Nepal price guide
Short answer: very cheap, if you pay what locals pay. Fair prices sit 58% below the 60-country median, while tourist prices are about 2.8× the fair price.
29 prices checked Apr – Aug 2026 13 verified, 15 estimates, and 1 rough estimate How I check
All 29 prices are also in the free app for iPhone and Android, and they work offline. Get it
About $14 or $31 a day.
The first number is what locals pay, the second what tourist spots charge for exactly the same day.
Same day, same things: the tourist version costs 2.3× as much.
Restaurant meal alone: Rs 1,900, or 40% of the tourist-trap day.
+Rs 2,672 (about $17) for the same day
| Item | Fair (Rs) | Trap (Rs) |
|---|---|---|
| Street food meal | 100 | 300 |
| Restaurant meal | 900 | 1,900 |
| Coffee (espresso) | 180 | 400 |
| Water 1.5 L | 48 | 350 |
| Local beer | 475 | 800 |
| Public transit ticket 2 rides | 75 | 300 |
| Short taxi ride about 1 km | 350 | 750 |
| Total | 2,128 | 4,800 |
Tourist-trap price compared with the fair price, using the middle of each range.
Pick what you are buying, type the price, and see where it lands.
about $6.50
Tourist-trap price
Rs 1,000 is 2.9× the middle of the fair range (Rs 300–400).
Tourists often get charged Rs 500–1,000. From Rs 500 you are paying the tourist-trap price.
In the app, every expense you log on a trip gets the same check, offline.
What 29 everyday things should cost, and what tourists often pay instead. Typical for Kathmandu, Pokhara, Chitwan, and Lumbini.
Bars run from zero to each item's top tourist-trap price.
Restaurant meal: fair is Rs 600–1,200. From Rs 1,300 you are on the tourist menu.
Bottled, convenience store
Estimate, reviewedCafe or street vendor
Estimate, reviewedDraft, at bar or restaurant
Verified ·Tourist area, main course
Verified ·Local market or stand
Verified ·Mixed drink, bar
Estimate, reviewedHouse wine, restaurant
Estimate, reviewedCafe or street stall
Estimate, reviewedAirport taxi to the center: fair is Rs 500–1,200. At Rs 1,500 or more, walk away.
Standard route
Verified ·Metered or typical fare
Verified ·Single ride
Verified ·Grab / Bolt / Uber
Estimate, reviewedFridge magnet: fair is Rs 50–150. From Rs 300 you are paying the souvenir-stall markup.
Tourist shop
Estimate, reviewedTourist shop
Verified ·Ceramics, textiles, etc.
Estimate, reviewedTourist SIM: fair is Rs 400–1,000. From Rs 1,300 it is the tourist-kiosk price.
Data package
Verified ·Pharmacy or shop
Verified ·Supermarket
Estimate, reviewedPack of 20
Estimate, reviewedPack of 20 tablets
Verified ·Spray or lotion
Verified ·One-hour massage: fair is Rs 1,500–3,500. From Rs 4,000 you are paying for the address.
Local barbershop
Estimate, reviewedLaundry service
Verified ·Standard full-body massage
Estimate, reviewedBasic cut, salon
Rough estimateTop museum or attraction: fair is Rs 1,000–1,500. From Rs 2,000, check that you are not buying through a reseller.
Entrance ticket
Verified ·Organized excursion
Estimate, reviewedOrganized excursion 6-8h
Estimate, reviewedLocal cuisine cooking class
Estimate, reviewedConverted at 1 USD = 154.2 NPR, the rate on October 3, 2026. Approximate.
Currency
Nepalese rupee (NPR)
Quick converter, NPR to USD
When a card terminal or ATM offers to charge you in your home currency, choose NPR. The rate it offers is almost always worse.
Tipping is not mandatory but is a vital income supplement for tourism staff. For trekking, tip guides 1,500–2,000 NPR and porters 1,000–1,500 NPR per day. In restaurants, mandatory service charges are legally prohibited; if service is excellent, a 5–10% tip is appreciated. Use clean NPR notes and hand them over with your right hand.
