Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kathmandu and Banepa

For one person, living is cheaper in Banepa: $324 a month against $485 in Kathmandu, rent and utilities included – about $1,900 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
16

Cost of Living Index in Banepa
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Banepa Living Index

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Kathmandu

🇳🇵 Nepal

$485

/mo nomad

Banepa

🇳🇵 Nepal

$324

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Kathmandu and in Banepa

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 Banepa actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $485 in Kathmandu versus $324 in Banepa.

Kathmandu $485
Banepa $324

Estimated couple costs with rent: $780 in Kathmandu versus $530 in Banepa.

Kathmandu $780
Banepa $530

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,075 in Kathmandu versus $735 in Banepa.

Kathmandu $1,075
Banepa $735

Living in Kathmandu is roughly 50% more expensive than in Banepa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Kathmandu 64% lower, Banepa 76% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.02 NPR 307

$1.94 NPR 294

4.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$20.42 NPR 3,103

$20.15 NPR 3,062

1.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.46 NPR 1,134

$6.55 NPR 995

13.89%

Cappuccino

$1.51 NPR 230

$1.34 NPR 203

12.69%

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

$0.55 NPR 83.8

$0.52 NPR 79.7

5.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.17 NPR 25.74

$0.15 NPR 22.50

13.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 NPR 492

$2.66 NPR 404

21.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.24 NPR 492

$3.36 NPR 510

-3.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.73 NPR 111

$0.48 NPR 73.4

52.08%

White Bread (500g)

$0.63 NPR 95.9

$0.60 NPR 90.9

5.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.87 NPR 132

$0.29 NPR 43.68

200.00%

Eggs

$1.76 NPR 268

$1.39 NPR 211

26.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.37 NPR 1,119

$2.92 NPR 443

152.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.07 NPR 466

$3.17 NPR 482

-3.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.99 NPR 909

$1.69 NPR 257

254.44%

Apples (1kg)

$2.07 NPR 314

$2.01 NPR 306

2.99%

Banana (1kg)

$1.16 NPR 176

Oranges (1kg)

$1.45 NPR 221

$0.41 NPR 62.8

253.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.55 NPR 84.0

$0.34 NPR 52.3

61.76%

Potato (1kg)

$0.39 NPR 59.0

$0.27 NPR 41.10

44.44%

Onion (1kg)

$0.50 NPR 76.7

$0.34 NPR 52.3

47.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.45 NPR 68.8

$0.45 NPR 68.9

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.22 NPR 33.43

$0.22 NPR 33.35

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.52 NPR 383

$1.94 NPR 295

29.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.74 NPR 1,175

$7.75 NPR 1,177

-0.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.32 NPR 352

$1.01 NPR 154

129.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.05 NPR 463

$1.44 NPR 219

111.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.22 NPR 33.25

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$10.04 NPR 1,525

$30.02 NPR 4,561

-66.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.76 NPR 267

$1.77 NPR 269

-0.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.22 NPR 186

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.40 NPR 516

$3.33 NPR 506

2.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 NPR 206

$1.42 NPR 216

-4.93%

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

$36.8K NPR 5.6M

$35.7K NPR 5.4M

3.20%

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

$36.8K NPR 5.6M

$36.4K NPR 5.5M

1.08%

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

$32.06 NPR 4,872

$31.85 NPR 4,839

0.66%

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

$3.59 NPR 545

$3.44 NPR 523

4.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.24 NPR 1,404

$8.89 NPR 1,351

3.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$21.94 NPR 3,334

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.76 NPR 1,027

Cinema Ticket

$2.98 NPR 453

$3.03 NPR 461

-1.65%

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

$67.8 NPR 10.3K

$66.2 NPR 10.1K

2.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,618 NPR 853.6K

$5,563 NPR 845.3K

0.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$24.01 NPR 3,648

$24.40 NPR 3,707

-1.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.88 NPR 4,084

$26.78 NPR 4,069

0.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$64.8 NPR 9,838

$64.8 NPR 9,849

-0.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$29.17 NPR 4,432

$28.45 NPR 4,322

2.53%

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 %)

9.98

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

Last update for Kathmandu: October 19, 2026

Last update for Banepa: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Kathmandu

$145 29.9%

Banepa

$97 29.9% 33.2% $48

Accommodation & Living

Kathmandu

$101 20.9%

Banepa

- * 0% 100%

Eating Out

Kathmandu

$82 17%

Banepa

$74 22.8% 10.2% $8.4

Clothing & Footwear

Kathmandu

$65 13.4%

Banepa

$65 20.1% 0.2% $0.2

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kathmandu

$45 9.3%

Banepa

$44 13.6% 1.6% $0.7

Sport & Entertainment

Kathmandu

$28 5.8%

Banepa

$6.1 * 1.9% 78.3% $22

Getting Around

Kathmandu

$19 3.9%

Banepa

$38 * 11.7% 102% $19

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

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $20.00 in Kathmandu vs $20.00 in Banepa. Groceries flip the comparison at $145 vs $97.0, with Banepa cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇳🇵 Kathmandu

🇳🇵 Banepa

🕒 Local time

17:22 5:22 PM

Same time as Kathmandu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

975,000 Capital

67,629

💱 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

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Kathmandu Banepa 21 km

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Kathmandu
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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 Banepa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Banepa is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 50% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $728 in Kathmandu and $486 in Banepa 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.

Dining out is cheaper in Banepa – a meal for two runs $20.00 versus $20.00 in Kathmandu. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Either city works on $1,000 a month, though Banepa 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, Kathmandu and Banepa 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 Banepa gentler on the wallet – expenses run 50% less than in Kathmandu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.