Seoul vs Kathmandu Cost of Living

Seoul (South Korea) · Overall index 53.3Kathmandu (Nepal) · Overall index 19.7

Summary

  • Overall, Kathmandu is 63% cheaper than Seoul.
  • Rent in Kathmandu is 75% cheaper than in Seoul.
  • Transport in Kathmandu is 66% cheaper than in Seoul.
ItemSeoulKathmanduDiff
Rent-75%
1-bedroom apartment, city centre (monthly)$1,128$337-70%
1-bedroom apartment, outside centre (monthly)$885$227-74%
3-bedroom apartment, city centre (monthly)$2,631$549-79%
3-bedroom apartment, outside centre (monthly)$1,576$390-75%
Groceries-60%
Milk (1L)$0.97$0.41-58%
White bread (500g)$3.03$1.06-65%
Rice (1kg)$3.33$1.36-59%
Eggs (12)$3.32$1.46-56%
Local cheese (1kg)$9.47$4.18-56%
Chicken fillets (1kg)$8.39$3.96-53%
Beef round (1kg)$14.8$4.88-67%
Apples (1kg)$4.15$1.41-66%
Bananas (1kg)$1.53$0.59-61%
Oranges (1kg)$3.36$1.35-60%
Tomatoes (1kg)$3.73$1.53-59%
Potatoes (1kg)$2.22$0.82-63%
Onions (1kg)$1.86$0.74-60%
Lettuce (1 head)$1.71$0.76-56%
Water (1.5L bottle)$1.67$0.74-56%
Bottle of wine (mid-range)$11.7$4.27-64%
Transport-66%
Public transport, one-way ticket$1.68$0.55-67%
Public transport, monthly pass$68.9$27.6-60%
Taxi, base fare$2.76$0.88-68%
Taxi, per km$1.34$0.4-70%
Gasoline (1L)$0.53$0.22-58%
New compact car (e.g., VW Golf)$18,844$5,793-69%
Dining out-66%
Meal, inexpensive restaurant$14.8$5.27-64%
Meal for 2, mid-range restaurant (3 courses)$84.8$26.2-69%
Fast food combo meal$7.96$2.65-67%
Cappuccino$3.11$1.14-63%
Coke/Pepsi (0.33L, restaurant)$1.89$0.63-67%
Domestic beer (0.5L, restaurant)$4.53$1.46-68%
Imported beer (0.33L, restaurant)$5.53$2-64%
Water (0.33L, restaurant)$1.43$0.49-66%
Telecom-51%
Mobile plan, calls + 10GB+ data (monthly)$45.1$21.1-53%
Broadband internet 60Mbps+ (monthly)$47.3$23.7-50%
Prepaid mobile tariff (1 min)$0.22$0.11-50%
Video streaming subscription (monthly)$11.3$5.46-52%
Utilities & household-59%
Basic utilities, 85m² apartment (monthly)$130$52.8-59%
Electricity (1 kWh)$0.16$0.06-62%
Tap water (1m³)$3.13$1.45-54%
Natural gas (1m³)$1.03$0.43-58%
Waste collection (monthly)$15.9$6.03-62%
Fitness club (monthly)$60.9$24.1-60%
Cinema ticket (1 seat)$9.46$4.8-49%
Men's haircut$22.9$9.08-60%
Domestic cleaning (1 hour)$16.6$6.48-61%
Private kindergarten (monthly)$1,561$551-65%

2,952 total data points · Price data as of 2026-07-01 · Exchange rates as of 2026-07-15

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