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: $484 in Kathmandu versus $795 in Mumbai (Bombay).

Estimated couple costs with rent: $773 in Kathmandu versus $1,311 in Mumbai (Bombay).

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,063 in Kathmandu versus $1,827 in Mumbai (Bombay).

Living in Kathmandu costs roughly 39% less than in Mumbai (Bombay), driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Kathmandu 65% lower, Mumbai (Bombay) 42% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.94 NPR 294

$5.30 ₹501

-63.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$20.08 NPR 3,037

$21.42 ₹2,023

-6.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.74 NPR 1,020

$4.29 ₹405

57.11%

Cappuccino

$1.54 NPR 234

$2.61 ₹246

-41.00%

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

$0.56 NPR 84.4

$0.41 ₹38.29

36.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.15 NPR 23.02

$0.14 ₹13.06

7.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.23 NPR 489

$2.59 ₹245

24.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 NPR 556

$4.16 ₹393

-11.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.76 NPR 115

$0.69 ₹65.7

10.14%

White Bread (500g)

$0.63 NPR 95.2

$0.49 ₹46.05

28.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.86 NPR 130

$0.73 ₹68.9

17.81%

Eggs

$1.69 NPR 256

$0.95 ₹89.6

77.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.26 NPR 1,098

$5.69 ₹537

27.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.40 NPR 515

$3.48 ₹329

-2.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.21 NPR 788

Apples (1kg)

$2.07 NPR 313

$2.34 ₹222

-11.54%

Banana (1kg)

$1.15 NPR 174

$0.67 ₹63.4

71.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.41 NPR 213

$1.20 ₹114

17.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.57 NPR 86.7

$0.50 ₹47.21

14.00%

Potato (1kg)

$0.38 NPR 58.1

$0.38 ₹35.57

Onion (1kg)

$0.52 NPR 78.0

$0.40 ₹38.18

30.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.49 NPR 74.6

$0.49 ₹46.17

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.25 NPR 37.97

$0.29 ₹27.00

-13.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.70 NPR 408

$4.98 ₹470

-45.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.94 NPR 1,201

$8.23 ₹777

-3.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.23 NPR 337

$2.10 ₹199

6.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 NPR 454

$3.15 ₹298

-4.76%

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

$5.95 ₹562

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.19 NPR 29.43

$0.20 ₹18.87

-5.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$10.11 NPR 1,529

$5.88 ₹556

71.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.02 NPR 305

$0.31 ₹29.07

551.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.34 NPR 203

$0.33 ₹31.28

306.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.32 NPR 503

$1.55 ₹146

114.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 NPR 213

$1.10 ₹104

28.18%

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

$29.4K NPR 4.4M

$16.2K ₹1.5M

81.25%

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

$36.6K NPR 5.5M

$22.6K ₹2.1M

61.62%

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

$31.68 NPR 4,792

$59.1 ₹5,584

-46.41%

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

$3.38 NPR 511

$4.38 ₹414

-22.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.12 NPR 1,228

$9.34 ₹883

-13.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$22.51 NPR 3,405

$27.20 ₹2,570

-17.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.01 NPR 1,060

$14.11 ₹1,333

-50.32%

Cinema Ticket

$2.98 NPR 451

$4.62 ₹437

-35.50%

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

$67.1 NPR 10.1K

$118 ₹11.1K

-42.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,824 NPR 729.6K

$4,947 ₹467.4K

-2.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$26.37 NPR 3,989

$33.63 ₹3,177

-21.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.67 NPR 4,336

$38.59 ₹3,646

-25.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$65.9 NPR 9,965

$59.8 ₹5,648

10.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$30.44 NPR 4,604

$48.89 ₹4,619

-37.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$221 NPR 33.4K

$652 ₹61.6K

-66.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$104 NPR 15.7K

$356 ₹33.6K

-70.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$439 NPR 66.4K

$1,907 ₹180.2K

-76.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$204 NPR 30.8K

$863 ₹81.5K

-76.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,289 NPR 346.2K

$6,242 ₹589.7K

-63.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,332 NPR 201.5K

$2,324 ₹219.5K

-42.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$275 NPR 41.5K

$804 ₹75.9K

-65.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.72

8.36

16.27%

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

Last update for Kathmandu: August 29, 2026

Last update for Mumbai (Bombay): August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $221 in Kathmandu and $652 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: $20.00 in Kathmandu vs $21.00 in Mumbai (Bombay). Groceries flip the comparison at $144 vs $117, 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 64% 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, salaries run 193% lower in Mumbai (Bombay). 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: $221 in Kathmandu versus $652 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 $20.00 versus $21.00 in Mumbai (Bombay). If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $484 per month in Kathmandu versus $795 in Mumbai (Bombay) – a 64% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $484 in Kathmandu versus $795 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 $484 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 64% less than in Mumbai (Bombay). Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.