Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Gaighat and Kathmandu

For one person, living is cheaper in Gaighat: $302 a month against $485 in Kathmandu, rent and utilities included – about $2,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

15

Cost of Living Index in Gaighat
Learn more

Gaighat Living Index
24

Cost of Living Index in Kathmandu
Learn more

Kathmandu Living Index

Jump to prices

Gaighat

🇳🇵 Nepal

$302

/mo nomad

Kathmandu

🇳🇵 Nepal

$485

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $302 in Gaighat versus $485 in Kathmandu.

Gaighat $302
Kathmandu $485

Estimated couple costs with rent: $497 in Gaighat versus $780 in Kathmandu.

Gaighat $497
Kathmandu $780

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $691 in Gaighat versus $1,075 in Kathmandu.

Gaighat $691
Kathmandu $1,075

Living in Gaighat costs roughly 38% less than in Kathmandu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Gaighat 78% lower, Kathmandu 64% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.98 NPR 301

$2.02 NPR 307

-1.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.91 NPR 3,024

$20.42 NPR 3,103

-2.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.71 NPR 1,172

$7.46 NPR 1,134

3.35%

Cappuccino

$1.56 NPR 237

$1.51 NPR 230

3.31%

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

$0.50 NPR 76.4

$0.55 NPR 83.8

-9.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.17 NPR 26.15

$0.17 NPR 25.74

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 NPR 461

$3.24 NPR 492

-6.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.35 NPR 508

$3.24 NPR 492

3.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.51 NPR 77.4

$0.73 NPR 111

-30.14%

White Bread (500g)

$0.23 NPR 34.69

$0.63 NPR 95.9

-63.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.35 NPR 52.5

$0.87 NPR 132

-59.77%

Eggs

$1.04 NPR 158

$1.76 NPR 268

-40.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.14 NPR 1,085

$7.37 NPR 1,119

-3.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$1.91 NPR 291

$3.07 NPR 466

-37.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$2.56 NPR 389

$5.99 NPR 909

-57.26%

Apples (1kg)

$1.65 NPR 250

$2.07 NPR 314

-20.29%

Banana (1kg)

$1.14 NPR 174

$1.16 NPR 176

-1.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.68 NPR 103

$1.45 NPR 221

-53.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.34 NPR 51.7

$0.55 NPR 84.0

-38.18%

Potato (1kg)

$0.34 NPR 51.9

$0.39 NPR 59.0

-12.82%

Onion (1kg)

$0.31 NPR 47.73

$0.50 NPR 76.7

-38.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.45 NPR 68.3

$0.45 NPR 68.8

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.11 NPR 17.33

$0.22 NPR 33.43

-50.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.01 NPR 305

$2.52 NPR 383

-20.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.02 NPR 612

$7.74 NPR 1,175

-48.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 NPR 202

$2.32 NPR 352

-42.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 NPR 458

$3.05 NPR 463

-0.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.22 NPR 33.25

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$10.04 NPR 1,525

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.75 NPR 267

$1.76 NPR 267

-0.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.18 NPR 180

$1.22 NPR 186

-3.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.20 NPR 487

$3.40 NPR 516

-5.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 NPR 203

$1.35 NPR 206

-1.48%

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

$29.2K NPR 4.4M

$36.8K NPR 5.6M

-20.56%

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

$36.0K NPR 5.5M

$36.8K NPR 5.6M

-2.06%

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

$31.78 NPR 4,829

$32.06 NPR 4,872

-0.87%

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

$3.44 NPR 523

$3.59 NPR 545

-4.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.24 NPR 1,405

$9.24 NPR 1,404

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$21.94 NPR 3,334

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.76 NPR 1,027

Cinema Ticket

$3.00 NPR 456

$2.98 NPR 453

0.67%

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

$67.1 NPR 10.2K

$67.8 NPR 10.3K

-1.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,408 NPR 821.7K

$5,618 NPR 853.6K

-3.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$25.30 NPR 3,844

$24.01 NPR 3,648

5.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.72 NPR 4,059

$26.88 NPR 4,084

-0.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$63.4 NPR 9,638

$64.8 NPR 9,838

-2.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$28.92 NPR 4,394

$29.17 NPR 4,432

-0.86%

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 %)

9.72

9.98

-2.61%

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

Last update for Gaighat: October 18, 2026

Last update for Kathmandu: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Gaighat

$97 32%

Kathmandu

$145 29.9% 50.2% $49

Eating Out

Gaighat

$82 27.2%

Kathmandu

$82 17% 0% $0

Clothing & Footwear

Gaighat

$65 21.5%

Kathmandu

$65 13.4% 0.3% $0.2

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Gaighat

$44 14.7%

Kathmandu

$45 9.3% 0.9% $0.4

Getting Around

Gaighat

$7.7 * 2.5%

Kathmandu

$19 3.9% 145% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Gaighat

$6 * 2%

Kathmandu

$28 5.8% 365% $22

Accommodation & Living

Gaighat

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

Good to know

🇳🇵 Gaighat

🇳🇵 Kathmandu

🕒 Local time

22:45 10:45 PM

Same time as Gaighat

🌤 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

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Gaighat Kathmandu 370 km

From you

Gaighat
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

Gaighat vs Kathmandu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Gaighat and Kathmandu differ by about 61% in total monthly costs ($302 vs $485 including rent). Gaighat is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $453 in Gaighat 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.

All in, you'll spend $302 per month in Gaighat versus $485 in Kathmandu – a 61% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Gaighat 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, Gaighat 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 Gaighat gentler on the wallet – expenses run 61% less than in Kathmandu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.