Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kathmandu and Waling

For one person, living is cheaper in Waling: $325 a month against $485 in Kathmandu, rent and utilities included – about $1,900 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
16

Cost of Living Index in Waling
Learn more

Waling Living Index

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Kathmandu

🇳🇵 Nepal

$485

/mo nomad

Waling

🇳🇵 Nepal

$325

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Kathmandu and in Waling

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $485 in Kathmandu versus $325 in Waling.

Kathmandu $485
Waling $325

Estimated couple costs with rent: $776 in Kathmandu versus $532 in Waling.

Kathmandu $776
Waling $532

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,067 in Kathmandu versus $739 in Waling.

Kathmandu $1,067
Waling $739

Living in Kathmandu is roughly 49% more expensive than in Waling, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Kathmandu 64% lower, Waling 76% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.00 NPR 304

$2.01 NPR 305

-0.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$20.16 NPR 3,064

$19.99 NPR 3,038

0.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.64 NPR 1,160

$7.98 NPR 1,212

-4.26%

Cappuccino

$1.52 NPR 231

$1.54 NPR 234

-1.30%

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

$0.54 NPR 82.7

$0.54 NPR 81.3

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.15 NPR 23.14

$0.15 NPR 23.24

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 NPR 483

$3.14 NPR 476

1.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.34 NPR 507

$3.19 NPR 484

4.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.76 NPR 115

White Bread (500g)

$0.62 NPR 94.6

$0.44 NPR 67.3

40.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.87 NPR 132

$0.86 NPR 131

1.16%

Eggs

$1.66 NPR 252

$1.33 NPR 202

24.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.51 NPR 1,141

$6.67 NPR 1,014

12.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.08 NPR 468

$2.69 NPR 408

14.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.02 NPR 914

$3.18 NPR 483

89.31%

Apples (1kg)

$2.07 NPR 315

$1.98 NPR 301

4.55%

Banana (1kg)

$1.19 NPR 180

$0.75 NPR 114

58.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.37 NPR 208

$1.34 NPR 204

2.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.54 NPR 81.6

$0.53 NPR 80.9

1.89%

Potato (1kg)

$0.38 NPR 57.9

$0.35 NPR 52.4

8.57%

Onion (1kg)

$0.54 NPR 82.2

$0.38 NPR 57.7

42.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.49 NPR 74.4

$0.48 NPR 73.6

2.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.22 NPR 33.24

$0.19 NPR 28.35

15.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.41 NPR 367

$2.46 NPR 373

-2.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.61 NPR 1,156

$5.25 NPR 797

44.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.20 NPR 334

$2.21 NPR 336

-0.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.99 NPR 454

$2.92 NPR 443

2.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.22 NPR 33.95

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.76 NPR 1,482

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.74 NPR 264

$1.81 NPR 275

-3.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 NPR 173

$1.19 NPR 181

-4.20%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.33 NPR 506

$3.21 NPR 488

3.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 NPR 214

$1.39 NPR 212

1.44%

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

$29.8K NPR 4.5M

$29.1K NPR 4.4M

2.54%

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

$36.4K NPR 5.5M

0.01%

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

$31.62 NPR 4,805

$31.49 NPR 4,784

0.41%

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

$3.42 NPR 520

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.97 NPR 1,363

$9.30 NPR 1,413

-3.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$22.13 NPR 3,363

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.76 NPR 1,027

Cinema Ticket

$2.89 NPR 439

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

$66.1 NPR 10.0K

$67.2 NPR 10.2K

-1.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,484 NPR 833.3K

$5,498 NPR 835.3K

-0.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$24.88 NPR 3,780

$25.08 NPR 3,811

-0.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.17 NPR 3,976

$27.13 NPR 4,122

-3.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$63.0 NPR 9,573

$63.4 NPR 9,625

-0.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$28.83 NPR 4,381

$28.38 NPR 4,312

1.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$218 NPR 33.1K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$104 NPR 15.8K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$433 NPR 65.8K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$198 NPR 30.1K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,296 NPR 348.8K

$1,051 NPR 159.8K

118.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,340 NPR 203.6K

$1,240 NPR 188.5K

8.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$267 NPR 40.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.72

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

Last update for Kathmandu: October 11, 2026

Last update for Waling: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Kathmandu

$145 29.8%

Waling

$120 36.8% 17.3% $25

Accommodation & Living

Kathmandu

$104 21.4%

Waling

- * 0% 100%

Eating Out

Kathmandu

$83 17%

Waling

$83 25.6% 0.9% $0.8

Clothing & Footwear

Kathmandu

$64 13.3%

Waling

$65 19.9% 0.7% $0.5

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kathmandu

$44 9.1%

Waling

$44 13.6% 0.5% $0.2

Sport & Entertainment

Kathmandu

$28 5.8%

Waling

$5.8 * 1.8% 79.3% $22

Getting Around

Kathmandu

$18 3.7%

Waling

$7.8 * 2.4% 57.1% $10

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

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $20.00 in Kathmandu vs $20.00 in Waling. Groceries flip the comparison at $145 vs $120, with Waling cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇳🇵 Kathmandu

🇳🇵 Waling

🕒 Local time

09:28 9:28 AM

Same time as Kathmandu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

975,000 Capital

21,867

💱 Currency

Nepalese Rupee NPR रु

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 NPR = 6.58 USD

1,000 NPR = 5.85 EUR

1,000 NPR = 6.58 USD

1,000 NPR = 5.85 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Kathmandu Waling 160 km

From you

Kathmandu
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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 Waling: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Waling wins on cost – living expenses run 49% lower than in Kathmandu. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Waling the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $728 in Kathmandu and $488 in Waling 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.

Supermarket bills run roughly 21% higher in Kathmandu. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $485 per month in Kathmandu versus $325 in Waling – a 49% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Either city works on $1,000 a month, though Waling 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.

Safety-wise, Kathmandu and Waling are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Waling gentler on the wallet – expenses run 49% less than in Kathmandu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.