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: $496 in Kathmandu versus $779 in Mumbai (Bombay).

Estimated couple costs with rent: $788 in Kathmandu versus $1,255 in Mumbai (Bombay).

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,080 in Kathmandu versus $1,732 in Mumbai (Bombay).

Living in Kathmandu costs roughly 36% less than in Mumbai (Bombay), driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Kathmandu 63% lower, Mumbai (Bombay) 42% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.77 NPR 270

$5.32 ₹505

-66.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.02 NPR 2,893

$22.40 ₹2,126

-15.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.67 NPR 1,014

$4.63 ₹439

44.06%

Cappuccino

$1.83 NPR 278

$2.52 ₹239

-27.38%

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

$0.50 NPR 76.3

$0.51 ₹48.08

-1.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.17 NPR 26.48

$0.15 ₹14.59

13.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 NPR 389

$2.28 ₹217

12.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.74 NPR 569

$3.95 ₹375

-5.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.86 NPR 131

$0.75 ₹70.8

14.67%

White Bread (500g)

$0.60 NPR 90.8

$0.51 ₹48.65

17.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.99 NPR 151

$0.77 ₹73.4

28.57%

Eggs

$1.77 NPR 269

$1.08 ₹103

63.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.10 NPR 1,383

$7.14 ₹678

27.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.11 NPR 472

$3.88 ₹369

-19.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.26 NPR 952

Apples (1kg)

$2.18 NPR 332

$2.30 ₹218

-5.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.10 NPR 167

$0.81 ₹77.1

35.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.23 NPR 187

$1.26 ₹120

-2.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.65 NPR 98.4

$0.64 ₹60.5

1.56%

Potato (1kg)

$0.49 NPR 74.3

$0.58 ₹54.7

-15.52%

Onion (1kg)

$0.72 NPR 110

$0.63 ₹59.9

14.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.53 NPR 80.4

$0.64 ₹60.8

-17.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.25 NPR 37.68

$0.33 ₹30.89

-24.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.89 NPR 439

$4.20 ₹399

-31.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.77 NPR 1,181

$8.25 ₹783

-5.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.35 NPR 357

$2.17 ₹206

8.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 NPR 507

$3.40 ₹323

-2.06%

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

$7.03 ₹668

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.23 NPR 35.07

$0.24 ₹22.90

-4.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$10.80 NPR 1,642

$4.51 ₹428

139.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.22 NPR 337

$0.37 ₹34.75

500.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 NPR 167

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.63 NPR 552

$1.41 ₹134

157.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 NPR 187

$1.19 ₹113

3.36%

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

$32.0K NPR 4.9M

$17.4K ₹1.6M

84.14%

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

$41.0K NPR 6.2M

$24.5K ₹2.3M

67.09%

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

$33.55 NPR 5,101

$50.8 ₹4,822

-33.94%

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

$5.01 NPR 763

$4.81 ₹457

4.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.37 NPR 1,425

$8.75 ₹831

7.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$22.42 NPR 3,410

$23.11 ₹2,194

-2.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.26 NPR 1,105

$11.99 ₹1,138

-39.45%

Cinema Ticket

$3.24 NPR 493

$4.71 ₹447

-31.21%

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

$93.0 NPR 14.1K

$122 ₹11.5K

-23.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,838 NPR 583.7K

$3,393 ₹322.2K

13.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$24.41 NPR 3,712

$29.14 ₹2,766

-16.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.40 NPR 4,318

$30.61 ₹2,906

-7.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$58.5 NPR 8,899

$55.2 ₹5,235

6.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$39.72 NPR 6,040

$39.74 ₹3,773

-0.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$195 NPR 29.6K

$705 ₹66.9K

-72.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$100 NPR 15.2K

$357 ₹33.9K

-71.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$346 NPR 52.7K

$1,792 ₹170.1K

-80.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$188 NPR 28.7K

$825 ₹78.4K

-77.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,312 NPR 351.6K

$6,436 ₹611.0K

-64.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,354 NPR 205.9K

$2,627 ₹249.4K

-48.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$275 NPR 41.8K

$744 ₹70.7K

-63.11%

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: June 1, 2026

Last update for Mumbai (Bombay): May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $195 in Kathmandu and $705 in Mumbai (Bombay). Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mumbai (Bombay) pays 171% 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: $19.00 in Kathmandu vs $22.00 in Mumbai (Bombay). Groceries flip the comparison at $155 vs $129, 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 57% 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 171% 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: $195 in Kathmandu versus $705 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 $496 per month in Kathmandu versus $779 in Mumbai (Bombay) – a 57% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $496 in Kathmandu versus $779 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 $496 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 57% less than in Mumbai (Bombay). Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.