Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kathmandu and Gaighat

For one person, living is cheaper in Gaighat: $302 a month against $485 in Kathmandu, rent and utilities included – about $2,200 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
15

Cost of Living Index in Gaighat
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Gaighat Living Index

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Kathmandu

🇳🇵 Nepal

$485

/mo nomad

Gaighat

🇳🇵 Nepal

$302

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Kathmandu and in Gaighat

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $485 in Kathmandu versus $302 in Gaighat.

Kathmandu $485
Gaighat $302

Estimated couple costs with rent: $780 in Kathmandu versus $497 in Gaighat.

Kathmandu $780
Gaighat $497

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,075 in Kathmandu versus $691 in Gaighat.

Kathmandu $1,075
Gaighat $691

Living in Kathmandu is roughly 61% more expensive than in Gaighat, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Kathmandu 64% lower, Gaighat 78% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.02 NPR 307

$1.98 NPR 301

2.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$20.42 NPR 3,103

$19.91 NPR 3,024

2.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.46 NPR 1,134

$7.71 NPR 1,172

-3.24%

Cappuccino

$1.51 NPR 230

$1.56 NPR 237

-3.21%

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

$0.55 NPR 83.8

$0.50 NPR 76.4

10.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.17 NPR 25.74

$0.17 NPR 26.15

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 NPR 492

$3.03 NPR 461

6.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.24 NPR 492

$3.35 NPR 508

-3.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.73 NPR 111

$0.51 NPR 77.4

43.14%

White Bread (500g)

$0.63 NPR 95.9

$0.23 NPR 34.69

173.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.87 NPR 132

$0.35 NPR 52.5

148.57%

Eggs

$1.76 NPR 268

$1.04 NPR 158

69.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.37 NPR 1,119

$7.14 NPR 1,085

3.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.07 NPR 466

$1.91 NPR 291

60.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.99 NPR 909

$2.56 NPR 389

133.98%

Apples (1kg)

$2.07 NPR 314

$1.65 NPR 250

25.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.16 NPR 176

$1.14 NPR 174

1.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.45 NPR 221

$0.68 NPR 103

113.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.55 NPR 84.0

$0.34 NPR 51.7

61.76%

Potato (1kg)

$0.39 NPR 59.0

$0.34 NPR 51.9

14.71%

Onion (1kg)

$0.50 NPR 76.7

$0.31 NPR 47.73

61.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.45 NPR 68.8

$0.45 NPR 68.3

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.22 NPR 33.43

$0.11 NPR 17.33

100.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.52 NPR 383

$2.01 NPR 305

25.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.74 NPR 1,175

$4.02 NPR 612

92.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.32 NPR 352

$1.33 NPR 202

74.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.05 NPR 463

$3.02 NPR 458

0.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.22 NPR 33.25

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$10.04 NPR 1,525

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.76 NPR 267

$1.75 NPR 267

0.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.22 NPR 186

$1.18 NPR 180

3.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.40 NPR 516

$3.20 NPR 487

6.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 NPR 206

$1.33 NPR 203

1.50%

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

$36.8K NPR 5.6M

$29.2K NPR 4.4M

25.88%

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

$36.8K NPR 5.6M

$36.0K NPR 5.5M

2.10%

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

$32.06 NPR 4,872

$31.78 NPR 4,829

0.88%

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

$9.24 NPR 1,405

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

$3.00 NPR 456

-0.67%

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

$67.8 NPR 10.3K

$67.1 NPR 10.2K

1.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,618 NPR 853.6K

$5,408 NPR 821.7K

3.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$24.01 NPR 3,648

$25.30 NPR 3,844

-5.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.88 NPR 4,084

$26.72 NPR 4,059

0.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$64.8 NPR 9,838

$63.4 NPR 9,638

2.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$29.17 NPR 4,432

$28.92 NPR 4,394

0.86%

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

9.72

2.67%

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

Last update for Kathmandu: October 19, 2026

Last update for Gaighat: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Kathmandu

$145 29.9%

Gaighat

$97 32% 33.4% $49

Accommodation & Living

Kathmandu

$101 20.9%

Gaighat

- * 0% 100%

Eating Out

Kathmandu

$82 17%

Gaighat

$82 27.2% 0% $0

Clothing & Footwear

Kathmandu

$65 13.4%

Gaighat

$65 21.5% 0.3% $0.2

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kathmandu

$45 9.3%

Gaighat

$44 14.7% 0.9% $0.4

Sport & Entertainment

Kathmandu

$28 5.8%

Gaighat

$6 * 2% 78.5% $22

Getting Around

Kathmandu

$19 3.9%

Gaighat

$7.7 * 2.5% 59.2% $11

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 Gaighat. Groceries flip the comparison at $145 vs $97.0, with Gaighat cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇳🇵 Kathmandu

🇳🇵 Gaighat

🕒 Local time

22:14 10:14 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

On the map

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Kathmandu Gaighat 370 km

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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 Gaighat: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kathmandu and Gaighat differ by about 61% in total monthly costs ($485 vs $302 including rent). Gaighat is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $728 in Kathmandu and $453 in Gaighat 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.

All in, you'll spend $485 per month in Kathmandu versus $302 in Gaighat – a 61% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Gaighat 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 Gaighat 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 Gaighat gentler on the wallet – expenses run 61% less than in Kathmandu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.