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: $494 in Kathmandu versus $763 in Mumbai (Bombay).

Estimated couple costs with rent: $789 in Kathmandu versus $1,259 in Mumbai (Bombay).

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,085 in Kathmandu versus $1,754 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

$1.86 NPR 287

$5.17 ₹499

-64.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.98 NPR 2,927

$22.50 ₹2,170

-15.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.56 NPR 1,012

$4.70 ₹453

39.57%

Cappuccino

$1.84 NPR 283

$2.60 ₹251

-29.23%

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

$0.54 NPR 83.6

$0.50 ₹48.66

8.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.18 NPR 27.07

$0.19 ₹18.25

-5.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.66 NPR 410

$2.33 ₹225

14.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.54 NPR 546

$4.18 ₹403

-15.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.86 NPR 133

$0.73 ₹70.2

17.81%

White Bread (500g)

$0.54 NPR 84.0

$0.48 ₹46.57

12.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.01 NPR 156

$0.82 ₹79.4

23.17%

Eggs

$1.79 NPR 275

$1.05 ₹101

70.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.75 NPR 1,349

$6.87 ₹662

27.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.10 NPR 479

$3.89 ₹375

-20.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.10 NPR 940

Apples (1kg)

$2.26 NPR 349

$2.29 ₹221

-1.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.04 NPR 160

$0.83 ₹79.9

25.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.25 NPR 193

$1.30 ₹125

-3.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.70 NPR 108

$0.65 ₹63.1

7.69%

Potato (1kg)

$0.49 NPR 75.0

$0.57 ₹54.9

-14.04%

Onion (1kg)

$0.73 NPR 113

$0.58 ₹56.4

25.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.49 NPR 74.9

$0.64 ₹62.0

-23.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.27 NPR 42.08

$0.35 ₹33.87

-22.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.84 NPR 438

$4.22 ₹407

-32.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.66 NPR 1,335

$8.18 ₹789

5.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.37 NPR 365

$2.08 ₹200

13.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 NPR 498

$3.27 ₹316

-1.22%

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

$6.98 ₹673

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.23 NPR 35.61

$0.22 ₹21.20

4.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.07 NPR 1,708

$4.69 ₹452

136.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.23 NPR 344

$0.37 ₹35.29

502.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 NPR 165

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.68 NPR 568

$1.37 ₹132

168.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 NPR 189

$1.18 ₹114

4.24%

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

$31.6K NPR 4.9M

$17.3K ₹1.7M

83.10%

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

$40.6K NPR 6.3M

$24.8K ₹2.4M

63.81%

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

$32.99 NPR 5,088

$50.2 ₹4,841

-34.28%

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

$4.73 NPR 730

$5.08 ₹490

-6.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.72 NPR 1,500

$8.62 ₹831

12.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$22.35 NPR 3,447

$23.20 ₹2,238

-3.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.18 NPR 1,107

$11.85 ₹1,143

-39.41%

Cinema Ticket

$3.24 NPR 500

$4.70 ₹453

-31.06%

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

$89.5 NPR 13.8K

$118 ₹11.4K

-24.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,834 NPR 591.2K

$3,379 ₹325.8K

13.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$24.49 NPR 3,777

$29.21 ₹2,817

-16.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.56 NPR 4,250

$31.19 ₹3,008

-11.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$58.3 NPR 8,988

$56.6 ₹5,453

3.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$38.85 NPR 5,991

$40.55 ₹3,910

-4.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$194 NPR 29.9K

$697 ₹67.2K

-72.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$100 NPR 15.5K

$357 ₹34.5K

-71.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$342 NPR 52.7K

$1,783 ₹172.0K

-80.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$188 NPR 29.0K

$844 ₹81.4K

-77.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,271 NPR 350.2K

$6,047 ₹583.1K

-62.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,322 NPR 203.8K

$2,517 ₹242.8K

-47.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$277 NPR 42.8K

$787 ₹75.9K

-64.75%

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Mumbai (Bombay): July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $194 in Kathmandu and $697 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: $19.00 in Kathmandu vs $23.00 in Mumbai (Bombay). Groceries flip the comparison at $155 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 55% 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: $194 in Kathmandu versus $697 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 $23.00 in Mumbai (Bombay). If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $494 per month in Kathmandu versus $763 in Mumbai (Bombay) – a 55% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $494 in Kathmandu versus $763 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 $494 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 55% less than in Mumbai (Bombay). Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.