Cost of living in Nepal

Compare the cost of your home country to the actual living costs in Nepal, simply select your home currency and see the difference!

All data is kept up to date by local members and actual students. Our latest update was on: 30th of June 2020

Please help us improve this list by submitting your Feedback on your right!

Food			Price in ₨
12 eggs dozen, large			12.50 NPR
1 beer pint in local shops, markets			7 NPR
1 kg of tomatoes			8.50 NPR
Full chicken 2kg			38.75 NPR
1litre 100% fruit juice			8.50 NPR
1 package of cigarettes imported brands			25 NPR
1 kg (2 lb.) of apples			7.50 NPR
1 bottle of red table wine, good quality			48.95 NPR
2.5 liters of Coca-Cola			0.95 NPR
1 Bread loaf standard			9.50 NPR
Whole fat Yogurt. 500ml			12 NPR
1x6 pack Dardanelle tuna			18.50 NPR
Heinz baked beans 1 tin			8 NPR
1.5 kg Sugar			10 NPR
2 liter cooking oil			20 NPR
Yum-yum noodles per pack			2.00 NPR
1 kg (2 lb.) of potatoes			5.50 NPR
1 liter milk			8.50 NPR
Fast food restaurant large serving/ take away			25 NPR
Housing
Utilities per month (water, electricity, gas) for 2 people in flat			165 NPR
Wi-Fi monthly fee 8 Mbps (1 month)			145 NPR
Laundry detergent (bleach, sunlight liquid, washing surf… altogether)			58.50 NPR
House Cleaning fee per day			105 NPR
Large Gas heater price range upwards.			200 NPR
Original branded Electric Fans			200 NPR
Original branded Electric kettle.			120 NPR
40 inches Beko flat screen HD TV set			2000 NPR
Single bed Blankets			120 NPR
Personal Care
Avon for women and men cologne			100 NPR
Ladies hair plaiting.			60 NPR
Ladies Sanitaryware (Pads and Tampoons)			18 NPR
Men's haircut			40 NPR
Ibuprofen, Panadol, Grandpa Pain killers box of 12 dosses			24.50 NPR
Mobile package local network providers’ talk-time, data and messages			65 NPR
1 month of gym subscription.			105 NPR
Earphones original (Samsung. iPhone)			90 NPR
Unisex Loris perfume			30 NPR
Gadgets maintenance and repairs (cellphone, laptops, tablets...) starting price.			100 NPR
Smart phones (Samsung, Xiaomi, HTC, IPhone) price range upwards			1000 NPR
Laptops (Samsung, Lenovo, Hp, Monster, Dell etc.) price range upwards			3000 NPR
Entertainment
Boat cruise with refreshments and finger snacks			120 NPR
Go carting 30mins			120 NPR
Movie House 3d cinema			30 NPR
Summer Festivals (jet, bumper cars, lucky deep ...(per ticket)			15 NPR
Photo shoot			120 NPR
Cappuccino / expresso/ coffee			12.50 NPR
3 course dinner local restaurant two people			96.50 NPR
3 course dinner classy, exotic restaurant two people			150 NPR
Play station 4 console without games.			2000 NPR
Spalding Basketball			200 NPR
Original branded Racket and Wilson’s tennis balls			500 NPR
Transportation
Taxi fare on average 5-10km			45 NPR
Public transport per trip one way maximum fare			30 NPR
1 liter petrol/diesel			6.50 NPR
1 day rent a car cost			140 NPR
Driver’s license			2300 NPR
Clothes
1 pair of jeans (Denim or similar)			150 NPR
1 pair of men’s formal shoes			215 NPR
1 pair original sport/casual shoes (Nike, Adidas, or equivalent brands)			280 NPR
1 classy summer dress (Zara, H&M or similar retailers)			135.79 NPR
Ladies formal shoes original and durable			120 NPR
Back-pack, gym bag (Nike, Adidas, New balance)			150 NPR

We can plan it all but without a clear picture of our daily expenditure, our travel plans an oftentimes rendered fruitless in the end.

We wish your preparations to study in Nepal be as smooth as possible and therefore have dedicated this piece to enlighten you on the cost of living in Nepal, thus eliminating the later burden thereof! Stay free from uncertainty by going through this guide and plan well your journey with RocApply Nepal!!

Nepal is overall a poor country that relies and depends on tourism for national revenue, yet it’s still filled with friendly and resilient people who you can easily be friends with and acquire a lot from.

The Standard of living is quite low in the country, and the style of life rather simple, compared to other neighboring regions. If coming to Nepal, lower your expectation when it comes to some things like nightlife, shopping opportunities or other similar aspects of life commonly found in other more developed countries.

Restaurants

The cost of a meal in Nepal depends on where you want to eat and if you want to be thrifty, but generally speaking, a meal in a cheap restaurant in Nepal costs around USD 2 which is rather inexpensive. For example, a meal of Nepali food at Lakeside or Thamel starts around USD 2 (and in some other areas, Dal Bhat, Momos, Chowmein it even costs less than that!). But if you go to a foreigner restaurant, expect the prices to go from around USD 5 and up.

Markets

Food in the country can either be home-grown and many people actually do that  for a living or imported through India, which causes it to be much more expensive. Buying groceries and cooking at home saves much more money than going out and eating in restaurants regularly. Most basic groceries cost less than a dollar here.

Transportation

Transportation is a huge issue in Nepal. The roads are winding and long, risky and boring, and public transport is very badly organized, though very cheap. For example, a one-way ticket to anywhere costs only USD 0.20 while a monthly pass costs as little as USD 8. This is a rather low price for foreigners. Taxi starting tariff costs less than USD 2.

Utilities

In Nepal, you should get used to power cuts that last around twelve hours a day. There’s a general lack of basic utilities like electricity, water, power, communication, etc. even in the big cities including the capital. They are, hence, very cheap: all basic utilities, including electricity, heating, cooling, and water, for a larger apartment of about 85 square meters, amount to a little bit over USD 30.

Clothing and shoes

Shopping in Nepal is quite affordable. You can buy a pair of quality jeans for as low a price as USD 26, while you can buy other types of light clothing like shirts and dresses in known chain stores for around USD 30, which is unusual, as in most countries jeans cost much more than shirts and dresses. Of course, sneakers and shoes of known brands like Nike remain more expensive, costing almost USD 50.

Rent per month

When it comes to renting an apartment, it is noticeably one of the cheapest than in most countries of the world. Of course, it does depend on the neighborhood where you want to stays, but regardless of the area, it is noticeably cheap to rent an apartment anywhere in the country. An apartment in the center of one of the cities costs USD 140 a month.

Health Care

Most institutions here will require the student to have their personal or private health insurance valid over the study period. However, do not fret, RocApply helps you identify which aids can be undertaken in Nepal during your course of study without hassles! In general, the cost to consult a private doctor will cost about USD 40 in Nepal, although this depends on the clinic and location.

Monthly Budget

Those interested in simple living should budget between USD 400 or less monthly. Generally, this budget allows for bus rides and the occasional taxi, big trips to the marketplace, and a few restaurant meals each month. While you can choose to live in relative luxury, employing full-time housekeepers, commuting by car, enjoying exquisite homes, and consuming imported goods such as lifestyles can easily amount to USD 600 or more monthly.