Popular cities
Kathmandu vs Varanasi 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 Varanasi
At a glance
- Where Varanasi is clearly cheaper: Entry ticket (52%โ), Street food (46%โ), Half-day tour (46%โ)
- Where Kathmandu is clearly cheaper: SIM card (27%โ)
By category
Salary equivalence
Travel difficulty
Kathmandu is easier to travel (3.2 vs 3.6). Biggest gap: rip-offs & haggling โ Kathmandu 4 vs Varanasi 5. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
Item by item
| Item | Kathmandu | Varanasi | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | Rs 300$2.22 | โน 150$1.79 | Varanasi โ20% |
| Street food1 item | Rs 150$1.11 | โน 50$0.6 | Varanasi โ46% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | Rs 1,000$7.41 | โน 450$5.36 | Varanasi โ28% |
| Coffeeone cup | Rs 250$1.85 | โน 150$1.79 | similar |
| Beerone bottle | Rs 450$3.33 | โน 250$2.98 | Varanasi โ11% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | Rs 800$5.93 | โน 450$5.36 | Varanasi โ10% |
| Bottled water | Rs 25$0.19 | โน 10$0.12 | Varanasi โ36% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | Rs 80$0.59 | โน 30$0.36 | Varanasi โ40% |
| Taxi5 km in town | Rs 350$2.59 | โน 140$1.67 | Varanasi โ36% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | Rs 150$1.11 | โน 80$0.95 | Varanasi โ14% |
| Transitone ride | Rs 30$0.22 | โน 20$0.24 | Kathmandu โ7% |
| Scooter rentalper day | Rs 1,200$8.89 | โน 500$5.95 | Varanasi โ33% |
| Hotel night3-star | Rs 5,000$37 | โน 3,000$35.7 | similar |
| Studio rent (month) | Rs 20,000$148 | โน 9,000$107 | Varanasi โ28% |
| Laundry | Rs 200$1.48 | โน 100$1.19 | Varanasi โ20% |
| SIM card1 week data | Rs 700$5.19 | โน 600$7.14 | Kathmandu โ27% |
| Haircutcut | Rs 350$2.59 | โน 120$1.43 | Varanasi โ45% |
| Massage1 hour | Rs 2,000$14.8 | โน 1,200$14.3 | similar |
| Half-day tourper person | Rs 3,000$22.2 | โน 1,000$11.9 | Varanasi โ46% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | Rs 1,000$7.41 | โน 300$3.57 | Varanasi 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 Varanasi?
Varanasi is 14% cheaper than Kathmandu. Daily budget $62.5 vs $54.9; a month $749 vs $633.
Which is easier to travel, Kathmandu or Varanasi?
Kathmandu is easier: Kathmandu 3.2/5 vs Varanasi 3.6/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between Kathmandu and Varanasi?
With a short-term studio and living costs, Kathmandu is about $749 and Varanasi about $633 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.