Kathmandu at a glance
- Kathmandu ranks 2nd of 3 priced cities in Nepal on cost: $259 a month in essentials, 58% above Butwal, the cheapest.
- The average net salary of $273 covers that 1.1×.
- 97.4 men per 100 women aged 20–39, measured at local level level.
- PM2.5 averages 32.5 µg/m³ a year, 6× 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 Kathmandu 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 | $259 | $259 | same |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent, 1-bed outside centremonthly, USD | $98 | $85 | $13 |
| Rent, 1-bed city centremonthly, USD | $207 | $126 | 1.64× as much |
| Groceriesmonthly, one person | $55 | $55 | same |
| Dining outmonthly, one person | $59 | $59 | same |
| Utilitiesmonthly: power, water, heating, internet | $39 | $39 | same |
| Local transportmonthly pass or fare equivalent | $8 | $8 | same |
| Average net salarymonthly, after tax; average, not median | $273 | $180 | 1.52× as much |
| Rent, 3-bed outside centremonthly, USD | $189 | $159 | $30 |
| Rent, 3-bed city centremonthly, USD | $404 | $240 | 1.68× as much |
Single person, USD. Data updated August 6, 2026.
Everyday prices
What single items cost in Kathmandu, 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 | $7.19 | $6.53 | $0.66 |
| Cappuccino, regular | $1.57 | $1.31 | $0.26 |
| Domestic beer, 0.5 L draught | $3.27 | $2.48 | 1.32× as much |
| Imported beer, 0.33 L bottle | $3.27 | $3.27 | same |
| Coke/Pepsi, 0.33 L | $0.59 | $0.56 | $0.03 |
| Water, 0.33 L bottle | $0.16 | $0.15 | $0.01 |
Groceries
| Milk, 1 L | $0.74 | $0.74 | same |
|---|---|---|---|
| White bread, 500 g | $0.60 | $0.60 | same |
| White rice, 1 kg | $0.90 | $0.73 | $0.17 |
| Eggs, 12 | $1.63 | $1.48 | $0.15 |
| 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 | $1.04 | $1.04 | same |
| 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 | $0.20 | $0.20 | same |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly transit pass | $9.80 | $9.80 | same |
| Taxi start | $1.96 | $1.63 | $0.33 |
| Taxi, 1 km | $1.18 | $1.14 | $0.04 |
| Gasoline, 1 L | $1.30 | $1.18 | $0.12 |
| Basic utilities, 85 m² flat | $31.64 | $31.64 | same |
| Internet, 60 Mbps+ | $7.61 | $7.61 | same |
| Mobile plan, monthly | $3.41 | $3.41 | same |
Leisure
| Gym, monthly | $21.57 | $19.60 | $1.97 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cinema, one seat | $2.94 | $2.78 | $0.16 |
Dating-age sex ratio
Kathmandu has 97.4 men per 100 women aged 20–39 (local level level). That is the 2nd-highest of 8 Nepal cities we track. Nepal's national figure is 83.8, so Kathmandu runs 14 above the country as a whole.
A supply figure, 20–39. The dating-pool model is in Pro.
How Kathmandu ranks against every city we track
Kathmandu sits ahead of 98% of the 542 cities we track on cost of living. On city-centre rent it is ahead of 93% of 553. Its weakest measure is clean air, ahead of only 6% of 898.
Longer is better on every row: bar length is where Kathmandu sits among all the cities carrying that measure, which is why the count differs by row.
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Photo: Gerd Eichmann, CC BY-SA 4.0.
