Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kathmandu and Mumbai (Bombay)

For one person, living is cheaper in Kathmandu: $485 a month against $782 in Mumbai (Bombay), rent and utilities included – about $3,600 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
38

Cost of Living Index in Mumbai (Bombay)
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Mumbai (Bombay) Living Index

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Kathmandu

🇳🇵 Nepal

$485

/mo nomad

Mumbai (Bombay)

🇮🇳 India

$782

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Kathmandu and in Mumbai (Bombay)

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 Mumbai (Bombay) actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $485 in Kathmandu versus $782 in Mumbai (Bombay).

Kathmandu $485
Mumbai (Bombay) $782

Estimated couple costs with rent: $776 in Kathmandu versus $1,299 in Mumbai (Bombay).

Kathmandu $776
Mumbai (Bombay) $1,299

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,067 in Kathmandu versus $1,816 in Mumbai (Bombay).

Kathmandu $1,067
Mumbai (Bombay) $1,816

Living in Kathmandu costs roughly 38% less than in Mumbai (Bombay), and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Kathmandu 64% lower, Mumbai (Bombay) 42% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.00 NPR 304

$5.38 ₹511

-62.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$20.16 NPR 3,064

$20.76 ₹1,971

-2.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.64 NPR 1,160

$4.19 ₹398

82.34%

Cappuccino

$1.52 NPR 231

$2.74 ₹260

-44.53%

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

$0.54 NPR 82.7

$0.41 ₹38.77

31.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.15 NPR 23.14

$0.16 ₹15.04

-6.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 NPR 483

$2.59 ₹246

22.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.34 NPR 507

$4.17 ₹396

-19.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.76 NPR 115

$0.75 ₹71.2

1.33%

White Bread (500g)

$0.62 NPR 94.6

$0.53 ₹50.5

16.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.87 NPR 132

$0.73 ₹69.6

19.18%

Eggs

$1.66 NPR 252

$0.96 ₹91.4

72.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.51 NPR 1,141

$5.52 ₹524

36.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.08 NPR 468

$3.58 ₹340

-13.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.02 NPR 914

Apples (1kg)

$2.07 NPR 315

$2.14 ₹203

-3.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.19 NPR 180

$0.69 ₹65.5

72.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.37 NPR 208

$1.23 ₹116

11.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.54 NPR 81.6

$0.46 ₹43.77

17.39%

Potato (1kg)

$0.38 NPR 57.9

$0.36 ₹34.24

5.56%

Onion (1kg)

$0.54 NPR 82.2

$0.39 ₹37.12

38.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.49 NPR 74.4

$0.40 ₹38.05

22.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.22 NPR 33.24

$0.31 ₹29.46

-29.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.41 NPR 367

$5.10 ₹485

-52.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.61 NPR 1,156

$8.12 ₹771

-6.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.20 NPR 334

$1.95 ₹185

12.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.99 NPR 454

$3.18 ₹302

-5.97%

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

$6.17 ₹586

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.22 NPR 33.95

$0.20 ₹18.99

10.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.76 NPR 1,482

$5.39 ₹512

81.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.74 NPR 264

$0.31 ₹29.39

461.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 NPR 173

$0.29 ₹28.01

293.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.33 NPR 506

$1.59 ₹151

109.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 NPR 214

$1.10 ₹104

28.18%

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

$29.8K NPR 4.5M

$15.9K ₹1.5M

88.21%

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

$36.4K NPR 5.5M

$22.7K ₹2.2M

59.92%

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

$31.62 NPR 4,805

$61.6 ₹5,846

-48.64%

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

$3.42 NPR 520

$4.25 ₹404

-19.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.97 NPR 1,363

$9.01 ₹855

-0.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$22.13 NPR 3,363

$27.24 ₹2,587

-18.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.76 NPR 1,027

$13.31 ₹1,264

-49.21%

Cinema Ticket

$2.89 NPR 439

$4.38 ₹416

-34.02%

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

$66.1 NPR 10.0K

$116 ₹11.0K

-42.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,484 NPR 833.3K

$4,968 ₹471.7K

10.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$24.88 NPR 3,780

$37.16 ₹3,529

-33.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.17 NPR 3,976

$39.88 ₹3,787

-34.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$63.0 NPR 9,573

$55.9 ₹5,307

12.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$28.83 NPR 4,381

$48.19 ₹4,576

-40.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$218 NPR 33.1K

$611 ₹58.0K

-64.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$104 NPR 15.8K

$354 ₹33.6K

-70.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$433 NPR 65.8K

$1,829 ₹173.7K

-76.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$198 NPR 30.1K

$877 ₹83.3K

-77.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,296 NPR 348.8K

$5,877 ₹558.0K

-60.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,340 NPR 203.6K

$2,448 ₹232.4K

-45.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$267 NPR 40.6K

$758 ₹72.0K

-64.78%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.72

8.29

17.25%

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

Last update for Kathmandu: October 11, 2026

Last update for Mumbai (Bombay): October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Kathmandu

$145 29.8%

Mumbai (Bombay)

$116 14.8% 20% $29

Accommodation & Living

Kathmandu

$104 21.4%

Mumbai (Bombay)

$354 45.3% 241% $250

Eating Out

Kathmandu

$83 17%

Mumbai (Bombay)

$112 14.3% 35.8% $30

Clothing & Footwear

Kathmandu

$64 13.3%

Mumbai (Bombay)

$82 10.4% 26.7% $17

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kathmandu

$44 9.1%

Mumbai (Bombay)

$75 9.6% 70% $31

Sport & Entertainment

Kathmandu

$28 5.8%

Mumbai (Bombay)

$36 4.6% 29% $8.1

Getting Around

Kathmandu

$18 3.7%

Mumbai (Bombay)

$8 1% 55.8% $10

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $218 in Kathmandu and $611 in Mumbai (Bombay). Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mumbai (Bombay) pays 184% 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 $145 vs $116, with Mumbai (Bombay) cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇳🇵 Kathmandu

🇮🇳 Mumbai (Bombay)

🕒 Local time

18:18 6:18 PM

18:03 6:03 PM

15 min behind Kathmandu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

975,000 Capital

12,442,373

💱 Currency

Nepalese Rupee NPR रु

Indian Rupee INR ₹

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 NPR = 6.58 USD

1,000 NPR = 5.85 EUR

1,000 INR = 10.53 USD

1,000 INR = 9.37 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

INR, USD, EUR to NPR – Nepalese Rupee Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇳🇵 Nepalese Rupee (रु)

Nepalese Rupee exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 152 NPR (1,000 NPR = 6.58 USD). 1 EUR = 171 NPR (1,000 NPR = 5.85 EUR).

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 94.96 INR (100 INR = 1.05 USD). 1 EUR = 107 INR (1,000 INR = 9.37 EUR).

USD to NPR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Kathmandu Mumbai (Bombay) 1,590 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Kathmandu
Mumbai (Bombay)

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

Kathmandu wins on cost – living expenses run 61% 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 184% 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: $218 in Kathmandu versus $611 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 $485 per month in Kathmandu versus $782 in Mumbai (Bombay) – a 61% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Either city works on $800 a month, though Kathmandu gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Both work as nomad bases, but Kathmandu delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $485 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 61% less than in Mumbai (Bombay). Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.