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Bandung vs Kathmandu cost of living 2026
Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money ยท Updated October 2026
๐ฎ๐ฉ Bandung
๐ณ๐ต Kathmandu
At a glance
- Where Kathmandu is clearly cheaper: Studio rent (month) (31%โ), Transit (28%โ), Bottled water (25%โ)
- Where Bandung is clearly cheaper: Laundry (67%โ), Massage (46%โ), Scooter rental (41%โ)
By category
Salary equivalence
Travel difficulty
Bandung is easier to travel (2.8 vs 3.2). Biggest gap: rip-offs & haggling โ Bandung 3 vs Kathmandu 4. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
Item by item
| Item | Bandung | Kathmandu | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | Rp 30,000$1.84 | Rs 300$2.22 | Bandung โ17% |
| Street food1 item | Rp 15,000$0.92 | Rs 150$1.11 | Bandung โ17% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | Rp 120,000$7.36 | Rs 1,000$7.41 | similar |
| Coffeeone cup | Rp 35,000$2.15 | Rs 250$1.85 | Kathmandu โ14% |
| Beerone bottle | Rp 50,000$3.07 | Rs 450$3.33 | Bandung โ8% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | Rp 80,000$4.91 | Rs 800$5.93 | Bandung โ17% |
| Bottled water | Rp 4,000$0.25 | Rs 25$0.19 | Kathmandu โ25% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | Rp 7,000$0.43 | Rs 80$0.59 | Bandung โ28% |
| Taxi5 km in town | Rp 28,000$1.72 | Rs 350$2.59 | Bandung โ34% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | Rp 12,000$0.74 | Rs 150$1.11 | Bandung โ34% |
| Transitone ride | Rp 5,000$0.31 | Rs 30$0.22 | Kathmandu โ28% |
| Scooter rentalper day | Rp 85,000$5.21 | Rs 1,200$8.89 | Bandung โ41% |
| Hotel night3-star | Rp 500,000$30.7 | Rs 5,000$37 | Bandung โ17% |
| Studio rent (month) | Rp 3,500,000$215 | Rs 20,000$148 | Kathmandu โ31% |
| Laundry | Rp 8,000$0.49 | Rs 200$1.48 | Bandung โ67% |
| SIM card1 week data | Rp 75,000$4.6 | Rs 700$5.19 | Bandung โ11% |
| Haircutcut | Rp 40,000$2.45 | Rs 350$2.59 | Bandung โ5% |
| Massage1 hour | Rp 130,000$7.98 | Rs 2,000$14.8 | Bandung โ46% |
| Half-day tourper person | Rp 400,000$24.5 | Rs 3,000$22.2 | Kathmandu โ9% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | Rp 81,000$4.97 | Rs 1,000$7.41 | Bandung โ33% |
Reference prices start as estimates from published price levels; items with 3+ traveler reports use the median of real reports. Hostels and local eateries cut both by 30%+.
FAQ
Which is cheaper, Bandung or Kathmandu?
Bandung and Kathmandu cost about the same. Daily budget $53 vs $62.5; a month $859 vs $749.
Which is easier to travel, Bandung or Kathmandu?
Bandung is easier: Bandung 2.8/5 vs Kathmandu 3.2/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between Bandung and Kathmandu?
With a short-term studio and living costs, Bandung is about $859 and Kathmandu about $749 per month.
Where do the numbers come from?
They start as estimates informed by published price levels; any item with 3+ traveler reports switches to the median of real reports. Live reports are in the app.