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: $388 in India versus $402 in Nepal.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $617 in India versus $663 in Nepal.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $846 in India versus $924 in Nepal.

Living in India costs about 3% less than in Nepal on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: India 71% lower, Nepal 70% lower.

Internal cost variation is higher in India: monthly costs span $265 to $913, compared to $308–$494 in Nepal. City choice carries more weight in India.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.53 ₹244

$1.86 NPR 285

36.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$13.73 ₹1,322

$18.02 NPR 2,768

-23.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.00 ₹385

$7.13 NPR 1,096

-43.90%

Cappuccino

$1.91 ₹184

$1.65 NPR 253

15.76%

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

$0.43 ₹41.85

$0.52 NPR 80.0

-17.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.17 ₹16.11

$0.15 NPR 22.73

13.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.93 ₹186

$2.23 NPR 343

-13.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.54 ₹341

$3.19 NPR 490

10.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.73 ₹69.9

$0.78 NPR 119

-6.41%

White Bread (500g)

$0.52 ₹50.1

$0.51 NPR 78.2

1.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.73 ₹69.9

$0.83 NPR 128

-12.05%

Eggs

$0.95 ₹91.4

$1.60 NPR 245

-40.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.32 ₹512

$7.79 NPR 1,196

-31.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.10 ₹299

$3.17 NPR 487

-2.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.89 NPR 905

Apples (1kg)

$2.16 ₹208

$2.19 NPR 337

-1.37%

Banana (1kg)

$0.70 ₹67.7

$0.99 NPR 152

-29.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.05 ₹101

$1.20 NPR 184

-12.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.53 ₹50.8

$0.65 NPR 99.2

-18.46%

Potato (1kg)

$0.39 ₹37.66

$0.44 NPR 67.1

-11.36%

Onion (1kg)

$0.48 ₹46.64

$0.62 NPR 94.8

-22.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.52 ₹49.78

$0.47 NPR 72.8

10.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.36 ₹34.33

$0.27 NPR 41.82

33.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.02 ₹387

$2.98 NPR 457

34.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.28 ₹701

$7.70 NPR 1,182

-5.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.90 ₹183

$2.36 NPR 362

-19.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.03 ₹292

$3.32 NPR 509

-8.73%

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

$5.84 ₹562

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.36 ₹34.66

$0.23 NPR 35.33

56.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.84 ₹948

$11.04 NPR 1,696

-10.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.95 ₹91.8

$2.20 NPR 338

-56.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 ₹29.03

$0.94 NPR 145

-68.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.79 ₹172

$3.70 NPR 568

-51.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.21 ₹117

$1.23 NPR 190

-1.63%

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

$13.9K ₹1.3M

$32.2K NPR 5.0M

-57.05%

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

$22.4K ₹2.2M

$40.3K NPR 6.2M

-44.30%

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

$40.16 ₹3,867

$33.12 NPR 5,087

21.26%

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

$3.76 ₹362

$5.03 NPR 773

-25.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.04 ₹774

$9.52 NPR 1,463

-15.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$16.25 ₹1,565

$19.57 NPR 3,006

-16.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.56 ₹728

$6.96 NPR 1,069

8.62%

Cinema Ticket

$3.43 ₹330

$3.12 NPR 479

9.94%

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

$69.7 ₹6,713

$63.0 NPR 9,669

10.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,852 ₹178.3K

$2,686 NPR 412.6K

-31.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$25.59 ₹2,463

$24.31 NPR 3,734

5.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.30 ₹2,532

$28.38 NPR 4,359

-7.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$44.89 ₹4,322

$47.94 NPR 7,364

-6.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$33.20 ₹3,197

$33.15 NPR 5,092

0.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$174 ₹16.8K

$146 NPR 22.5K

19.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$112 ₹10.8K

$75.1 NPR 11.5K

49.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$405 ₹39.0K

$279 NPR 42.8K

45.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$258 ₹24.8K

$156 NPR 24.0K

65.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,263 ₹121.6K

$2,136 NPR 328.1K

-40.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$653 ₹62.8K

$1,164 NPR 178.8K

-43.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$424 ₹40.8K

$208 NPR 31.9K

103.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.02

12.22

-26.19%

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

Last update for India: July 12, 2026

Last update for Nepal: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $127 in India, $101 in Nepal. Capital cities: $242 in Delhi vs $194 in Kathmandu.

National salary averages: $398 in India, $195 in Nepal. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 26% higher in India.

Dining out costs 64% more in Nepal.

Public transport is 350% more expensive in India.

Salaries are 104% 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 $589 per month in India and $401 in Nepal, there's a 47% 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.