Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Birgunj and Kathmandu

For one person, living is cheaper in Birgunj: $354 a month against $488 in Kathmandu, rent and utilities included – about $1,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

17

Cost of Living Index in Birgunj
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Birgunj Living Index
23

Cost of Living Index in Kathmandu
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Kathmandu Living Index

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Birgunj

🇳🇵 Nepal

$354

/mo nomad

Kathmandu

🇳🇵 Nepal

$488

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $354 in Birgunj versus $488 in Kathmandu.

Birgunj $354
Kathmandu $488

Estimated couple costs with rent: $576 in Birgunj versus $783 in Kathmandu.

Birgunj $576
Kathmandu $783

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $797 in Birgunj versus $1,077 in Kathmandu.

Birgunj $797
Kathmandu $1,077

Living in Birgunj costs roughly 27% less than in Kathmandu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Birgunj 74% lower, Kathmandu 64% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.29 NPR 197

$1.92 NPR 291

-32.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.97 NPR 3,031

$20.72 NPR 3,146

-3.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.17 NPR 1,088

$7.02 NPR 1,065

2.14%

Cappuccino

$1.53 NPR 232

$1.56 NPR 236

-1.92%

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

$0.56 NPR 84.4

$0.51 NPR 78.2

9.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.15 NPR 22.24

$0.14 NPR 20.87

7.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.25 NPR 341

$3.11 NPR 472

-27.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 NPR 512

$3.32 NPR 504

1.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.63 NPR 95.9

$0.77 NPR 117

-18.18%

White Bread (500g)

$0.24 NPR 36.13

$0.62 NPR 93.9

-61.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.60 NPR 91.7

$0.92 NPR 139

-34.78%

Eggs

$1.58 NPR 240

$1.74 NPR 264

-9.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.28 NPR 1,105

$7.51 NPR 1,141

-3.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.30 NPR 350

$3.10 NPR 471

-25.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.15 NPR 934

$5.99 NPR 909

2.67%

Apples (1kg)

$2.00 NPR 304

$2.08 NPR 316

-3.85%

Banana (1kg)

$0.95 NPR 144

$1.19 NPR 181

-20.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.36 NPR 206

$1.44 NPR 219

-5.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.56 NPR 84.3

$0.59 NPR 89.3

-5.08%

Potato (1kg)

$0.41 NPR 62.6

$0.39 NPR 58.8

5.13%

Onion (1kg)

$0.51 NPR 77.4

$0.54 NPR 81.8

-5.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.12 NPR 17.64

$0.49 NPR 74.8

-75.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.22 NPR 33.92

$0.22 NPR 33.20

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.62 NPR 246

$2.46 NPR 373

-34.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.06 NPR 1,223

$7.97 NPR 1,209

1.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 NPR 337

$2.30 NPR 349

-3.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 NPR 466

$3.02 NPR 458

1.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.13 NPR 19.79

$0.17 NPR 26.26

-23.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.75 NPR 1,481

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.84 NPR 280

$1.79 NPR 272

2.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.21 NPR 183

$1.16 NPR 176

4.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.18 NPR 483

$3.33 NPR 505

-4.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.09 NPR 166

$1.39 NPR 210

-21.58%

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

$36.4K NPR 5.5M

$35.7K NPR 5.4M

1.81%

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

$36.2K NPR 5.5M

$35.9K NPR 5.4M

0.90%

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

$31.67 NPR 4,808

$31.31 NPR 4,752

1.15%

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

$3.32 NPR 504

$3.58 NPR 544

-7.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.24 NPR 1,403

$9.30 NPR 1,411

-0.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$13.32 NPR 2,022

$24.50 NPR 3,719

-45.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.97 NPR 1,059

Cinema Ticket

$1.93 NPR 293

$2.94 NPR 446

-34.35%

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

$67.5 NPR 10.3K

$66.9 NPR 10.1K

1.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,584 NPR 847.7K

$5,521 NPR 838.1K

1.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$24.27 NPR 3,684

$23.85 NPR 3,620

1.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.21 NPR 4,130

$26.77 NPR 4,064

1.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$26.11 NPR 3,964

$62.6 NPR 9,509

-58.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$16.21 NPR 2,460

$29.36 NPR 4,457

-44.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$33.93 NPR 5,150

$217 NPR 32.9K

-84.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$39.29 NPR 5,965

$104 NPR 15.8K

-62.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$123 NPR 18.7K

$432 NPR 65.5K

-71.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$77.4 NPR 11.8K

$200 NPR 30.4K

-61.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$654 NPR 99.3K

$2,336 NPR 354.6K

-71.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$495 NPR 75.2K

$1,330 NPR 201.9K

-62.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$268 NPR 40.6K

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 Birgunj: October 25, 2026

Last update for Kathmandu: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Birgunj

$132 37.2%

Kathmandu

$147 30.2% 11.5% $15

Eating Out

Birgunj

$71 20%

Kathmandu

$80 16.4% 12.5% $8.8

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Birgunj

$44 12.5%

Kathmandu

$44 9.1% 0.1% $0.1

Clothing & Footwear

Birgunj

$42 11.9%

Kathmandu

$64 13.2% 52% $22

Accommodation & Living

Birgunj

$39 11.1%

Kathmandu

$104 21.4% 166% $65

Sport & Entertainment

Birgunj

$17 4.9%

Kathmandu

$30 6.2% 76.8% $13

Getting Around

Birgunj

$8.4 * 2.4%

Kathmandu

$18 3.7% 115% $9.6

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $34 in Birgunj and $217 in Kathmandu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $20 in Birgunj vs $21 in Kathmandu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $132 vs $147 per month, with Birgunj cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇳🇵 Birgunj

🇳🇵 Kathmandu

🕒 Local time

06:53 6:53 AM

Same time as Birgunj

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

135,904

975,000 Capital

💱 Currency

Nepalese Rupee NPR रु

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 NPR = 6.59 USD

1,000 NPR = 5.88 EUR

1,000 NPR = 6.59 USD

1,000 NPR = 5.88 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Birgunj Kathmandu 89 km

From you

Birgunj
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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

Birgunj vs Kathmandu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Birgunj wins on cost – living expenses run 27% lower than in Kathmandu. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Birgunj the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $531 in Birgunj and $732 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $34 in Birgunj versus $217 in Kathmandu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $68 in Birgunj versus $67 in Kathmandu. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Birgunj – a meal for two runs $20 versus $21 in Kathmandu. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

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