Bargaining is expected in Thamel and local markets, start at 40-50% of the asking price. Be aware that trekking gear quality varies greatly; never buy equipment without inspecting it thoroughly.
What tourists actually run into, from overcharging tricks to local laws. Open any item for the details.
In 2026 police charged 32 people in a network staging fake or inflated helicopter rescues for trekkers. Scams use forged documents, multiple billing for one flight and claims exceeding 19 million USD. Contact your insurer directly and seek assessment at an HRA clinic before agreeing to evacuation.
Nepal has no single universal emergency number. Dial 100 for police, 102 for ambulance, 101 for fire. There is no central public ambulance service, so outside Kathmandu and Pokhara it is often faster to go straight to the nearest hospital.
Don't touch someone's head, even affectionately, it's considered sacred in Nepali culture. Always use your right hand for eating, giving, and receiving, as the left hand is considered unclean. Never step over someone's legs or body, walk around them instead.
Pashmina shawls and scarves are Nepal's most prized textile, buy from reputable shops in Thamel (Kathmandu) and check for pure cashmere, not blends. Tibetan singing bowls (hand-hammered, not machine-made) produce beautiful meditative tones. Nepali tea from Ilam, thangka paintings, handmade lokta paper products, and Nepali spices (timur pepper, Himalayan salt) are other meaningful souvenirs.
The prices on this page are typical for these cities and the tourist areas around them.
The TruePrice Index for Nepal, next to the countries people weigh it against and its nearest neighbors, all on one scale. 100 is the median of the 60 countries I track.
Laos 36 Prices about 14% lower than in Nepal 
India 38 Prices about 10% lower than in Nepal Nepal 42 This page 
Vietnam 47 Prices about 12% higher than in Nepal 
Myanmar 55 Prices about 31% higher than in Nepal 
Sri Lanka 55 Prices about 31% higher than in Nepal 
Thailand 70 Prices about 67% higher than in Nepal Short answer: very cheap, if you pay what locals pay. Fair prices sit 58% below the 60-country median, while tourist prices are about 2.8× the fair price. On the TruePrice Index, Nepal scores 42, the 5th cheapest of the 60 countries I track.
Roughly Rs 2,128 (about $14) a day at fair prices, or Rs 4,800 (about $31) at tourist prices. That covers two meals, a coffee, a bottle of water, a beer, two transit rides and a short taxi ride. Sightseeing comes on top (Rs 1,000–1,500 for a top museum or attraction), and accommodation is not included.
Tipping is not mandatory but is a vital income supplement for tourism staff. For trekking, tip guides 1,500–2,000 NPR and porters 1,000–1,500 NPR per day. In restaurants, mandatory service charges are legally prohibited; if service is excellent, a 5–10% tip is appreciated. Use clean NPR notes and hand them over with your right hand.
The Nepalese rupee (NPR). On October 3, 2026, 1 USD was worth 154.2 NPR. Card terminals and ATMs that offer to charge you in your home currency usually give a worse rate, so pay in NPR.
A restaurant main course is Rs 600–1,200 (about $3.90 – $7.80) at fair prices, while tourist menus charge Rs 1,300–2,500. A street food meal runs Rs 50–150. A local beer is Rs 350–600 (about $2.30 – $3.90), or Rs 600–1,000 in tourist bars.
Budget roughly Rs 2,128 (about $14) a day for food, drinks and getting around at local prices, or about Rs 4,800 (about $31) at tourist prices. Add Rs 1,000–1,500 for each major sight, plus your accommodation.
If you are not sure who you need, call 100, the police line. Direct lines: ambulance 102, fire brigade 101.
Where these numbers come from, and how sure I am about each one.
How to cite
TruePrice Index, October 2026, truepriceapp.com/en/trueprice-index/
Spotted a price that looks off? Email me at contact@truepriceapp.com and I will check it.
Check the fair price at the market stall or in the taxi, before you pay. Free on iPhone and Android.
