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Kathmandu vs Pune 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 Pune
At a glance
- Where Pune is clearly cheaper: Tuk-tuk / moto taxi (52%โ), Entry ticket (52%โ), Scooter rental (46%โ)
- Where Kathmandu is clearly cheaper: Studio rent (month) (31%โ), Cocktail & wine (17%โ), Restaurant dinner (17%โ)
By category
Salary equivalence
Travel difficulty
Pune is easier to travel (2.2 vs 3.2). Biggest gap: rip-offs & haggling โ Kathmandu 4 vs Pune 2. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
Item by item
| Item | Kathmandu | Pune | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | Rs 300$2.22 | โน 200$2.38 | Kathmandu โ7% |
| Street food1 item | Rs 150$1.11 | โน 60$0.71 | Pune โ36% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | Rs 1,000$7.41 | โน 750$8.93 | Kathmandu โ17% |
| Coffeeone cup | Rs 250$1.85 | โน 180$2.14 | Kathmandu โ14% |
| Beerone bottle | Rs 450$3.33 | โน 250$2.98 | Pune โ11% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | Rs 800$5.93 | โน 600$7.14 | Kathmandu โ17% |
| Bottled water | Rs 25$0.19 | โน 15$0.18 | similar |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | Rs 80$0.59 | โน 40$0.48 | Pune โ20% |
| Taxi5 km in town | Rs 350$2.59 | โน 150$1.79 | Pune โ31% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | Rs 150$1.11 | โน 45$0.54 | Pune โ52% |
| Transitone ride | Rs 30$0.22 | โน 20$0.24 | Kathmandu โ7% |
| Scooter rentalper day | Rs 1,200$8.89 | โน 400$4.76 | Pune โ46% |
| Hotel night3-star | Rs 5,000$37 | โน 3,000$35.7 | similar |
| Studio rent (month) | Rs 20,000$148 | โน 18,000$214 | Kathmandu โ31% |
| Laundry | Rs 200$1.48 | โน 80$0.95 | Pune โ36% |
| SIM card1 week data | Rs 700$5.19 | โน 350$4.17 | Pune โ20% |
| Haircutcut | Rs 350$2.59 | โน 200$2.38 | Pune โ8% |
| Massage1 hour | Rs 2,000$14.8 | โน 1,200$14.3 | similar |
| Half-day tourper person | Rs 3,000$22.2 | โน 1,200$14.3 | Pune โ36% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | Rs 1,000$7.41 | โน 300$3.57 | Pune โ52% |
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 Pune?
Kathmandu is 9% cheaper than Pune. Daily budget $62.5 vs $61.8; a month $749 vs $904.
Which is easier to travel, Kathmandu or Pune?
Pune is easier: Pune 2.2/5 vs Kathmandu 3.2/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between Kathmandu and Pune?
With a short-term studio and living costs, Kathmandu is about $749 and Pune about $904 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.