Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kathmandu and Siddharthanagar

For one person, living is cheaper in Siddharthanagar: $351 a month against $488 in Kathmandu, rent and utilities included – about $1,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

23

Cost of Living Index in Kathmandu
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Kathmandu Living Index
17

Cost of Living Index in Siddharthanagar
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Siddharthanagar Living Index

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Kathmandu

🇳🇵 Nepal

$488

/mo nomad

Siddharthanagar

🇳🇵 Nepal

$351

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Kathmandu and in Siddharthanagar

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $488 in Kathmandu versus $351 in Siddharthanagar.

Kathmandu $488
Siddharthanagar $351

Estimated couple costs with rent: $783 in Kathmandu versus $576 in Siddharthanagar.

Kathmandu $783
Siddharthanagar $576

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,077 in Kathmandu versus $802 in Siddharthanagar.

Kathmandu $1,077
Siddharthanagar $802

Living in Kathmandu is roughly 39% more expensive than in Siddharthanagar, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities sit below the global median: Kathmandu 64% lower, Siddharthanagar 74% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.92 NPR 291

$1.96 NPR 297

-2.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$20.72 NPR 3,146

$20.40 NPR 3,097

1.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.02 NPR 1,065

$7.16 NPR 1,087

-1.96%

Cappuccino

$1.56 NPR 236

$1.59 NPR 241

-1.89%

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

$0.51 NPR 78.2

$0.56 NPR 85.3

-8.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.14 NPR 20.87

$0.16 NPR 23.99

-12.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.11 NPR 472

$3.23 NPR 490

-3.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.32 NPR 504

$3.20 NPR 486

3.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.77 NPR 117

$0.76 NPR 115

1.32%

White Bread (500g)

$0.62 NPR 93.9

$0.62 NPR 94.5

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.92 NPR 139

$0.85 NPR 130

8.24%

Eggs

$1.74 NPR 264

$1.75 NPR 265

-0.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.51 NPR 1,141

$7.58 NPR 1,151

-0.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.10 NPR 471

$3.19 NPR 484

-2.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.99 NPR 909

$5.98 NPR 908

0.17%

Apples (1kg)

$2.08 NPR 316

$2.03 NPR 309

2.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.19 NPR 181

$1.21 NPR 183

-1.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.44 NPR 219

$1.46 NPR 221

-1.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.59 NPR 89.3

$0.60 NPR 90.4

-1.67%

Potato (1kg)

$0.39 NPR 58.8

$0.39 NPR 58.5

Onion (1kg)

$0.54 NPR 81.8

$0.50 NPR 75.6

8.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.49 NPR 74.8

$0.46 NPR 69.6

6.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.22 NPR 33.20

$0.22 NPR 33.19

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.46 NPR 373

$2.47 NPR 375

-0.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.97 NPR 1,209

$7.79 NPR 1,183

2.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.30 NPR 349

$2.27 NPR 345

1.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 NPR 458

$3.06 NPR 465

-1.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.17 NPR 26.26

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.75 NPR 1,481

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.79 NPR 272

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.16 NPR 176

$1.16 NPR 177

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.33 NPR 505

$3.27 NPR 496

1.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.39 NPR 210

$1.39 NPR 211

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

$35.7K NPR 5.4M

$35.8K NPR 5.4M

-0.38%

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

$35.9K NPR 5.4M

$36.3K NPR 5.5M

-1.07%

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

$31.31 NPR 4,752

$31.88 NPR 4,839

-1.79%

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

$3.58 NPR 544

$3.56 NPR 541

0.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.30 NPR 1,411

$9.03 NPR 1,371

2.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.50 NPR 3,719

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.97 NPR 1,059

Cinema Ticket

$2.94 NPR 446

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

$66.9 NPR 10.1K

$65.7 NPR 9,969

1.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,521 NPR 838.1K

$5,450 NPR 827.2K

1.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$23.85 NPR 3,620

$24.32 NPR 3,691

-1.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.77 NPR 4,064

$27.08 NPR 4,111

-1.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$62.6 NPR 9,509

$62.8 NPR 9,535

-0.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$29.36 NPR 4,457

$28.90 NPR 4,387

1.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$217 NPR 32.9K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$104 NPR 15.8K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$432 NPR 65.5K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$200 NPR 30.4K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,336 NPR 354.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,330 NPR 201.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$268 NPR 40.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.98

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

Last update for Kathmandu: October 24, 2026

Last update for Siddharthanagar: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Kathmandu

$147 30.2%

Siddharthanagar

$147 41.9% 0.3% $0.4

Accommodation & Living

Kathmandu

$104 21.4%

Siddharthanagar

- * 0% 100%

Eating Out

Kathmandu

$80 16.4%

Siddharthanagar

$82 23.3% 2.2% $1.7

Clothing & Footwear

Kathmandu

$64 13.2%

Siddharthanagar

$64 18.4% 0.3% $0.2

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kathmandu

$44 9.1%

Siddharthanagar

$44 12.7% 0.6% $0.3

Sport & Entertainment

Kathmandu

$30 6.2%

Siddharthanagar

$5.9 * 1.7% 80.7% $25

Getting Around

Kathmandu

$18 3.7%

Siddharthanagar

$7.6 * 2.2% 57.8% $10

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $21 in Kathmandu vs $20 in Siddharthanagar. Groceries flip the comparison at $147 vs $147, with Kathmandu cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇳🇵 Kathmandu

🇳🇵 Siddharthanagar

🕒 Local time

08:40 8:40 AM

Same time as Kathmandu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

975,000 Capital

63,483

💱 Currency

Nepalese Rupee NPR रु

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 NPR = 6.59 USD

1,000 NPR = 5.88 EUR

1,000 NPR = 6.59 USD

1,000 NPR = 5.88 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Kathmandu Siddharthanagar 190 km

From you

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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 Siddharthanagar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Siddharthanagar wins on cost – living expenses run 28% lower than in Kathmandu. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Siddharthanagar the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $732 in Kathmandu and $526 in Siddharthanagar to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

All in, you’ll spend $488 per month in Kathmandu versus $351 in Siddharthanagar – Siddharthanagar is about 28% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Dining out is cheaper in Siddharthanagar – a meal for two runs $20 versus $21 in Kathmandu. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Either city works on $1,000 a month, though Siddharthanagar gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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.