Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kathmandu and Cebu

For one person, living is cheaper in Kathmandu: $481 a month against $934 in Cebu, rent and utilities included – about $5,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

23

Cost of Living Index in Kathmandu
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Kathmandu Living Index
44

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
Learn more

Cebu Living Index

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Kathmandu

🇳🇵 Nepal

$481

/mo nomad

Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$934

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Kathmandu and in Cebu

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $481 in Kathmandu versus $934 in Cebu.

Kathmandu $481
Cebu $934

Estimated couple costs with rent: $767 in Kathmandu versus $1,415 in Cebu.

Kathmandu $767
Cebu $1,415

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,052 in Kathmandu versus $1,896 in Cebu.

Kathmandu $1,052
Cebu $1,896

Living in Kathmandu costs roughly 48% less than in Cebu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Kathmandu 64% lower, Cebu 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.94 NPR 300

$3.03 ₱191

-35.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$20.45 NPR 3,166

$23.48 ₱1,476

-12.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.71 NPR 1,194

$4.09 ₱257

88.51%

Cappuccino

$1.51 NPR 233

$2.52 ₱158

-40.08%

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

$0.49 NPR 76.5

$1.54 ₱97.2

-68.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.16 NPR 24.27

$0.49 ₱31.06

-67.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.04 NPR 471

$1.79 ₱113

69.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.27 NPR 507

$2.26 ₱142

44.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.76 NPR 118

$1.95 ₱122

-61.03%

White Bread (500g)

$0.62 NPR 96.4

$1.43 ₱89.9

-56.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.85 NPR 131

$1.02 ₱64.0

-16.67%

Eggs

$1.65 NPR 255

$2.06 ₱129

-19.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.15 NPR 1,107

$9.81 ₱617

-27.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.18 NPR 492

$4.61 ₱290

-31.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.93 NPR 917

$7.70 ₱484

-22.99%

Apples (1kg)

$2.02 NPR 313

$3.31 ₱208

-38.97%

Banana (1kg)

$1.16 NPR 179

$1.45 ₱91.2

-20.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.43 NPR 222

$2.36 ₱148

-39.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.53 NPR 82.5

$1.54 ₱96.6

-65.58%

Potato (1kg)

$0.38 NPR 59.1

$2.36 ₱148

-83.90%

Onion (1kg)

$0.53 NPR 82.6

$1.99 ₱125

-73.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.45 NPR 69.6

$1.15 ₱72.3

-60.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.22 NPR 33.95

$0.67 ₱42.26

-67.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.48 NPR 385

$3.00 ₱189

-17.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.83 NPR 1,212

$6.35 ₱399

23.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.29 NPR 355

$1.31 ₱82.1

74.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 NPR 476

$1.73 ₱109

78.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.17 NPR 26.31

$0.25 ₱15.82

-32.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.64 NPR 1,493

$12.65 ₱796

-23.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.84 NPR 285

$0.74 ₱46.44

148.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.18 NPR 183

$0.21 ₱13.15

461.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.18 NPR 492

$4.33 ₱272

-26.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 NPR 207

$1.33 ₱83.7

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

$28.7K NPR 4.4M

$21.8K ₱1.4M

31.75%

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

$36.0K NPR 5.6M

$19.4K ₱1.2M

85.67%

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

$31.63 NPR 4,896

$121 ₱7,583

-73.77%

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

$3.48 NPR 538

$14.45 ₱909

-75.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.94 NPR 1,385

$28.29 ₱1,779

-68.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$21.47 NPR 3,324

$32.68 ₱2,055

-34.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.71 NPR 1,039

$6.39 ₱402

5.01%

Cinema Ticket

$3.00 NPR 465

$5.46 ₱343

-45.05%

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

$66.8 NPR 10.3K

$273 ₱17.2K

-75.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,541 NPR 857.7K

$8,156 ₱512.9K

-32.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$24.59 NPR 3,807

$49.57 ₱3,117

-50.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.39 NPR 4,085

$24.87 ₱1,564

6.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$63.1 NPR 9,764

$76.6 ₱4,817

-17.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$28.31 NPR 4,382

$59.3 ₱3,727

-52.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$216 NPR 33.5K

$506 ₱31.8K

-57.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$101 NPR 15.6K

$309 ₱19.5K

-67.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$430 NPR 66.5K

$1,052 ₱66.1K

-59.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$198 NPR 30.6K

$619 ₱38.9K

-68.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,248 NPR 348.0K

$2,915 ₱183.4K

-22.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,338 NPR 207.2K

$1,867 ₱117.4K

-28.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$264 NPR 40.9K

$341 ₱21.5K

-22.46%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.72

7.2

35.00%

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

Last update for Kathmandu: October 4, 2026

Last update for Cebu: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Kathmandu

$144 30.1%

Cebu

$210 22.7% 45.8% $66

Accommodation & Living

Kathmandu

$101 21%

Cebu

$309 33.5% 207% $209

Eating Out

Kathmandu

$81 16.9%

Cebu

$88 9.6% 9% $7.3

Clothing & Footwear

Kathmandu

$64 13.4%

Cebu

$95 10.2% 47.7% $31

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kathmandu

$44 9.2%

Cebu

$163 17.7% 271% $119

Sport & Entertainment

Kathmandu

$27 5.7%

Cebu

$44 4.7% 58.7% $16

Getting Around

Kathmandu

$18 3.8%

Cebu

$15 1.7% 14.6% $2.6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $216 in Kathmandu and $506 in Cebu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cebu pays 29% 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: $20.00 in Kathmandu vs $23.00 in Cebu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $144 vs $210 per month, with Kathmandu cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇳🇵 Kathmandu

🇵🇭 Cebu

🕒 Local time

06:49 6:49 AM

09:04 9:04 AM

2 h 15 min ahead of Kathmandu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

975,000 Capital

964,169

💱 Currency

Nepalese Rupee NPR रु

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 NPR = 6.46 USD

1,000 NPR = 5.76 EUR

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.42 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PHP, USD, EUR to NPR – Nepalese Rupee Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇳🇵 Nepalese Rupee (रु)

Nepalese Rupee exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 155 NPR (1,000 NPR = 6.46 USD). 1 EUR = 174 NPR (1,000 NPR = 5.76 EUR).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 62.89 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.54 PHP (100 PHP = 1.42 EUR).

USD to NPR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Kathmandu Cebu 4,470 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Kathmandu
Cebu

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 Cebu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kathmandu is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 94% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 29% lower in Cebu. 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: $216 in Kathmandu versus $506 in Cebu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $481 per month in Kathmandu versus $934 in Cebu – a 94% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Kathmandu runs roughly 31% less than in Cebu. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

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.

For families, Kathmandu is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Cebu, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Kathmandu and Cebu 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 Kathmandu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 94% less than in Cebu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.