Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kathmandu and Setif

For one person, living is cheaper in Setif: $411 a month against $488 in Kathmandu, rent and utilities included – about $920 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Kathmandu, Nepal
Setif, Algeria
Kathmandu
🇳🇵 Nepal
$488
/mo nomad
Setif
🇩🇿 Algeria
$411
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Kathmandu and in Setif

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 Setif actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $488 in Kathmandu versus $411 in Setif.

  • Kathmandu $488
  • Setif $411

Estimated couple costs with rent: $783 in Kathmandu versus $682 in Setif.

  • Kathmandu $783
  • Setif $682

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,077 in Kathmandu versus $953 in Setif.

  • Kathmandu $1,077
  • Setif $953

Living in Kathmandu is roughly 19% more expensive than in Setif, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Kathmandu 64% lower, Setif 70% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Kathmandu
Setif
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$1.92 NPR 292
$3.20 DZD 431
-40.00%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$20.72 NPR 3,154
$15.79 DZD 2,126
31.22%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.02 NPR 1,068
$3.67 DZD 494
91.28%
Cappuccino
$1.56 NPR 237
$0.58 DZD 78.7
168.97%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.51 NPR 78.4
$0.62 DZD 83.8
-17.74%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.14 NPR 20.92
$0.19 DZD 24.92
-26.32%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.11 NPR 473
$1.43 DZD 193
117.48%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.32 NPR 505
$2.06 DZD 278
61.17%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Kathmandu
Setif
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.77 NPR 118
$0.72 DZD 97.0
6.94%
White Bread (500g)
$0.62 NPR 94.1
$0.15 DZD 19.83
313.33%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$0.92 NPR 140
$1.01 DZD 136
-8.91%
Eggs
$1.74 NPR 265
$0.89 DZD 120
95.51%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.51 NPR 1,144
$6.46 DZD 870
16.25%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.10 NPR 472
$3.90 DZD 525
-20.51%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$5.99 NPR 911
$14.48 DZD 1,950
-58.63%
Apples (1kg)
$2.08 NPR 317
$2.11 DZD 284
-1.42%
Banana (1kg)
$1.19 NPR 182
$2.69 DZD 362
-55.76%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.44 NPR 220
$1.06 DZD 143
35.85%
Tomato (1kg)
$0.59 NPR 89.5
$0.85 DZD 114
-30.59%
Potato (1kg)
$0.39 NPR 59.0
$0.48 DZD 64.3
-18.75%
Onion (1kg)
$0.54 NPR 82.0
$0.49 DZD 65.6
10.20%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.49 NPR 75.0
$0.40 DZD 53.9
22.50%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.22 NPR 33.28
$0.18 DZD 24.38
22.22%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.46 NPR 374
$2.63 DZD 355
-6.46%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.97 NPR 1,212
$5.38 DZD 724
48.14%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.30 NPR 350
$1.24 DZD 167
85.48%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.02 NPR 459
$1.93 DZD 260
56.48%
🚌 Getting Around
Kathmandu
Setif
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.17 NPR 26.33
$0.10 DZD 13.66
70.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$9.75 NPR 1,485
$5.65 DZD 761
72.57%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.79 NPR 273
$0.57 DZD 76.8
214.04%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.16 NPR 176
$0.36 DZD 48.62
222.22%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$3.33 NPR 507
$5.00 DZD 674
-33.40%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.39 NPR 211
$0.35 DZD 47.21
297.14%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$35.7K NPR 5.4M
$27.5K DZD 3.7M
29.84%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$35.9K NPR 5.5M
$19.8K DZD 2.7M
81.17%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Kathmandu
Setif
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$31.31 NPR 4,765
$34.62 DZD 4,662
-9.56%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$3.58 NPR 546
$9.77 DZD 1,316
-63.36%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$9.30 NPR 1,415
$12.52 DZD 1,686
-25.72%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Kathmandu
Setif
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$24.50 NPR 3,729
$17.45 DZD 2,350
40.40%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$6.97 NPR 1,061
$5.49 DZD 740
26.96%
Cinema Ticket
$2.94 NPR 447
$4.35 DZD 586
-32.41%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Kathmandu
Setif
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$66.9 NPR 10.2K
$554 DZD 74.6K
-87.93%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$5,521 NPR 840.2K
$6,234 DZD 839.4K
-11.43%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Kathmandu
Setif
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$23.85 NPR 3,630
$17.03 DZD 2,293
40.05%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$26.77 NPR 4,074
$15.07 DZD 2,030
77.64%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$62.6 NPR 9,534
$32.93 DZD 4,435
90.22%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$29.36 NPR 4,469
$56.4 DZD 7,598
-47.96%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Kathmandu
Setif
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$217 NPR 33.0K
$67.7 DZD 9,119
219.99%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$104 NPR 15.9K
$46.25 DZD 6,228
125.62%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$432 NPR 65.7K
$133 DZD 17.9K
225.47%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$200 NPR 30.5K
$113 DZD 15.3K
76.56%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,336 NPR 355.5K
$332 DZD 44.8K
602.70%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,330 NPR 202.4K
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Kathmandu
Setif
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$268 NPR 40.7K
$289 DZD 38.9K
-7.23%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
9.98
5.3
88.30%

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

Last update for Kathmandu: October 24, 2026

Last update for Setif: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Groceries & Markets
Kathmandu
$147
Setif
$161 9.2% $14
Accommodation & Living
Kathmandu
$104
Setif
$46 55.7% $58
Eating Out
Kathmandu
$80
Setif
$58 27.2% $22
Clothing & Footwear
Kathmandu
$64
Setif
$55 14.8% $9.5
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Kathmandu
$44
Setif
$57 28.8% $13
Sport & Entertainment
Kathmandu
$30
Setif
$26 13.9% $4.2
Getting Around
Kathmandu
$18
Setif
$8.4 53.2% $9.6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $217 in Kathmandu and $68 in Setif. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Setif pays 8% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $21 in Kathmandu vs $16 in Setif. Groceries flip the comparison at $147 vs $161, with Kathmandu cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇳🇵 Kathmandu
🇩🇿 Setif
🕒 Local time
03:03 3:03 AM
22:18 10:18 PM
4 h 45 min behind Kathmandu
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
975,000 Capital
288,461
💱 Currency
Nepalese Rupee NPR रु
Exchange rates and currency converter

DZD, USD, EUR to NPR – Nepalese Rupee Converter

Nepalese Rupee exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 152 NPR (1,000 NPR = 6.57 USD). 1 EUR = 169 NPR (1,000 NPR = 5.9 EUR).

Algerian Dinar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 135 DZD (1,000 DZD = 7.43 USD). 1 EUR = 150 DZD (1,000 DZD = 6.67 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Kathmandu Setif 7,390 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Kathmandu
  • Setif

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 Setif: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Kathmandu or Setif?
Setif wins on cost – living expenses run 16% lower than in Kathmandu. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Setif the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Kathmandu or in Setif?
On paper, salaries run 7% lower in Kathmandu. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Kathmandu compared to Setif?
Rent for a central apartment: $217 in Kathmandu versus $68 in Setif. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do dining costs compare in Kathmandu and in Setif?
Dining out is cheaper in Setif – a meal for two runs $16 versus $21 in Kathmandu. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
How much does it cost to live in Kathmandu compared to Setif?
All in, you’ll spend $488 per month in Kathmandu versus $411 in Setif – Setif is about 16% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.
Can you live on $1,200/month in Kathmandu or in Setif?
Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Setif gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Kathmandu or Setif?
Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

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