Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kathmandu and Baglung

For one person, living is cheaper in Baglung: $374 a month against $496 in Kathmandu, rent and utilities included – about $1,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

24

Cost of Living Index in Kathmandu
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Kathmandu Living Index
18

Cost of Living Index in Baglung
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Baglung Living Index

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Kathmandu

🇳🇵 Nepal

$496

/mo nomad

Baglung

🇳🇵 Nepal

$374

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Kathmandu and in Baglung

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Kathmandu and in Baglung actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $496 per month in Kathmandu vs $374 in Baglung, rent included.

Kathmandu $496
Baglung $374

A couple spends around $795 per month in Kathmandu vs $586 in Baglung, rent included.

Kathmandu $795
Baglung $586

A family of three spends $1,094 per month in Kathmandu vs $799 in Baglung, rent included.

Kathmandu $1,094
Baglung $799

Kathmandu costs about 33% more than Baglung, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Kathmandu and Baglung are more affordable than the global median – Kathmandu 63% lower, Baglung 72% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.03 NPR 307

$1.92 NPR 292

5.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$21.67 NPR 3,285

$9.66 NPR 1,464

124.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.92 NPR 1,201

$7.43 NPR 1,126

6.59%

Cappuccino

$1.56 NPR 236

$1.57 NPR 238

-0.64%

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

$0.56 NPR 84.4

$0.51 NPR 78.0

9.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.13 NPR 20.14

$0.15 NPR 23.37

-13.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.11 NPR 472

$2.36 NPR 358

31.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 NPR 513

$3.35 NPR 508

1.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.76 NPR 115

$0.75 NPR 114

1.33%

White Bread (500g)

$0.63 NPR 95.4

$0.37 NPR 56.3

70.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.94 NPR 143

$0.81 NPR 123

16.05%

Eggs

$1.70 NPR 258

$1.69 NPR 256

0.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.70 NPR 1,167

$7.30 NPR 1,106

5.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.17 NPR 481

$3.20 NPR 485

-0.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.72 NPR 867

$5.99 NPR 908

-4.51%

Apples (1kg)

$2.02 NPR 307

$2.09 NPR 317

-3.35%

Banana (1kg)

$1.16 NPR 177

$1.20 NPR 182

-3.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.34 NPR 203

$0.64 NPR 97.5

109.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.55 NPR 83.2

$0.55 NPR 83.0

Potato (1kg)

$0.39 NPR 58.7

$0.38 NPR 57.7

2.63%

Onion (1kg)

$0.55 NPR 82.9

$0.50 NPR 75.3

10.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.48 NPR 73.2

$0.25 NPR 37.74

92.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.24 NPR 36.48

$0.24 NPR 36.50

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.63 NPR 399

$2.45 NPR 371

7.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.00 NPR 1,364

$7.89 NPR 1,197

14.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.20 NPR 334

$2.32 NPR 351

-5.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 NPR 466

$2.95 NPR 448

4.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.22 NPR 33.26

$0.55 NPR 83.6

-60.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.88 NPR 1,498

$7.75 NPR 1,175

27.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.68 NPR 255

$0.95 NPR 144

76.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.22 NPR 185

$1.20 NPR 182

1.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 NPR 493

$3.25 NPR 492

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 NPR 215

$1.11 NPR 168

27.93%

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

$35.7K NPR 5.4M

$26.8K NPR 4.1M

33.41%

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

$36.2K NPR 5.5M

$36.7K NPR 5.6M

-1.55%

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

$31.50 NPR 4,775

$31.55 NPR 4,783

-0.16%

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

$3.53 NPR 535

$3.19 NPR 484

10.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.96 NPR 1,358

$8.94 NPR 1,356

0.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.91 NPR 3,776

$26.59 NPR 4,031

-6.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.01 NPR 1,062

$3.30 NPR 500

112.42%

Cinema Ticket

$2.89 NPR 438

$2.98 NPR 452

-3.02%

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

$67.5 NPR 10.2K

$38.79 NPR 5,881

73.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K NPR 2.3M

$5,416 NPR 821.1K

175.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$21.64 NPR 3,281

$24.07 NPR 3,648

-10.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.51 NPR 4,019

$26.35 NPR 3,996

0.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$63.1 NPR 9,561

$62.6 NPR 9,487

0.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$28.01 NPR 4,246

$29.10 NPR 4,412

-3.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$233 NPR 35.4K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$109 NPR 16.5K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$444 NPR 67.3K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$207 NPR 31.4K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,324 NPR 352.4K

$3,337 NPR 505.9K

-30.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,315 NPR 199.4K

$2,293 NPR 347.6K

-42.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$285 NPR 43.2K

$163 NPR 24.7K

75.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.98

10.89%

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

Last update for Kathmandu: October 31, 2026

Last update for Baglung: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Kathmandu

$148 29.8%

Baglung

$139 37.3% 5.8% $8.6

Accommodation & Living

Kathmandu

$109 21.9%

Baglung

- * 0% 100%

Eating Out

Kathmandu

$84 16.9%

Baglung

$78 20.8% 7.2% $6

Clothing & Footwear

Kathmandu

$63 12.6%

Baglung

$64 17.1% 2.1% $1.3

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kathmandu

$44 8.9%

Baglung

$44 11.7% 0.7% $0.3

Sport & Entertainment

Kathmandu

$31 6.2%

Baglung

$33 8.7% 6.1% $1.9

Getting Around

Kathmandu

$19 3.7%

Baglung

$17 4.5% 8.8% $1.6

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

Cost Breakdown

Salaries run about 75% higher in Kathmandu. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $22 in Kathmandu versus $10 in Baglung. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $148 vs $139 – making Baglung the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇳🇵 Kathmandu

🇳🇵 Baglung

🕒 Local time

16:50 4:50 PM

Same time as Kathmandu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

975,000 Capital

29,360

💱 Currency

Nepalese Rupee NPR रु

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 NPR = 6.6 USD

1,000 NPR = 5.88 EUR

1,000 NPR = 6.6 USD

1,000 NPR = 5.88 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Kathmandu Baglung 180 km

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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

Kathmandu vs Baglung: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $496 in Kathmandu, $374 in Baglung – Baglung comes out roughly 25% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $744 per month in Kathmandu and $561 in Baglung. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $496 in Kathmandu and $374 in Baglung. That makes Baglung about 25% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 22% less in Baglung. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $496 in Kathmandu and $374 in Baglung, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Kathmandu has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $374 in Baglung to $496 in Kathmandu. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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