Popular cities
Kathmandu vs Mumbai cost of living 2026
Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money ยท Updated October 2026
๐ณ๐ต Kathmandu
๐ฎ๐ณ Mumbai
At a glance
- Where Mumbai is clearly cheaper: Convenience store (55%โ), Street food (46%โ), Tuk-tuk / moto taxi (41%โ)
- Where Kathmandu is clearly cheaper: Studio rent (month) (64%โ), Restaurant dinner (38%โ), Cocktail & wine (38%โ)
By category
Salary equivalence
Travel difficulty
Mumbai is easier to travel (2.4 vs 3.2). Biggest gap: rip-offs & haggling โ Kathmandu 4 vs Mumbai 3. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
Item by item
| Item | Kathmandu | Mumbai | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | Rs 300$2.22 | โน 250$2.98 | Kathmandu โ25% |
| Street food1 item | Rs 150$1.11 | โน 50$0.6 | Mumbai โ46% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | Rs 1,000$7.41 | โน 1,000$11.9 | Kathmandu โ38% |
| Coffeeone cup | Rs 250$1.85 | โน 230$2.74 | Kathmandu โ32% |
| Beerone bottle | Rs 450$3.33 | โน 300$3.57 | Kathmandu โ7% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | Rs 800$5.93 | โน 800$9.52 | Kathmandu โ38% |
| Bottled water | Rs 25$0.19 | โน 10$0.12 | Mumbai โ36% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | Rs 80$0.59 | โน 22$0.27 | Mumbai โ55% |
| Taxi5 km in town | Rs 350$2.59 | โน 170$2.02 | Mumbai โ22% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | Rs 150$1.11 | โน 55$0.65 | Mumbai โ41% |
| Transitone ride | Rs 30$0.22 | โน 20$0.24 | Kathmandu โ7% |
| Scooter rentalper day | Rs 1,200$8.89 | โน 700$8.33 | Mumbai โ6% |
| Hotel night3-star | Rs 5,000$37 | โน 4,500$53.6 | Kathmandu โ31% |
| Studio rent (month) | Rs 20,000$148 | โน 35,000$417 | Kathmandu โ64% |
| Laundry | Rs 200$1.48 | โน 100$1.19 | Mumbai โ20% |
| SIM card1 week data | Rs 700$5.19 | โน 350$4.17 | Mumbai โ20% |
| Haircutcut | Rs 350$2.59 | โน 200$2.38 | Mumbai โ8% |
| Massage1 hour | Rs 2,000$14.8 | โน 1,500$17.9 | Kathmandu โ17% |
| Half-day tourper person | Rs 3,000$22.2 | โน 1,500$17.9 | Mumbai โ20% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | Rs 1,000$7.41 | โน 600$7.14 | similar |
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, Kathmandu or Mumbai?
Kathmandu is 40% cheaper than Mumbai. Daily budget $62.5 vs $86.9; a month $749 vs $1,465.
Which is easier to travel, Kathmandu or Mumbai?
Mumbai is easier: Mumbai 2.4/5 vs Kathmandu 3.2/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between Kathmandu and Mumbai?
With a short-term studio and living costs, Kathmandu is about $749 and Mumbai about $1,465 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.