Butwal at a glance
- Butwal is the cheapest of Nepal's 3 priced cities: $164 a month in essentials, 46% below Pokhara at $304.
- The average net salary of $122 covers that 0.7×.
- 79.7 men per 100 women aged 20–39, measured at local level level.
- PM2.5 averages 41.3 µg/m³ a year, 8× the WHO guideline of 5.
Green is the better side of each figure. Every line is computed from the tables below.
Monthly cost breakdown
Rent outside centre plus utilities, groceries, dining and local transport make up the essentials figure. Not a full lifestyle budget. The middle column is the median across the 3 Nepal cities we track, so every row says whether Butwal is the cheap side of its own market or the dear one. Green is the better side of each row.
| Essentials, monthlyrent outside centre + bills + food + transit | $164 | $259 | 1.58× as much |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent, 1-bed outside centremonthly, USD | $28 | $85 | 3.04× as much |
| Rent, 1-bed city centremonthly, USD | $46 | $126 | 2.74× as much |
| Groceriesmonthly, one person | $50 | $55 | $5 |
| Dining outmonthly, one person | $59 | $59 | same |
| Utilitiesmonthly: power, water, heating, internet | $21 | $39 | 1.86× as much |
| Local transportmonthly pass or fare equivalent | $6 | $8 | 1.33× as much |
| Average net salarymonthly, after tax; average, not median | $122 | $180 | 1.47× as much |
| Rent, 3-bed outside centremonthly, USD | $101 | $159 | 1.57× as much |
| Rent, 3-bed city centremonthly, USD | $131 | $240 | 1.83× as much |
Single person, USD. Data updated August 6, 2026.
Everyday prices
What single items cost in Butwal, in USD. The monthly figures above are built from these. Cheaper side of each row in green.
Eating out
| Meal, inexpensive restaurant | $1.96 | $1.96 | same |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meal for 2, mid-range, three courses | $19.60 | $19.60 | same |
| McMeal at McDonald's | $6.53 | $6.53 | same |
| Cappuccino, regular | $1.31 | $1.31 | same |
| Domestic beer, 0.5 L draught | $2.45 | $2.48 | $0.03 |
| Imported beer, 0.33 L bottle | $1.80 | $3.27 | 1.82× as much |
| Coke/Pepsi, 0.33 L | $0.56 | $0.56 | same |
| Water, 0.33 L bottle | $0.11 | $0.15 | 1.36× as much |
Groceries
| Milk, 1 L | $0.65 | $0.74 | $0.09 |
|---|---|---|---|
| White bread, 500 g | $0.46 | $0.60 | 1.30× as much |
| White rice, 1 kg | $0.73 | $0.73 | same |
| Eggs, 12 | $1.31 | $1.48 | $0.17 |
| Local cheese, 1 kg | $6.32 | $6.32 | same |
| Chicken fillets, 1 kg | $3.07 | $3.07 | same |
| Apples, 1 kg | $2.04 | $2.04 | same |
| Bananas, 1 kg | $0.81 | $1.04 | 1.28× as much |
| Tomatoes, 1 kg | $0.57 | $0.57 | same |
| Potatoes, 1 kg | $0.41 | $0.41 | same |
| Onions, 1 kg | $0.56 | $0.56 | same |
| Water, 1.5 L bottle | $0.23 | $0.23 | same |
Transport & bills
| One-way ticket, local transport | $0.16 | $0.20 | 1.25× as much |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly transit pass | $8.17 | $9.80 | $1.63 |
| Taxi start | $1.63 | $1.63 | same |
| Taxi, 1 km | $1.14 | $1.14 | same |
| Gasoline, 1 L | $1.12 | $1.18 | $0.06 |
| Basic utilities, 85 m² flat | $13.07 | $31.64 | 2.42× as much |
| Internet, 60 Mbps+ | $7.61 | $7.61 | same |
| Mobile plan, monthly | $3.41 | $3.41 | same |
Leisure
| Gym, monthly | $13.07 | $19.60 | 1.50× as much |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cinema, one seat | $2.78 | $2.78 | same |
Dating-age sex ratio
Butwal has 79.7 men per 100 women aged 20–39 (local level level). That is the 6th-highest of 8 Nepal cities we track. Nepal's national figure is 83.8, so Butwal runs 4 below the country as a whole.
A supply figure, 20–39. The dating-pool model is in Pro.
How Butwal ranks against every city we track
Butwal sits ahead of 100% of the 542 cities we track on cost of living. On city-centre rent it is ahead of 100% of 553. Its weakest measure is local salary, ahead of only 1% of 545.
Longer is better on every row: bar length is where Butwal sits among all the cities carrying that measure, which is why the count differs by row.
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Photo: Mithunkunwar9, CC BY-SA 4.0.
