Cost of Living in Nepal - Updated Prices & Insights

Solo nomad: Estimated monthly costs are $339 (excluding rent), and $448 including rent.
Family of 3: Estimated monthly costs are $809 (excluding rent), and $1,004 including rent.
Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Cost
Range
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$1.87 NPR 275
$1.12 NPR 165
$3.73 NPR 550
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$18.15 NPR 2,675
$10.89 NPR 1,605
$39.94 NPR 5,887
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.22 NPR 1,064
$5.78 NPR 852
$8.67 NPR 1,277
Cappuccino
$1.66 NPR 245
$0.75 NPR 110
$3.17 NPR 467
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.52 NPR 76.5
$0.37 NPR 55.1
$0.90 NPR 133
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.17 NPR 25.25
$0.15 NPR 22.28
$0.29 NPR 43.07
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.25 NPR 331
$1.45 NPR 214
$4.35 NPR 640
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.25 NPR 479
$2.16 NPR 318
$5.05 NPR 744
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Cost
Range
Milk (1 liter)
$0.72 NPR 106
$0.56 NPR 82.2
$0.98 NPR 144
White Bread (500g)
$0.51 NPR 75.0
$0.30 NPR 44.38
$0.83 NPR 122
Rice (white) (1kg)
$0.84 NPR 123
$0.50 NPR 73.2
$1.42 NPR 210
Eggs
$1.60 NPR 236
$1.15 NPR 170
$2.65 NPR 391
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.62 NPR 1,123
$2.90 NPR 428
$15.98 NPR 2,355
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.19 NPR 470
$2.22 NPR 327
$5.19 NPR 765
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$5.82 NPR 857
$2.84 NPR 419
$10.71 NPR 1,578
Apples (1kg)
$2.28 NPR 336
$1.42 NPR 209
$2.98 NPR 440
Banana (1kg)
$1.00 NPR 147
$0.72 NPR 106
$1.59 NPR 235
Oranges (1kg)
$1.19 NPR 175
$0.59 NPR 87.0
$2.15 NPR 316
Tomato (1kg)
$0.60 NPR 89.0
$0.28 NPR 41.62
$1.06 NPR 156
Potato (1kg)
$0.43 NPR 63.8
$0.23 NPR 33.41
$0.75 NPR 111
Onion (1kg)
$0.66 NPR 97.9
$0.37 NPR 55.1
$1.13 NPR 167
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.45 NPR 65.7
$0.17 NPR 25.72
$0.78 NPR 114
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.25 NPR 36.59
$0.17 NPR 25.33
$0.34 NPR 50.7
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.83 NPR 417
$2.12 NPR 313
$3.54 NPR 522
Wine (Bottle)
$6.65 NPR 980
$3.33 NPR 491
$13.30 NPR 1,960
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.36 NPR 348
$1.50 NPR 221
$3.74 NPR 551
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.18 NPR 469
$1.77 NPR 261
$4.61 NPR 679
🚌 Getting Around
Cost
Range
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.21 NPR 30.82
$0.17 NPR 25.21
$0.34 NPR 50.4
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$11.00 NPR 1,621
$3.67 NPR 540
$22.01 NPR 3,244
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.13 NPR 314
$1.07 NPR 157
$3.56 NPR 525
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.04 NPR 153
$0.38 NPR 55.6
$1.88 NPR 276
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$3.66 NPR 540
$2.19 NPR 323
$7.32 NPR 1,079
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.29 NPR 190
$1.19 NPR 176
$1.34 NPR 197
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.1K NPR 4.9M
$25.8K NPR 3.8M
$35.0K NPR 5.2M
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$40.3K NPR 5.9M
$32.4K NPR 4.8M
$50.4K NPR 7.4M
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cost
Range
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$34.23 NPR 5,044
$14.82 NPR 2,183
$74.1 NPR 10.9K
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$4.76 NPR 702
$2.48 NPR 365
$7.07 NPR 1,042
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$9.28 NPR 1,368
$6.56 NPR 967
$13.13 NPR 1,935
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Cost
Range
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$19.27 NPR 2,840
$10.93 NPR 1,611
$36.45 NPR 5,372
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$6.98 NPR 1,029
$3.57 NPR 527
$10.72 NPR 1,581
Cinema Ticket
$3.18 NPR 469
$2.25 NPR 331
$4.50 NPR 663
🧸 Childcare & Education
Cost
Range
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$63.2 NPR 9,320
$25.23 NPR 3,718
$180 NPR 26.6K
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$2,721 NPR 401.0K
$1,098 NPR 161.8K
$8,786 NPR 1.3M
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Cost
Range
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$24.08 NPR 3,549
$10.95 NPR 1,614
$43.82 NPR 6,458
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$28.48 NPR 4,197
$10.81 NPR 1,593
$64.9 NPR 9,563
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$49.32 NPR 7,268
$22.18 NPR 3,269
$88.7 NPR 13.1K
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$33.00 NPR 4,863
$14.35 NPR 2,115
$57.4 NPR 8,463
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Cost
Range
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$143 NPR 21.1K
$57.8 NPR 8,513
$289 NPR 42.6K
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$77.0 NPR 11.4K
$29.32 NPR 4,321
$147 NPR 21.6K
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$280 NPR 41.3K
$148 NPR 21.8K
$591 NPR 87.1K
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$162 NPR 23.8K
$89.1 NPR 13.1K
$371 NPR 54.7K
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,244 NPR 330.6K
$1,009 NPR 148.7K
$3,362 NPR 495.5K
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,221 NPR 180.0K
$517 NPR 76.1K
$2,411 NPR 355.3K
💵 Salaries & Financials
Cost
Range
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$204 NPR 30.0K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
12.22
8
15

