Cost of Living Comparison Between Kathmandu and Bangalore Cost of Living Comparison Between Kathmandu and Bangalore

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $501 in Kathmandu versus $566 in Bangalore.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $782 in Kathmandu versus $962 in Bangalore.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,063 in Kathmandu versus $1,357 in Bangalore.

Living in Kathmandu costs roughly 12% less than in Bangalore, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Kathmandu 63% lower, Bangalore 58% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.78 NPR 265

$3.56 ₹330

-50.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.20 NPR 2,848

$17.72 ₹1,644

8.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.65 NPR 987

$4.08 ₹379

62.99%

Cappuccino

$1.90 NPR 282

$2.31 ₹215

-17.75%

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

$0.49 NPR 73.4

$0.43 ₹39.60

13.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.15 NPR 22.63

$0.16 ₹14.75

-6.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.55 NPR 379

$2.35 ₹218

8.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.62 NPR 537

$4.12 ₹382

-12.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.89 NPR 132

$0.61 ₹56.1

45.90%

White Bread (500g)

$0.54 NPR 80.4

$0.62 ₹57.3

-12.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.94 NPR 139

$0.88 ₹81.6

6.82%

Eggs

$1.77 NPR 263

$1.04 ₹96.7

70.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.22 NPR 1,369

$7.70 ₹715

19.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.12 NPR 462

$3.90 ₹362

-20.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.05 NPR 898

Apples (1kg)

$2.18 NPR 324

$2.51 ₹233

-13.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.09 NPR 161

$0.75 ₹70.0

45.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.25 NPR 186

$1.14 ₹105

9.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.65 NPR 95.9

$0.44 ₹40.46

47.73%

Potato (1kg)

$0.49 NPR 72.4

$0.48 ₹44.25

2.08%

Onion (1kg)

$0.72 NPR 106

$0.50 ₹46.67

44.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.50 NPR 73.6

$0.47 ₹43.90

6.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.25 NPR 36.75

$0.35 ₹32.89

-28.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.85 NPR 423

$3.96 ₹367

-28.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.66 NPR 988

$10.47 ₹971

-36.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.34 NPR 348

$2.16 ₹200

8.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.35 NPR 497

$3.38 ₹314

-0.89%

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

$7.63 ₹708

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.23 NPR 34.23

$0.56 ₹51.8

-58.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$10.79 NPR 1,601

$14.65 ₹1,360

-26.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.21 NPR 327

$1.18 ₹109

87.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 NPR 158

$0.33 ₹30.50

224.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.67 NPR 544

$2.32 ₹215

58.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 NPR 187

$1.23 ₹114

2.44%

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

$31.7K NPR 4.7M

$14.2K ₹1.3M

123.25%

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

$41.2K NPR 6.1M

$24.8K ₹2.3M

66.27%

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

$32.83 NPR 4,872

$34.75 ₹3,224

-5.53%

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

$5.00 NPR 742

$5.14 ₹477

-2.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.86 NPR 1,463

$10.68 ₹991

-7.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$21.99 NPR 3,262

$18.13 ₹1,683

21.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.17 NPR 1,064

$6.02 ₹558

19.10%

Cinema Ticket

$3.32 NPR 492

$4.70 ₹436

-29.36%

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

$93.0 NPR 13.8K

$114 ₹10.6K

-18.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,703 NPR 549.4K

$3,344 ₹310.3K

10.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$24.62 NPR 3,653

$27.56 ₹2,558

-10.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.47 NPR 4,076

$29.39 ₹2,727

-6.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$58.3 NPR 8,648

$54.3 ₹5,035

7.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$40.32 NPR 5,982

$40.16 ₹3,727

0.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$192 NPR 28.5K

$301 ₹27.9K

-36.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$99.7 NPR 14.8K

$179 ₹16.6K

-44.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$347 NPR 51.5K

$830 ₹77.0K

-58.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$189 NPR 28.1K

$477 ₹44.3K

-60.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,382 NPR 353.4K

$1,776 ₹164.8K

34.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,359 NPR 201.7K

$937 ₹86.9K

45.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$241 NPR 35.8K

$849 ₹78.7K

-71.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.08

9.19

31.45%

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

Last update for Kathmandu: April 14, 2026

Last update for Bangalore: April 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $192 in Kathmandu and $301 in Bangalore. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bangalore pays 252% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $19 in Kathmandu vs $18 in Bangalore for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $152 vs $133 per month, with Bangalore cheaper across the board.

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 Bangalore: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kathmandu wins on cost – living expenses run 13% lower than in Bangalore. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Kathmandu the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Bangalore earns 252% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $192 in Kathmandu versus $301 in Bangalore. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Kathmandu runs roughly 36% less than in Bangalore. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $93.0 in Kathmandu versus $114 in Bangalore. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Either city works on $800 a month, though Kathmandu gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Both work as nomad bases, but Kathmandu delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $501 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Kathmandu hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Kathmandu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 13% less than in Bangalore. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.