Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Waling and Kathmandu

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.

16

Cost of Living Index in Waling
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Waling Living Index
24

Cost of Living Index in Kathmandu
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Kathmandu Living Index

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Waling

🇳🇵 Nepal

$325

/mo nomad

Kathmandu

🇳🇵 Nepal

$485

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Waling 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 Waling and in Kathmandu actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

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

Waling $325
Kathmandu $485

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

Waling $532
Kathmandu $776

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

Waling $739
Kathmandu $1,067

Living in Waling costs roughly 33% less than in Kathmandu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.01 NPR 305

$2.00 NPR 304

0.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.99 NPR 3,038

$20.16 NPR 3,064

-0.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.98 NPR 1,212

$7.64 NPR 1,160

4.45%

Cappuccino

$1.54 NPR 234

$1.52 NPR 231

1.32%

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

$0.54 NPR 81.3

$0.54 NPR 82.7

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.15 NPR 23.24

$0.15 NPR 23.14

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.14 NPR 476

$3.18 NPR 483

-1.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.19 NPR 484

$3.34 NPR 507

-4.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.76 NPR 115

White Bread (500g)

$0.44 NPR 67.3

$0.62 NPR 94.6

-29.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.86 NPR 131

$0.87 NPR 132

-1.15%

Eggs

$1.33 NPR 202

$1.66 NPR 252

-19.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.67 NPR 1,014

$7.51 NPR 1,141

-11.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.69 NPR 408

$3.08 NPR 468

-12.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$3.18 NPR 483

$6.02 NPR 914

-47.18%

Apples (1kg)

$1.98 NPR 301

$2.07 NPR 315

-4.35%

Banana (1kg)

$0.75 NPR 114

$1.19 NPR 180

-36.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.34 NPR 204

$1.37 NPR 208

-2.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.53 NPR 80.9

$0.54 NPR 81.6

-1.85%

Potato (1kg)

$0.35 NPR 52.4

$0.38 NPR 57.9

-7.89%

Onion (1kg)

$0.38 NPR 57.7

$0.54 NPR 82.2

-29.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.48 NPR 73.6

$0.49 NPR 74.4

-2.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.19 NPR 28.35

$0.22 NPR 33.24

-13.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.46 NPR 373

$2.41 NPR 367

2.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.25 NPR 797

$7.61 NPR 1,156

-31.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.21 NPR 336

$2.20 NPR 334

0.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 NPR 443

$2.99 NPR 454

-2.34%

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)

$1.81 NPR 275

$1.74 NPR 264

4.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.19 NPR 181

$1.14 NPR 173

4.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.21 NPR 488

$3.33 NPR 506

-3.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.39 NPR 212

$1.41 NPR 214

-1.42%

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

$29.1K NPR 4.4M

$29.8K NPR 4.5M

-2.48%

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)

$31.49 NPR 4,784

$31.62 NPR 4,805

-0.41%

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

$3.42 NPR 520

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.30 NPR 1,413

$8.97 NPR 1,363

3.68%

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)

$67.2 NPR 10.2K

$66.1 NPR 10.0K

1.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,498 NPR 835.3K

$5,484 NPR 833.3K

0.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$25.08 NPR 3,811

$24.88 NPR 3,780

0.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.13 NPR 4,122

$26.17 NPR 3,976

3.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$63.4 NPR 9,625

$63.0 NPR 9,573

0.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$28.38 NPR 4,312

$28.83 NPR 4,381

-1.56%

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)

$1,051 NPR 159.8K

$2,296 NPR 348.8K

-54.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,240 NPR 188.5K

$1,340 NPR 203.6K

-7.45%

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 Waling: October 11, 2026

Last update for Kathmandu: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Waling

$120 36.8%

Kathmandu

$145 29.8% 20.9% $25

Eating Out

Waling

$83 25.6%

Kathmandu

$83 17% 0.9% $0.8

Clothing & Footwear

Waling

$65 19.9%

Kathmandu

$64 13.3% 0.7% $0.5

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Waling

$44 13.6%

Kathmandu

$44 9.1% 0.5% $0.2

Getting Around

Waling

$7.8 * 2.4%

Kathmandu

$18 3.7% 133% $10

Sport & Entertainment

Waling

$5.8 * 1.8%

Kathmandu

$28 5.8% 384% $22

Accommodation & Living

Waling

- * 0%

Kathmandu

$104 21.4%

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

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $20.00 in Waling vs $20.00 in Kathmandu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $120 vs $145 per month, with Waling cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇳🇵 Waling

🇳🇵 Kathmandu

🕒 Local time

08:35 8:35 AM

Same time as Waling

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

21,867

975,000 Capital

💱 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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Between locations

Waling Kathmandu 160 km

From you

Waling
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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

Waling vs Kathmandu: 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 $488 in Waling and $728 in Kathmandu 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 $325 per month in Waling versus $485 in Kathmandu – 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, Waling and Kathmandu 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.