Photo: Vyacheslav Argenberg · CC BY 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
🇳🇵 Nepal
Katmandú
The gateway to the Himalayas: temples, mountains and one of Asia's lowest costs, with basic infrastructure.
Score breakdown
Cost of living
10.0Among the world's cheapest
Weight 25%
Internet & work
5.0Fibre with outages
Weight 15%
Safety
7.0Safe, chaotic traffic
Weight 15%
Nomad community
5.0Small, passing trekkers
Weight 15%
Weather
7.0Perfect autumn and spring
Weight 10%
Paperwork & visa
7.0Flexible tourist visa
Weight 20%
What it really costs
Prices checked on the ground by Zabelers. Each line shows when it was last verified.
Room
200 €
Boudha, Sep 2026
facebook groups · https://www.facebook.com/groups/expatsinkathmandu
Coffee
2 €
Thamel, Sep 2026
comprobado · https://www.numbeo.com
Where to live
Thamel
150–350 €Good for: Touristy, everything at hand
The catch: Noise and vendors
Boudha
150–300 €Good for: Quiet by the stupa
The catch: Far from the centre
Patan
180–350 €Good for: Historic and local, great food
The catch: Fewer services for foreigners
Where to work
Coworkings
- Work Around100 €/mes
The city's most reliable
Cafés with wifi
- Himalayan Java2 €
The benchmark local chain
Time zone: NPT (UTC+5:45)
What living here is really like
Editorial synthesis of public experiences
What residents say
- Best part:
- Nomads who choose Kathmandu describe an intense, dirt-cheap experience: living culture, mountains in sight and kind people. They criticise power and internet cuts, winter valley pollution and exhausting traffic.
- Worst part:
- Ideal for minimal budgets and Himalaya lovers
Sources: Nepal Immigration · Numbeo
Day to day
- Internet
- 20–60 Mbps fibre with occasional outages; 4G backup
- Safety
- Generally safe; watch for tourist scams and traffic
- Healthcare
- Basic private care at CIWEC and Norvic; evacuation recommended for serious issues
- SIM / eSIM
- Ncell or NTC: €5–10/mo with lots of data
- Best season
- October–November and March–April
- Community
- Small nomad community and many passing trekkers
Living here legally
Tax
No tax residence on tourist visa
Flights & connections
Kathmandu (KTM): connections to India, Gulf and Southeast Asia
Lisbon vs. similar cities
| City | Zabel score | Monthly budget | In short |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chiang Mai | 8.6 | 900–1.300 € | Better internet and community |
| Colombo | 6.9 | 900–1.300 € | More chaotic, similar price |
Transparency
Last checked: 2026-09-25
Official sources
Prices are checked against the dated sources shown. Editorial experience summaries cite their public sources; verified Zabeler accounts are identified separately. Official procedures always take precedence.