Cost of Living Comparison Between Kathmandu and Mumbai (Bombay) Cost of Living Comparison Between Kathmandu and Mumbai (Bombay)

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $501 in Kathmandu versus $773 in Mumbai (Bombay).

Estimated couple costs with rent: $782 in Kathmandu versus $1,252 in Mumbai (Bombay).

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,063 in Kathmandu versus $1,731 in Mumbai (Bombay).

Living in Kathmandu costs roughly 35% less than in Mumbai (Bombay), driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Kathmandu 63% lower, Mumbai (Bombay) 43% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.78 NPR 265

$5.30 ₹492

-66.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.20 NPR 2,848

$22.39 ₹2,077

-14.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.65 NPR 987

$4.73 ₹439

40.59%

Cappuccino

$1.90 NPR 282

$2.60 ₹241

-26.92%

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

$0.49 NPR 73.4

$0.47 ₹43.86

4.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.15 NPR 22.63

$0.19 ₹17.25

-21.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.55 NPR 379

$2.30 ₹214

10.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.62 NPR 537

$4.05 ₹376

-10.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.89 NPR 132

$0.75 ₹69.2

18.67%

White Bread (500g)

$0.54 NPR 80.4

$0.48 ₹44.33

12.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.94 NPR 139

$0.76 ₹70.9

23.68%

Eggs

$1.77 NPR 263

$1.09 ₹101

62.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.22 NPR 1,369

$6.82 ₹633

35.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.12 NPR 462

$3.93 ₹365

-20.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.05 NPR 898

Apples (1kg)

$2.18 NPR 324

$2.31 ₹214

-5.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.09 NPR 161

$0.78 ₹71.9

39.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.25 NPR 186

$1.27 ₹118

-1.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.65 NPR 95.9

$0.70 ₹64.6

-7.14%

Potato (1kg)

$0.49 NPR 72.4

$0.53 ₹49.23

-7.55%

Onion (1kg)

$0.72 NPR 106

$0.63 ₹58.8

14.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.50 NPR 73.6

$0.64 ₹59.4

-21.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.25 NPR 36.75

$0.36 ₹33.00

-30.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.85 NPR 423

$4.24 ₹394

-32.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.66 NPR 988

$7.95 ₹738

-16.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.34 NPR 348

$2.15 ₹199

8.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.35 NPR 497

$3.26 ₹303

2.76%

Buffalo Round (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) (1kg)

$6.84 ₹635

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.23 NPR 34.23

$0.22 ₹20.36

4.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$10.79 NPR 1,601

$4.53 ₹420

138.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.21 NPR 327

$0.36 ₹33.83

513.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 NPR 158

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.67 NPR 544

$1.42 ₹132

158.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 NPR 187

$1.19 ₹110

5.88%

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

$31.7K NPR 4.7M

$17.5K ₹1.6M

80.80%

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

$41.2K NPR 6.1M

$25.0K ₹2.3M

64.73%

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

$32.83 NPR 4,872

$50.9 ₹4,726

-35.54%

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

$5.00 NPR 742

$5.05 ₹469

-0.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.86 NPR 1,463

$8.98 ₹833

9.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$21.99 NPR 3,262

$22.88 ₹2,123

-3.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.17 NPR 1,064

$12.19 ₹1,132

-41.18%

Cinema Ticket

$3.32 NPR 492

$4.77 ₹443

-30.40%

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

$93.0 NPR 13.8K

$121 ₹11.2K

-22.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,703 NPR 549.4K

$3,359 ₹311.7K

10.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$24.62 NPR 3,653

$29.83 ₹2,768

-17.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.47 NPR 4,076

$30.56 ₹2,836

-10.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$58.3 NPR 8,648

$55.7 ₹5,166

4.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$40.32 NPR 5,982

$39.84 ₹3,696

1.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$192 NPR 28.5K

$694 ₹64.4K

-72.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$99.7 NPR 14.8K

$350 ₹32.5K

-71.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$347 NPR 51.5K

$1,790 ₹166.1K

-80.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$189 NPR 28.1K

$835 ₹77.5K

-77.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,382 NPR 353.4K

$6,475 ₹600.9K

-63.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,359 NPR 201.7K

$2,667 ₹247.5K

-49.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$241 NPR 35.8K

$708 ₹65.7K

-65.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.08

9.22

31.02%

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

Last update for Kathmandu: April 14, 2026

Last update for Mumbai (Bombay): April 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $192 in Kathmandu and $694 in Mumbai (Bombay). Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mumbai (Bombay) pays 193% 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: $19 in Kathmandu vs $22 in Mumbai (Bombay). Groceries flip the comparison at $152 vs $127, with Mumbai (Bombay) cheaper for home cooking.

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 Mumbai (Bombay): Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kathmandu wins on cost – living expenses run 54% lower than in Mumbai (Bombay). Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Kathmandu the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Mumbai (Bombay) earns 193% less. 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: $192 in Kathmandu versus $694 in Mumbai (Bombay). Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Kathmandu – a meal for two runs $19.00 versus $22.00 in Mumbai (Bombay). If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $501 per month in Kathmandu versus $773 in Mumbai (Bombay) – a 54% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $501 in Kathmandu versus $773 in Mumbai (Bombay), a $1,000 budget is realistic in Kathmandu but tight or insufficient in Mumbai (Bombay). The gap between the two cities makes Kathmandu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Kathmandu delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $501 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Kathmandu hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Kathmandu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 54% less than in Mumbai (Bombay). Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.