Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kathmandu and Singapore

For one person, living is cheaper in Kathmandu: $496 a month against $3,594 in Singapore, rent and utilities included – about $37,200 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
171

Cost of Living Index in Singapore
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Singapore Living Index

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Kathmandu

🇳🇵 Nepal

$496

/mo nomad

Singapore

🇸🇬 Singapore

$3,594

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Kathmandu and in Singapore

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $496 in Kathmandu versus $3,594 in Singapore.

Kathmandu $496
Singapore $3,594

Estimated couple costs with rent: $795 in Kathmandu versus $5,314 in Singapore.

Kathmandu $795
Singapore $5,314

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,094 in Kathmandu versus $7,033 in Singapore.

Kathmandu $1,094
Singapore $7,033

Living in Kathmandu costs roughly 86% less than in Singapore, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Kathmandu is 63% below, Singapore is 166% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.03 NPR 305

$11.58 SGD 14.84

-82.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$21.67 NPR 3,260

$70.7 SGD 90.5

-69.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.92 NPR 1,192

$8.46 SGD 10.84

-6.38%

Cappuccino

$1.56 NPR 234

$5.18 SGD 6.64

-69.88%

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

$0.56 NPR 83.7

$1.84 SGD 2.36

-69.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.13 NPR 19.99

$1.23 SGD 1.58

-89.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.11 NPR 468

$9.50 SGD 12.17

-67.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 NPR 509

$9.86 SGD 12.63

-65.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.76 NPR 114

$3.02 SGD 3.87

-74.83%

White Bread (500g)

$0.63 NPR 94.7

$2.67 SGD 3.42

-76.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.94 NPR 142

$2.77 SGD 3.54

-66.06%

Eggs

$1.70 NPR 256

$3.72 SGD 4.77

-54.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.70 NPR 1,158

$21.01 SGD 26.92

-63.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.17 NPR 477

$9.95 SGD 12.75

-68.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.72 NPR 860

$25.13 SGD 32.20

-77.24%

Apples (1kg)

$2.02 NPR 304

$4.59 SGD 5.88

-55.99%

Banana (1kg)

$1.16 NPR 175

$3.09 SGD 3.96

-62.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.34 NPR 201

$4.64 SGD 5.95

-71.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.55 NPR 82.5

$2.18 SGD 2.79

-74.77%

Potato (1kg)

$0.39 NPR 58.2

$2.33 SGD 2.99

-83.26%

Onion (1kg)

$0.55 NPR 82.3

$2.31 SGD 2.96

-76.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.48 NPR 72.6

$1.86 SGD 2.39

-74.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.24 NPR 36.20

$1.55 SGD 1.98

-84.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.63 NPR 396

$14.11 SGD 18.08

-81.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.00 NPR 1,354

$23.24 SGD 29.78

-61.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.20 NPR 331

$4.73 SGD 6.06

-53.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 NPR 463

$4.79 SGD 6.14

-35.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.22 NPR 33.00

$1.53 SGD 1.96

-85.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.88 NPR 1,486

$96.5 SGD 124

-89.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.68 NPR 253

$3.58 SGD 4.59

-53.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.22 NPR 183

$0.76 SGD 0.97

60.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 NPR 489

$16.98 SGD 21.75

-80.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 NPR 213

$2.46 SGD 3.15

-42.28%

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

$35.7K NPR 5.4M

$159.4K SGD 204.2K

-77.57%

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

$36.2K NPR 5.4M

$155.7K SGD 199.5K

-76.77%

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

$31.50 NPR 4,738

$168 SGD 215

-81.24%

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

$3.53 NPR 531

$12.24 SGD 15.68

-71.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.96 NPR 1,347

$28.18 SGD 36.11

-68.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.91 NPR 3,747

$111 SGD 142

-77.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.01 NPR 1,054

$11.60 SGD 14.86

-39.57%

Cinema Ticket

$2.89 NPR 434

$12.24 SGD 15.68

-76.39%

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

$67.5 NPR 10.2K

$1,899 SGD 2,433

-96.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K NPR 2.2M

$39.1K SGD 50.1K

-61.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$21.64 NPR 3,256

$79.6 SGD 102

-72.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.51 NPR 3,988

$50.7 SGD 65.0

-47.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$63.1 NPR 9,487

$112 SGD 143

-43.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$28.01 NPR 4,214

$125 SGD 160

-77.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$233 NPR 35.1K

$3,191 SGD 4,089

-92.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$109 NPR 16.3K

$2,257 SGD 2,892

-95.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$444 NPR 66.8K

$6,173 SGD 7,910

-92.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$207 NPR 31.2K

$4,035 SGD 5,170

-94.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,324 NPR 349.6K

$23.6K SGD 30.2K

-90.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,315 NPR 197.8K

$16.5K SGD 21.2K

-92.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$285 NPR 42.9K

$4,526 SGD 5,799

-93.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.98

2.44

309.02%

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

Last update for Kathmandu: October 31, 2026

Last update for Singapore: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Kathmandu

$148 29.8%

Singapore

$459 12.8% 210% $311

Accommodation & Living

Kathmandu

$109 21.9%

Singapore

$2.3K 62.8% 1979% $2.1K

Eating Out

Kathmandu

$84 16.9%

Singapore

$260 7.2% 210% $176

Clothing & Footwear

Kathmandu

$63 12.6%

Singapore

$165 4.6% 163% $102

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kathmandu

$44 8.9%

Singapore

$208 5.8% 374% $164

Sport & Entertainment

Kathmandu

$31 6.2%

Singapore

$135 3.8% 340% $104

Getting Around

Kathmandu

$19 3.7%

Singapore

$110 3.1% 493% $91

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $233 in Kathmandu and $3,191 in Singapore. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Singapore pays about 16 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $22 in Kathmandu vs $71 in Singapore for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $148 vs $459 per month, with Kathmandu cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇳🇵 Kathmandu

🇸🇬 Singapore

🕒 Local time

01:45 1:45 AM

04:00 4:00 AM

2 h 15 min ahead of Kathmandu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

975,000 Capital

5,535,002 Capital

💱 Currency

Nepalese Rupee NPR रु

Singapore Dollar SGD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 NPR = 6.65 USD

1,000 NPR = 5.95 EUR

1 SGD = 0.78 USD

1 SGD = 0.698 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

SGD, USD, EUR to NPR – Nepalese Rupee Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇳🇵 Nepalese Rupee (रु)

Nepalese Rupee exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 150 NPR (1,000 NPR = 6.65 USD). 1 EUR = 168 NPR (1,000 NPR = 5.95 EUR).

Singapore Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 1.28 SGD (1 SGD = 0.78 USD). 1 EUR = 1.43 SGD (1 SGD = 0.698 EUR).

USD to NPR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Kathmandu Singapore 3,540 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Kathmandu
Singapore

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 Singapore: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kathmandu wins on cost – living expenses run 86% lower than in Singapore. 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 94% 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $233 in Kathmandu versus $3,191 in Singapore. 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 $22 versus $71 in Singapore. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $496 per month in Kathmandu versus $3,594 in Singapore – Kathmandu is about 86% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $496 in Kathmandu versus $3,594 in Singapore, a $800 budget is realistic in Kathmandu but tight or insufficient in Singapore. The gap between the two cities makes Kathmandu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Expats usually find Kathmandu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 86% less than in Singapore. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.