Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kathmandu and Birtamod

For one person, living is cheaper in Birtamod: $338 a month against $485 in Kathmandu, rent and utilities included – about $1,800 less a year. Other living expenses 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 Birtamod
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Birtamod Living Index

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Kathmandu

🇳🇵 Nepal

$485

/mo nomad

Birtamod

🇳🇵 Nepal

$338

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Kathmandu and in Birtamod

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

A single person spends $485 per month in Kathmandu vs $338 in Birtamod, rent included.

Kathmandu $485
Birtamod $338

A couple spends around $780 per month in Kathmandu vs $535 in Birtamod, rent included.

Kathmandu $780
Birtamod $535

A family of three spends $1,075 per month in Kathmandu vs $732 in Birtamod, rent included.

Kathmandu $1,075
Birtamod $732

Kathmandu costs about 44% more than Birtamod, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Kathmandu and Birtamod are more affordable than the global median – Kathmandu 64% lower, Birtamod 75% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.02 NPR 307

$2.39 NPR 363

-15.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$20.42 NPR 3,103

$21.18 NPR 3,218

-3.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.46 NPR 1,134

$7.36 NPR 1,118

1.36%

Cappuccino

$1.51 NPR 230

$1.42 NPR 216

6.34%

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

$0.55 NPR 83.8

$0.42 NPR 64.5

30.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.17 NPR 25.74

$0.12 NPR 17.65

41.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 NPR 492

$1.61 NPR 245

101.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.24 NPR 492

$2.87 NPR 435

12.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.73 NPR 111

$0.59 NPR 89.0

23.73%

White Bread (500g)

$0.63 NPR 95.9

$0.40 NPR 60.2

57.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.87 NPR 132

$1.11 NPR 169

-21.62%

Eggs

$1.76 NPR 268

$1.60 NPR 243

10.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.37 NPR 1,119

$6.09 NPR 925

21.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.07 NPR 466

$2.74 NPR 417

12.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.99 NPR 909

$2.67 NPR 406

124.34%

Apples (1kg)

$2.07 NPR 314

$2.05 NPR 311

0.98%

Banana (1kg)

$1.16 NPR 176

$1.42 NPR 215

-18.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.45 NPR 221

$0.93 NPR 141

55.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.55 NPR 84.0

$0.40 NPR 61.5

37.50%

Potato (1kg)

$0.39 NPR 59.0

$0.37 NPR 55.8

5.41%

Onion (1kg)

$0.50 NPR 76.7

$0.57 NPR 86.3

-12.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.45 NPR 68.8

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.22 NPR 33.43

$0.23 NPR 34.91

-4.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.52 NPR 383

$2.97 NPR 451

-15.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.74 NPR 1,175

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.32 NPR 352

$1.67 NPR 253

38.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.05 NPR 463

$2.85 NPR 434

7.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.22 NPR 33.25

$0.11 NPR 16.79

100.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$10.04 NPR 1,525

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.76 NPR 267

$2.01 NPR 305

-12.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.22 NPR 186

$1.30 NPR 197

-6.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.40 NPR 516

$3.31 NPR 503

2.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 NPR 206

$1.12 NPR 170

20.54%

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

$36.8K NPR 5.6M

$28.9K NPR 4.4M

27.11%

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

$36.8K NPR 5.6M

$42.2K NPR 6.4M

-12.87%

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

$32.06 NPR 4,872

$67.8 NPR 10.3K

-52.71%

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

$3.59 NPR 545

$4.75 NPR 722

-24.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.24 NPR 1,404

$5.29 NPR 804

74.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$21.94 NPR 3,334

$7.96 NPR 1,210

175.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.76 NPR 1,027

$9.29 NPR 1,411

-27.23%

Cinema Ticket

$2.98 NPR 453

$1.93 NPR 293

54.40%

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

$67.8 NPR 10.3K

$83.1 NPR 12.6K

-18.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,618 NPR 853.6K

$2,818 NPR 428.2K

99.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$24.01 NPR 3,648

$15.75 NPR 2,393

52.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.88 NPR 4,084

$11.97 NPR 1,819

124.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$64.8 NPR 9,838

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$29.17 NPR 4,432

$26.40 NPR 4,012

10.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$220 NPR 33.4K

$51.5 NPR 7,823

326.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$101 NPR 15.4K

$36.55 NPR 5,554

177.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$433 NPR 65.8K

$107 NPR 16.2K

306.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$201 NPR 30.5K

$53.2 NPR 8,083

277.04%

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

$124 NPR 18.9K

110.58%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.98

24.75%

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

Last update for Kathmandu: October 19, 2026

Last update for Birtamod: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Kathmandu

$145 29.9%

Birtamod

$104 * 30.8% 28.2% $41

Accommodation & Living

Kathmandu

$101 20.9%

Birtamod

$37 10.8% 63.9% $65

Eating Out

Kathmandu

$82 17%

Birtamod

$74 22% 9.8% $8.1

Clothing & Footwear

Kathmandu

$65 13.4%

Birtamod

$24 * 7.2% 62.6% $41

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kathmandu

$45 9.3%

Birtamod

$78 23% 73.4% $33

Sport & Entertainment

Kathmandu

$28 5.8%

Birtamod

$12 3.5% 57.6% $16

Getting Around

Kathmandu

$19 3.9%

Birtamod

$8.9 * 2.6% 52.4% $9.9

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $220 in Kathmandu versus $51.5 in Birtamod. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 111% higher in Kathmandu, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $20.00 in Kathmandu versus $21.00 in Birtamod. Groceries tell a different story – $145 in Kathmandu vs $104 in Birtamod – so Birtamod wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇳🇵 Kathmandu

🇳🇵 Birtamod

🕒 Local time

18:16 6:16 PM

Same time as Kathmandu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

975,000 Capital

💱 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 Birtamod 290 km

From you

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 Birtamod: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $485 in Kathmandu, $338 in Birtamod – roughly 44% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $728 per month in Kathmandu and $507 in Birtamod. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Birtamod, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $20.00 in Kathmandu and $21.00 in Birtamod. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 39% more in Kathmandu, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $485 in Kathmandu and $338 in Birtamod, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Birtamod – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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