Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kathmandu and Birgunj

For one person, living is cheaper in Birgunj: $354 a month against $488 in Kathmandu, rent and utilities included – about $1,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

23

Cost of Living Index in Kathmandu
Learn more

Kathmandu Living Index
17

Cost of Living Index in Birgunj
Learn more

Birgunj Living Index

Jump to prices

Kathmandu

🇳🇵 Nepal

$488

/mo nomad

Birgunj

🇳🇵 Nepal

$354

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Kathmandu and in Birgunj

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $488 in Kathmandu versus $354 in Birgunj.

Kathmandu $488
Birgunj $354

Estimated couple costs with rent: $783 in Kathmandu versus $576 in Birgunj.

Kathmandu $783
Birgunj $576

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,077 in Kathmandu versus $797 in Birgunj.

Kathmandu $1,077
Birgunj $797

Living in Kathmandu is roughly 38% more expensive than in Birgunj, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Kathmandu 64% lower, Birgunj 74% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.92 NPR 291

$1.29 NPR 197

48.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$20.72 NPR 3,146

$19.97 NPR 3,031

3.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.02 NPR 1,065

$7.17 NPR 1,088

-2.09%

Cappuccino

$1.56 NPR 236

$1.53 NPR 232

1.96%

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

$0.51 NPR 78.2

$0.56 NPR 84.4

-8.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.14 NPR 20.87

$0.15 NPR 22.24

-6.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.11 NPR 472

$2.25 NPR 341

38.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.32 NPR 504

$3.37 NPR 512

-1.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.77 NPR 117

$0.63 NPR 95.9

22.22%

White Bread (500g)

$0.62 NPR 93.9

$0.24 NPR 36.13

158.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.92 NPR 139

$0.60 NPR 91.7

53.33%

Eggs

$1.74 NPR 264

$1.58 NPR 240

10.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.51 NPR 1,141

$7.28 NPR 1,105

3.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.10 NPR 471

$2.30 NPR 350

34.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.99 NPR 909

$6.15 NPR 934

-2.60%

Apples (1kg)

$2.08 NPR 316

$2.00 NPR 304

4.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.19 NPR 181

$0.95 NPR 144

25.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.44 NPR 219

$1.36 NPR 206

5.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.59 NPR 89.3

$0.56 NPR 84.3

5.36%

Potato (1kg)

$0.39 NPR 58.8

$0.41 NPR 62.6

-4.88%

Onion (1kg)

$0.54 NPR 81.8

$0.51 NPR 77.4

5.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.49 NPR 74.8

$0.12 NPR 17.64

308.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.22 NPR 33.20

$0.22 NPR 33.92

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.46 NPR 373

$1.62 NPR 246

51.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.97 NPR 1,209

$8.06 NPR 1,223

-1.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.30 NPR 349

$2.22 NPR 337

3.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 NPR 458

$3.07 NPR 466

-1.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.17 NPR 26.26

$0.13 NPR 19.79

30.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.75 NPR 1,481

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.79 NPR 272

$1.84 NPR 280

-2.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.16 NPR 176

$1.21 NPR 183

-4.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.33 NPR 505

$3.18 NPR 483

4.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.39 NPR 210

$1.09 NPR 166

27.52%

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

$35.7K NPR 5.4M

$36.4K NPR 5.5M

-1.77%

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

$35.9K NPR 5.4M

$36.2K NPR 5.5M

-0.89%

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

$31.31 NPR 4,752

$31.67 NPR 4,808

-1.14%

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

$3.58 NPR 544

$3.32 NPR 504

7.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.30 NPR 1,411

$9.24 NPR 1,403

0.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.50 NPR 3,719

$13.32 NPR 2,022

83.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.97 NPR 1,059

Cinema Ticket

$2.94 NPR 446

$1.93 NPR 293

52.33%

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

$66.9 NPR 10.1K

$67.5 NPR 10.3K

-0.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,521 NPR 838.1K

$5,584 NPR 847.7K

-1.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$23.85 NPR 3,620

$24.27 NPR 3,684

-1.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.77 NPR 4,064

$27.21 NPR 4,130

-1.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$62.6 NPR 9,509

$26.11 NPR 3,964

139.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$29.36 NPR 4,457

$16.21 NPR 2,460

81.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$217 NPR 32.9K

$33.93 NPR 5,150

538.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$104 NPR 15.8K

$39.29 NPR 5,965

165.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$432 NPR 65.5K

$123 NPR 18.7K

250.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$200 NPR 30.4K

$77.4 NPR 11.8K

158.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,336 NPR 354.6K

$654 NPR 99.3K

257.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,330 NPR 201.9K

$495 NPR 75.2K

168.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$268 NPR 40.6K

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 24, 2026

Last update for Birgunj: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Kathmandu

$147 30.2%

Birgunj

$132 37.2% 10.4% $15

Accommodation & Living

Kathmandu

$104 21.4%

Birgunj

$39 11.1% 62.3% $65

Eating Out

Kathmandu

$80 16.4%

Birgunj

$71 20% 11.1% $8.8

Clothing & Footwear

Kathmandu

$64 13.2%

Birgunj

$42 11.9% 34.2% $22

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kathmandu

$44 9.1%

Birgunj

$44 12.5% 0.1% $0.1

Sport & Entertainment

Kathmandu

$30 6.2%

Birgunj

$17 4.9% 43.4% $13

Getting Around

Kathmandu

$18 3.7%

Birgunj

$8.4 * 2.4% 53.4% $9.6

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $217 in Kathmandu and $34 in Birgunj. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $21 in Kathmandu vs $20 in Birgunj for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $147 vs $132 per month, with Birgunj cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇳🇵 Kathmandu

🇳🇵 Birgunj

🕒 Local time

08:34 8:34 AM

Same time as Kathmandu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

975,000 Capital

135,904

💱 Currency

Nepalese Rupee NPR रु

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 NPR = 6.59 USD

1,000 NPR = 5.88 EUR

1,000 NPR = 6.59 USD

1,000 NPR = 5.88 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Kathmandu Birgunj 89 km

From you

Kathmandu
Birgunj

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 Birgunj: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Birgunj wins on cost – living expenses run 27% lower than in Kathmandu. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Birgunj the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $732 in Kathmandu and $531 in Birgunj 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $217 in Kathmandu versus $34 in Birgunj. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $67 in Kathmandu versus $68 in Birgunj. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Birgunj – a meal for two runs $20 versus $21 in Kathmandu. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Either city works on $800 a month, though Birgunj 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.