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

Last update: February 28, 2026

By City in Nepal
Lowest
Highest
Rank
City
Population
Living Index
Solo costs (no rent) / month
Solo costs (with rent) / month
Family of 3 costs (no rent) / month
Family of 3 costs (with rent) / month
Mobile download speed (Mbps)
Internet download speed (Mbps)
1
29360
22 $391 $450 $814 $991
48.74
39.65
2
-
22 $384 $447 $845 $990
249.74
89.71
3
-
20 $294 $407 $826 $933
128.34
44.15
4
-
20 $258 $388 $683 $884
38.52
89.8
5
369268
20 $341 $400 $653 $926
98.79
69.99
6
104444
20 $311 $396 $816 $903
165.93
50.33
7
166674
19 $256 $374 $818 $870
177.54
105.41
8
47914
20 $323 $394 $758 $923
289.7
56.58
9
135904
19 $339 $370 $672 $845
106.92
70.89
10
-
20 $333 $403 $788 $953
80.91
46.8
11
-
18 $281 $365 $827 $889
109.09
57.19
12
-
20 $344 $406 $688 $912
265.46
65.58
13
-
20 $324 $393 $683 $922
-
-
14
102000
20 $294 $412 $756 $910
77.18
52.94
15
-
17 $272 $342 $727 $771
167.87
100.47
16
-
20 $280 $407 $751 $906
146.58
83.44
17
-
20 $273 $401 $835 $922
149.05
51.58
18
-
20 $300 $395 $647 $938
144.99
36.53
19
-
18 $338 $367 $641 $806
17.06
79.67
20
-
18 $282 $360 $765 $948
30.78
53.12
21
-
15 $280 $302 $611 $718
-
-
22
975000
25 $366 $495 $849 $1,091
163.76
123.4
23
-
18 $262 $369 $597 $844
36.86
68.18
24
65602
22 $344 $439 $901 $997
48.19
111.35
25
254000
21 $356 $409 $677 $1,104
149.85
107.03
26
-
21 $319 $410 $763 $917
-
-
27
72503
20 $326 $398 $714 $936
36.78
52.63
28
500000
24 $350 $479 $807 $1,023
223.45
67.7
29
63483
20 $299 $408 $595 $848
132.04
92.71
30
-
22 $347 $440 $754 $1,020
87.41
58.13
31
-
20 $310 $396 $862 $908
27.72
49.66
32
-
21 $280 $426 $872 $944
188.91
48.78
Nepal Median Internet Speeds (Updated January 2026)

Mobile

Download
Mbps
Upload
Mbps
Latency
ms

Fixed Broadband

Download
Mbps
Upload
Mbps
Latency
ms
The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.
Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index
Cost of Living in Nepal - Frequently Asked Questions
How does Nepal compare in terms of overall affordability for travelers, expats, and digital nomads?
Many find Nepal surprisingly affordable for daily life, especially outside the bustle of major tourist corridors. Fresh produce from markets, street food, and simple meals keep costs low, while guesthouses and long-term stays can offer excellent value away from city centers. Transportation remains wallet-friendly when you use local buses or scooters, while Western-style amenities in tourist pockets can raise costs. Cost of Living in Nepal can feel very favorable when you adopt a simple, locally sourced routine and negotiate longer-term housing. The trade-off is that pace, reliability, and access to Western comforts vary by region. Tip: Map out a few neighborhoods first and try a short stay to calibrate your budget.
What does day-to-day life look like for housing search, food options, transport, and errands?
Begin with a slow neighborhood scout: central tourist pockets in Kathmandu or Pokhara tend to be pricier than quieter residential wards or smaller towns. For housing, try guesthouses, homestays, or shared flats with monthly rates rather than nightly bookings, and confirm included utilities. Food options span from street stalls to family-run eateries; cooking at home drastically trims costs, while occasional splurges on a favorited cafe are doable with a plan. Transit is budget-friendly – local buses, tempo services, or bicycles – and getting errands done with a mobile SIM and offline maps helps. Nepal living cost varies by region, so plan how you move and where you shop. Tip: Plan a flexible schedule to accommodate local transport and market days.
How can you maximize quality of life on a traveler or expat budget, and what seasonal or neighborhood factors should you consider?
Adopt a simple budgeting framework: allocate for housing, meals, transport, and activities with a 20–30% buffer for surprises. Seasonality matters: spring and autumn offer milder weather and better rates in many areas, while monsoon months bring travel delays but lush landscapes. Neighborhood fit depends on your work and social rhythm: a quieter suburb minimizes rental costs and noise, while a lively area offers easier social life and coworking. Build a local network for recommendations on markets, clinics, and safe routes. Tip: use seasonal price drops to lock in longer stays and negotiate monthly rents when possible.

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