Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kathmandu and Kirtipur

For one person, living is cheaper in Kirtipur: $348 a month against $488 in Kathmandu, rent and utilities included – about $1,700 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
17

Cost of Living Index in Kirtipur
Learn more

Kirtipur Living Index

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Kathmandu

🇳🇵 Nepal

$488

/mo nomad

Kirtipur

🇳🇵 Nepal

$348

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Kathmandu and in Kirtipur

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $488 in Kathmandu versus $348 in Kirtipur.

Kathmandu $488
Kirtipur $348

Estimated couple costs with rent: $783 in Kathmandu versus $572 in Kirtipur.

Kathmandu $783
Kirtipur $572

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,077 in Kathmandu versus $796 in Kirtipur.

Kathmandu $1,077
Kirtipur $796

Living in Kathmandu is roughly 40% more expensive than in Kirtipur, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.92 NPR 291

$1.92 NPR 292

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$20.72 NPR 3,146

$20.61 NPR 3,129

0.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.02 NPR 1,065

$7.27 NPR 1,104

-3.44%

Cappuccino

$1.56 NPR 236

$1.57 NPR 239

-0.64%

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

$0.51 NPR 78.2

$0.52 NPR 79.5

-1.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.14 NPR 20.87

$0.16 NPR 24.51

-12.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.11 NPR 472

$3.16 NPR 479

-1.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.32 NPR 504

$3.26 NPR 495

1.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.77 NPR 117

$0.68 NPR 103

13.24%

White Bread (500g)

$0.62 NPR 93.9

$0.58 NPR 88.5

6.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.92 NPR 139

$0.90 NPR 137

2.22%

Eggs

$1.74 NPR 264

$1.73 NPR 263

0.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.51 NPR 1,141

$7.29 NPR 1,107

3.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.10 NPR 471

$3.16 NPR 480

-1.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.99 NPR 909

$6.02 NPR 913

-0.50%

Apples (1kg)

$2.08 NPR 316

$2.02 NPR 306

2.97%

Banana (1kg)

$1.19 NPR 181

$1.16 NPR 176

2.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.44 NPR 219

$1.45 NPR 220

-0.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.59 NPR 89.3

$0.54 NPR 82.7

9.26%

Potato (1kg)

$0.39 NPR 58.8

$0.39 NPR 58.7

Onion (1kg)

$0.54 NPR 81.8

$0.50 NPR 76.2

8.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.49 NPR 74.8

$0.45 NPR 68.9

8.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.22 NPR 33.20

$0.24 NPR 36.61

-8.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.46 NPR 373

$2.54 NPR 385

-3.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.97 NPR 1,209

$8.05 NPR 1,222

-0.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.30 NPR 349

$2.29 NPR 348

0.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 NPR 458

$2.96 NPR 449

2.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.17 NPR 26.26

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.75 NPR 1,481

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.79 NPR 272

$1.80 NPR 273

-0.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.16 NPR 176

$1.16 NPR 177

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.33 NPR 505

$3.23 NPR 491

3.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.39 NPR 210

$1.39 NPR 211

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

$35.7K NPR 5.4M

$36.4K NPR 5.5M

-1.78%

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

$35.9K NPR 5.4M

$36.4K NPR 5.5M

-1.55%

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

$31.31 NPR 4,752

$31.40 NPR 4,767

-0.29%

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

$3.58 NPR 544

$3.60 NPR 546

-0.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.30 NPR 1,411

$8.95 NPR 1,359

3.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.50 NPR 3,719

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.97 NPR 1,059

Cinema Ticket

$2.94 NPR 446

$2.90 NPR 440

1.38%

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

$66.9 NPR 10.1K

$65.1 NPR 9,886

2.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,521 NPR 838.1K

$5,519 NPR 837.7K

0.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$23.85 NPR 3,620

$23.72 NPR 3,601

0.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.77 NPR 4,064

$26.67 NPR 4,048

0.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$62.6 NPR 9,509

$63.3 NPR 9,613

-1.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$29.36 NPR 4,457

$29.39 NPR 4,462

-0.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$217 NPR 32.9K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$104 NPR 15.8K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$432 NPR 65.5K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$200 NPR 30.4K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,336 NPR 354.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,330 NPR 201.9K

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 Kirtipur: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Kathmandu

$147 30.2%

Kirtipur

$145 41.7% 1.6% $2.3

Accommodation & Living

Kathmandu

$104 21.4%

Kirtipur

- * 0% 100%

Eating Out

Kathmandu

$80 16.4%

Kirtipur

$81 23.3% 1.6% $1.3

Clothing & Footwear

Kathmandu

$64 13.2%

Kirtipur

$64 18.5% 0.3% $0.2

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kathmandu

$44 9.1%

Kirtipur

$44 12.6% 0.5% $0.2

Sport & Entertainment

Kathmandu

$30 6.2%

Kirtipur

$5.8 * 1.7% 80.9% $25

Getting Around

Kathmandu

$18 3.7%

Kirtipur

$7.6 * 2.2% 57.7% $10

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

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $21 in Kathmandu vs $21 in Kirtipur. Groceries flip the comparison at $147 vs $145, with Kirtipur cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇳🇵 Kathmandu

🇳🇵 Kirtipur

🕒 Local time

08:21 8:21 AM

Same time as Kathmandu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

975,000 Capital

65,602

💱 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

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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 Kirtipur: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kirtipur wins on cost – living expenses run 29% lower than in Kathmandu. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Kirtipur the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $732 in Kathmandu and $522 in Kirtipur 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.

Childcare runs $67 in Kathmandu versus $65 in Kirtipur. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

All in, you’ll spend $488 per month in Kathmandu versus $348 in Kirtipur – Kirtipur is about 29% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Either city works on $1,000 a month, though Kirtipur 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.