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Kathmandu on a budget: how to do it well
Short answer
Yes, Kathmandu is excellent on a budget: beds, food and transport are cheap, and the main cost is entrance fees. Plan on about NPR 4,100 per person per day (bed NPR 1,200, food 1,500, sights 1,000, transport 400).
A realistic daily budget
| Budget | Mid-range | Comfort | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bed (per person, sharing) | NPR1,200 | NPR4,000 | NPR12,000 |
| Food & drink | NPR1,500 | NPR3,500 | NPR7,000 |
| Sights & tickets | NPR1,000 | NPR1,500 | NPR2,500 |
| Local transport | NPR400 | NPR1,200 | NPR3,000 |
| Per person, per day | NPR4,100 | NPR10,200 | NPR24,500 |
Approximate 2026 prices, two people sharing a room. From our Kathmandu day-cost table.
Free things to do
- Walk the old trading streets of Asan Tole and Indra Chowk, with shrines in the middle of the street
- Join the evening kora at Boudhanath, walking clockwise with pilgrims (entry fee about NPR 400)
- Browse the lanes of Patan's metal workshops where bronze statues are still cast by hand
- Watch the sunset from the steps of Patan Durbar Square from the edge of the square
- Visit the monasteries (gompas) in the lanes around Boudhanath
- Wander Thamel and the backstreets towards the old city
Cheap eats
- Momo at a local place: NPR 200–400
- Dal bhat with free refills: roughly NPR 300–800
- Thukpa or tingmo near Boudhanath: around NPR 400–700
- Bara and chatamari at a Newari restaurant in Patan: a few hundred rupees
- Juju dhau (king curd) in Bhaktapur: cheap, served in a clay bowl
Where to sleep for less
Budget travellers stay in Thamel, where guesthouse rooms cost about NPR 1,500–4,000 and there are many hostels with cheaper dorm beds. For a quieter base, guesthouses in Patan or around Boudhanath cost a little more but are full of character.
Getting around cheaply
Walking is the best way around old Kathmandu and Patan. For longer hops, ride-hailing apps such as Pathao (including motorbike rides) and InDrive are cheaper than street taxis. From the airport, the prepaid taxi costs about NPR 800–1,200; ride-hailing from the road outside the terminal can be cheaper.
A sample budget day
- Morning: walk from Thamel through Asan Tole to Kathmandu Durbar Square (entry about NPR 1,000)
- Lunch: momo or dal bhat at a local place (about NPR 400)
- Afternoon: taxi or ride-hailing to Swayambhunath (entry about NPR 200, ride about NPR 300)
- Evening: dinner in a local restaurant in Thamel (about NPR 600)
- Total: about NPR 2,500 plus your bed (NPR 1,200), so roughly NPR 3,700–4,100
More ways to save
- Plan each day around one area to save on rides and time in traffic.
- Choose a guesthouse with breakfast and filtered water refills.
- Eat in Newari and Tibetan places rather than Thamel's tourist restaurants.
- Take public or shared transport to Bhaktapur if you are comfortable with crowded buses.
- Book treks and flights directly with registered agencies and compare a few quotes.
- Travel in early March or late November for good weather at slightly lower prices.
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Common questions
Can you visit Kathmandu on a budget?
Yes: Thamel guesthouses, local momo and dal bhat, and ride-hailing apps keep a day around NPR 4,100.
What is the cheapest way from the airport to Thamel?
A ride-hailing car from outside the terminal is often cheapest; the prepaid taxi costs about NPR 800–1,200.
What can you do for free?
Walk the Asan and Indra Chowk bazaars, the monastery lanes around Boudhanath and the workshop streets of Patan.