74 NPR 264

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 NPR 173

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.36 NPR 510

$3.33 NPR 506

0.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 NPR 202

$1.41 NPR 214

-5.67%

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

$29.1K NPR 4.4M

$29.8K NPR 4.5M

-2.59%

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

$35.7K NPR 5.4M

$36.4K NPR 5.5M

-1.93%

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

$31.29 NPR 4,755

$31.62 NPR 4,805

-1.04%

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

$3.46 NPR 525

$3.42 NPR 520

1.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.25 NPR 1,405

$8.97 NPR 1,363

3.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$22.13 NPR 3,363

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.76 NPR 1,027

Cinema Ticket

$3.00 NPR 455

$2.89 NPR 439

3.81%

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

$65.1 NPR 9,895

$66.1 NPR 10.0K

-1.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,556 NPR 844.2K

$5,484 NPR 833.3K

1.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$25.05 NPR 3,807

$24.88 NPR 3,780

0.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.38 NPR 4,008

$26.17 NPR 3,976

0.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$63.3 NPR 9,624

$63.0 NPR 9,573

0.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$28.55 NPR 4,338

$28.83 NPR 4,381

-0.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$218 NPR 33.1K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$104 NPR 15.8K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$433 NPR 65.8K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$198 NPR 30.1K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,296 NPR 348.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,340 NPR 203.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$267 NPR 40.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.72

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

Last update for Bhaktapur: October 13, 2026

Last update for Kathmandu: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Bhaktapur

$122 41.5%

Kathmandu

$145 29.8% 18.6% $23

Clothing & Footwear

Bhaktapur

$64 22%

Kathmandu

$64 13.3% 0.3% $0.2

Eating Out

Bhaktapur

$50 17%

Kathmandu

$83 17% 65.7% $33

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bhaktapur

$44 15%

Kathmandu

$44 9.1% 0% $0

Getting Around

Bhaktapur

$7.4 * 2.5%

Kathmandu

$18 3.7% 143% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Bhaktapur

$6 * 2%

Kathmandu

$28 5.8% 366% $22

Accommodation & Living

Bhaktapur

- * 0%

Kathmandu

$104 21.4%

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

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $20.00 in Bhaktapur versus $20.00 in Kathmandu. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $122 vs $145 – making Bhaktapur the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇳🇵 Bhaktapur

🇳🇵 Kathmandu

🕒 Local time

12:24 12:24 PM

Same time as Bhaktapur

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

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

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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

Bhaktapur vs Kathmandu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Kathmandu is pricier by about 65%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $440 per month in Bhaktapur and $728 in Kathmandu. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $294 in Bhaktapur and $485 in Kathmandu. That's a gap of about 65%.

Kindergarten costs $65.1 per month in Bhaktapur and $66.1 in Kathmandu. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$1,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $294 in Bhaktapur and $485 in Kathmandu, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Bhaktapur – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Bhaktapur. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Kathmandu makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.