Cost of Living Comparison Between India and Nepal Cost of Living Comparison Between India and Nepal

Name: Nepal
Address: NP

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $363 in India versus $265 in Nepal.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $575 in India versus $435 in Nepal.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $786 in India versus $605 in Nepal.

Living in India is roughly 37% more expensive than in Nepal on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: India 73% lower, Nepal 81% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.11 ₹202

$2.00 NPR 306

5.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$10.62 ₹1,018

$16.22 NPR 2,489

-34.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.62 ₹347

$6.53 NPR 1,001

-44.56%

Cappuccino

$1.65 ₹159

$1.36 NPR 209

21.32%

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

$0.38 ₹36.26

$0.48 NPR 73.1

-20.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.14 ₹13.45

$0.16 NPR 23.98

-12.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.86 ₹179

$2.28 NPR 349

-18.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.22 ₹309

$3.32 NPR 509

-3.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.68 ₹64.9

$0.68 NPR 104

White Bread (500g)

$0.49 ₹47.24

$0.49 NPR 75.6

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.66 ₹63.3

$0.72 NPR 111

-8.33%

Eggs

$0.87 ₹83.5

$1.53 NPR 235

-43.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.76 ₹456

$6.33 NPR 971

-24.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.79 ₹267

$2.89 NPR 443

-3.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.43 NPR 832

Apples (1kg)

$1.96 ₹188

$2.05 NPR 314

-4.39%

Banana (1kg)

$0.68 ₹65.2

$1.02 NPR 157

-33.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.95 ₹90.8

$1.13 NPR 173

-15.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.50 ₹48.28

$0.52 NPR 79.4

-3.85%

Potato (1kg)

$0.34 ₹32.34

$0.35 NPR 54.0

-2.86%

Onion (1kg)

$0.38 ₹36.87

$0.54 NPR 83.3

-29.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.45 ₹42.87

$0.41 NPR 62.4

9.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.31 ₹29.80

$0.25 NPR 38.60

24.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.10 ₹488

$2.57 NPR 394

98.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.13 ₹684

$7.26 NPR 1,114

-1.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 ₹163

$2.25 NPR 345

-24.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 ₹256

$2.91 NPR 447

-8.25%

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

$5.12 ₹491

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 ₹26.08

$0.20 NPR 30.94

35.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.56 ₹820

$10.08 NPR 1,547

-15.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.90 ₹86.6

$1.65 NPR 254

-45.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.25 ₹23.68

$1.21 NPR 185

-79.34%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.62 ₹155

$3.32 NPR 509

-51.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.07 ₹102

$1.25 NPR 191

-14.40%

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

$12.5K ₹1.2M

$29.7K NPR 4.6M

-57.93%

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

$19.6K ₹1.9M

$35.0K NPR 5.4M

-44.03%

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

$37.89 ₹3,632

$32.12 NPR 4,927

17.96%

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

$3.61 ₹346

$4.08 NPR 626

-11.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$6.92 ₹663

$7.33 NPR 1,124

-5.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$14.49 ₹1,389

$18.67 NPR 2,864

-22.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.15 ₹686

$6.25 NPR 959

14.40%

Cinema Ticket

$3.15 ₹302

$2.65 NPR 406

18.87%

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

$57.2 ₹5,481

$49.18 NPR 7,544

16.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,669 ₹160.0K

$2,929 NPR 449.2K

-43.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$22.52 ₹2,159

$21.27 NPR 3,262

5.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.70 ₹2,368

$28.68 NPR 4,400

-13.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$40.36 ₹3,869

$47.39 NPR 7,270

-14.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$30.64 ₹2,937

$25.48 NPR 3,909

20.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$146 ₹13.9K

$133 NPR 20.4K

9.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$89.2 ₹8,550

$67.6 NPR 10.4K

31.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$334 ₹32.0K

$286 NPR 43.9K

16.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$214 ₹20.5K

$151 NPR 23.2K

41.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,206 ₹115.6K

$2,097 NPR 321.7K

-42.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$613 ₹58.8K

$1,172 NPR 179.8K

-47.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$435 ₹41.7K

$210 NPR 32.2K

107.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.93

10.47

-14.71%

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

Last update for India: September 13, 2026

Last update for Nepal: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $119 in India, $32.00 in Nepal. Capital cities: $270 in Delhi vs $223 in Kathmandu.

National salary averages: $405 in India, $202 in Nepal. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 272% higher in India.

Dining out costs 20% more in Nepal.

Public transport is 133% more expensive in India.

Salaries are 100% higher in India, and purchasing power comes out stronger in India.

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

India vs Nepal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $527 per month in India and $254 in Nepal, there's a 108% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Day-to-day life is simply cheaper in Nepal: lower food prices, cheaper commutes, smaller household bills. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent in India is consistently higher than in Nepal across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In Nepal, $800 covers most cities easily; in India it stretches only to regional areas and falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.

It depends on what you're after: Nepal wins on affordability; India may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.