Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Pokhara and Kathmandu

For one person, living costs are similar in Pokhara and in Kathmandu: $498 and $488 a month, rent and utilities included.

24

Cost of Living Index in Pokhara
Learn more

Pokhara Living Index
23

Cost of Living Index in Kathmandu
Learn more

Kathmandu Living Index

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Pokhara

🇳🇵 Nepal

$498

/mo nomad

Kathmandu

🇳🇵 Nepal

$488

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Pokhara and in Kathmandu

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Pokhara and in Kathmandu actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $498 in Pokhara versus $488 in Kathmandu.

Pokhara $498
Kathmandu $488

Estimated couple costs with rent: $762 in Pokhara versus $783 in Kathmandu.

Pokhara $762
Kathmandu $783

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,027 in Pokhara versus $1,077 in Kathmandu.

Pokhara $1,027
Kathmandu $1,077

Monthly costs are close between Pokhara and Kathmandu; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

Both cities sit below the global median: Pokhara 63% lower, Kathmandu 64% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.61 NPR 397

$1.92 NPR 291

35.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$13.33 NPR 2,024

$20.72 NPR 3,146

-35.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.48 NPR 984

$7.02 NPR 1,065

-7.69%

Cappuccino

$1.10 NPR 168

$1.56 NPR 236

-29.49%

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

$0.51 NPR 77.5

$0.51 NPR 78.2

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.14 NPR 21.90

$0.14 NPR 20.87

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.47 NPR 376

$3.11 NPR 472

-20.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.64 NPR 552

$3.32 NPR 504

9.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.82 NPR 125

$0.77 NPR 117

6.49%

White Bread (500g)

$0.61 NPR 93.2

$0.62 NPR 93.9

-1.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.66 NPR 99.4

$0.92 NPR 139

-28.26%

Eggs

$1.82 NPR 277

$1.74 NPR 264

4.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.02 NPR 913

$7.51 NPR 1,141

-19.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.14 NPR 476

$3.10 NPR 471

1.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.62 NPR 853

$5.99 NPR 909

-6.18%

Apples (1kg)

$2.57 NPR 390

$2.08 NPR 316

23.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.28 NPR 194

$1.19 NPR 181

7.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.25 NPR 190

$1.44 NPR 219

-13.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.67 NPR 102

$0.59 NPR 89.3

13.56%

Potato (1kg)

$0.37 NPR 56.3

$0.39 NPR 58.8

-5.13%

Onion (1kg)

$0.87 NPR 132

$0.54 NPR 81.8

61.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.36 NPR 55.0

$0.49 NPR 74.8

-26.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.29 NPR 44.38

$0.22 NPR 33.20

31.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.57 NPR 390

$2.46 NPR 373

4.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.97 NPR 1,666

$7.97 NPR 1,209

37.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.50 NPR 379

$2.30 NPR 349

8.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.62 NPR 550

$3.02 NPR 458

19.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.20 NPR 30.29

$0.17 NPR 26.26

17.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.01 NPR 3,038

$9.75 NPR 1,481

105.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.62 NPR 245

$1.79 NPR 272

-9.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 NPR 123

$1.16 NPR 176

-30.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.67 NPR 406

$3.33 NPR 505

-19.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.18 NPR 180

$1.39 NPR 210

-15.11%

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

$33.1K NPR 5.0M

$35.7K NPR 5.4M

-7.41%

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

$33.9K NPR 5.2M

$35.9K NPR 5.4M

-5.44%

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

$65.4 NPR 9,934

$31.31 NPR 4,752

109.01%

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

$5.28 NPR 802

$3.58 NPR 544

47.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$7.03 NPR 1,068

$9.30 NPR 1,411

-24.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$19.86 NPR 3,014

$24.50 NPR 3,719

-18.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.96 NPR 1,209

$6.97 NPR 1,059

14.20%

Cinema Ticket

$2.51 NPR 381

$2.94 NPR 446

-14.63%

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

$47.94 NPR 7,277

$66.9 NPR 10.1K

-28.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,970 NPR 299.1K

$5,521 NPR 838.1K

-64.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$18.82 NPR 2,857

$23.85 NPR 3,620

-21.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.80 NPR 5,737

$26.77 NPR 4,064

41.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$36.66 NPR 5,564

$62.6 NPR 9,509

-41.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$30.91 NPR 4,692

$29.36 NPR 4,457

5.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$125 NPR 19.0K

$217 NPR 32.9K

-42.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$83.8 NPR 12.7K

$104 NPR 15.8K

-19.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$241 NPR 36.6K

$432 NPR 65.5K

-44.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$158 NPR 24.0K

$200 NPR 30.4K

-21.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,802 NPR 273.6K

$2,336 NPR 354.6K

-22.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$604 NPR 91.7K

$1,330 NPR 201.9K

-54.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$178 NPR 26.9K

$268 NPR 40.6K

-33.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.5

9.98

25.25%

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

Last update for Pokhara: October 24, 2026

Last update for Kathmandu: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Pokhara

$153 30.8%

Kathmandu

$147 30.2% 4% $6.1

Accommodation & Living

Pokhara

$84 16.8%

Kathmandu

$104 21.4% 24.6% $21

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Pokhara

$78 15.6%

Kathmandu

$44 9.1% 43.2% $34

Eating Out

Pokhara

$76 15.2%

Kathmandu

$80 16.4% 5.2% $4

Clothing & Footwear

Pokhara

$56 11.2%

Kathmandu

$64 13.2% 14.9% $8.3

Getting Around

Pokhara

$26 5.3%

Kathmandu

$18 3.7% 31.9% $8.5

Sport & Entertainment

Pokhara

$25 5%

Kathmandu

$30 6.2% 22.1% $5.5

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $125 in Pokhara and $217 in Kathmandu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kathmandu pays 51% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $13 in Pokhara vs $21 in Kathmandu. Groceries flip the comparison at $153 vs $147, with Kathmandu cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇳🇵 Pokhara

🇳🇵 Kathmandu

🕒 Local time

08:20 8:20 AM

Same time as Pokhara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

500,000

975,000 Capital

💱 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

Pokhara Kathmandu 140 km

From you

Pokhara
Kathmandu

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

Pokhara vs Kathmandu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

On paper, salaries run 34% lower in Pokhara. 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: $125 in Pokhara versus $217 in Kathmandu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Kathmandu runs roughly 51% less than in Pokhara. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Supermarket bills run roughly 4% higher in Pokhara. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Either city works on $800 a month, though Kathmandu 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.