Nepal on a budget in 2026, what a day really costs you

At today’s rupee rate (NPR 154 to the US dollar, Nepal Rastra Bank, 3 October 2026), a backpacker spends about US$25–35 a day in Kathmandu and Pokhara, a mid-range traveller US$50–85, and a comfort traveller US$150–250. Trekking days cost more than city days because a licensed guide has been compulsory for foreign trekkers since April 2023: about US$55–80 a day solo if you arrange it yourself, or US$74–142 a day on our packages, depending on the route and the size of your group. Below is every line behind those numbers, the permit fees at today’s rate, and three two-week budgets.

Backpacker city dayUS$25–35

Mid-range city dayUS$50–85

Comfort city dayUS$150–250

Trek day, self-arrangedUS$55–80

30-day visaUS$50

Rate usedNPR 154 = US$1

Key takeaways

The rupee has weakened from NPR 144 to the dollar in January 2026 to about 154 now, so anything priced in rupees (food, rooms, park permits) is cheaper in dollars than older guides say.
Permits are small on the main routes: about US$32 for Annapurna and US$39 for Everest Base Camp. Restricted areas are the exception, at roughly US$244 for an autumn Manaslu Circuit and US$519 for 10 days in Upper Mustang.
A guide is the biggest line on a trek, and it is not optional. A package costs about US$30 a day more than arranging it yourself on Annapurna, and includes permits and transport.
Two weeks runs from about US$640 as a backpacker to US$2,600 in comfort, before international flights and insurance.

I’m Bishnu, and I price treks and trips for our office in Pokhara. The city figures below are what our team pays and sees charged in Kathmandu and Pokhara this autumn; the trek figures are our own published prices, and the fees come from the government bodies that set them.

How much does a day in Nepal cost?

A city day costs US$25–35 as a backpacker, US$50–85 mid-range and US$150–250 in comfort, per person. The table shows what each style buys, in rupees and in dollars, so you can rebuild it at whatever the rate is when you land.

Range chart of daily costs per person in Nepal: backpacker city day 25 to 35 dollars, mid-range 50 to 85, comfort 150 to 250, self-arranged solo trek day 55 to 80, and our treks per day: Poon Hill 74 to 103, Annapurna Base Camp 86 to 114, Everest Base Camp 103 to 142. — Chart by Travel Himalaya Nepal from our published tour prices, our field reporting and the Nepal Rastra Bank rate of 3 Oct 2026.

Per person, per day	Backpacker	Mid-range	Comfort
Bed	Dorm, US$6–10 (NPR 900–1,500)	Private en-suite room, US$18–35 (NPR 2,800–5,400)	Boutique or heritage hotel, US$60–120 (NPR 9,250–18,500)
Food	Dal bhat and momos at local places, US$12–17 (NPR 1,850–2,600)	Tourist restaurants, US$20–30 (NPR 3,100–4,600)	Best restaurants in town, US$35–45 (NPR 5,400–6,950)
Getting around	Walking, tempos and local buses, US$2–3	Ride-hailing apps and taxis, US$4–8	A guided day with a car: our Kathmandu heritage day tour is US$85 solo, US$55 each in a group of eight or more
Sights and extras	Water, data, one cheap ticket, about US$5	One heritage ticket a day, US$8–12
Total	US$25–35 (NPR 3,850–5,400)	US$50–85 (NPR 7,700–13,100)	US$150–250 (NPR 23,100–38,500)

Pokhara’s Lakeside runs a little cheaper than Thamel for the same room. Food is where a budget leaks: a plate of dal bhat costs a few dollars at a local place and several times that at a tourist restaurant, where the portion is bigger and refills are free.

Is Nepal cheap to visit?

Yes for the city days, and less so once you add trekking. The weaker rupee has made them cheaper still this year: the Nepal Rastra Bank rate moved from NPR 144 to the dollar on 5 January 2026 to NPR 154 on 3 October.

What makes Nepal cost more than a pure city break is the mountains: a guide you are required to hire, permits, and domestic flights such as Lukla. Those are the reason a trek day costs two or three times a city day. If you are coming from India, the Indian rupee is pegged at ₹1 = NPR 1.6, so prices are easy to convert in your head.

What a trek day costs, yourself or with us

Arranging a teahouse trek yourself costs about US$55–80 a day solo on Annapurna; our packages cost US$74–142 a day depending on the route and group size. The gap is smaller than most people expect, because the guide is the single biggest cost either way.

Since 1 April 2023 the Nepal Tourism Board has required foreign trekkers to hire a licensed guide or porter (Kathmandu Post, 4 March 2023). So a self-arranged solo day is a teahouse bed (US$4–8), three meals and hot drinks (US$20–30, more above Namche where food is flown in), a guide’s day rate (typically US$25–35 hired in Kathmandu or Pokhara, shared if you are a group), and about US$5 a day of permits on a week on Annapurna.

Our trip	Solo price	Each, group of 8+	Per day, 8+ to solo
Ghorepani Poon Hill, 4 days	US$410	US$295	US$74–103
Annapurna Base Camp, 7 days	US$800	US$600	US$86–114
Everest Base Camp, 12 days	US$1,700	US$1,230	US$103–142
Kathmandu and Pokhara tour, 5 days	US$580	US$410	US$82–116

My honest verdict: if you are two or more, already know a guide, and are walking Poon Hill or Annapurna Base Camp, doing it yourself saves real money. If you are solo, short of time, or heading to Everest, where the Lukla flight is the hard part to arrange, the package is close enough in price that the convenience and an accountable guide are worth it. Our price-per-day comparison by region covers every trek we run.

The cheapest way into the Himalaya

Four days from Pokhara to the Poon Hill sunrise, with a licensed guide, permits, lodges and all meals included: US$410 solo, or US$295 each in a group of eight or more. It is the lowest-cost real Himalayan trek we run.

See dates & price →

Trekking permit fees at today’s rate

Permits cost about US$32 for any Annapurna trek and US$39 for Everest Base Camp; only the restricted areas cost serious money. Park and conservation fees are set in rupees, so their dollar cost falls as the rupee weakens; restricted-area permits are priced in dollars and do not move.

Route	Permits (foreign nationals)	Cost per person
Annapurna: Poon Hill, ABC, Mardi Himal, Circuit	ACAP NPR 3,000 + TIMS NPR 2,000	NPR 5,000 ≈ US$32
Everest Base Camp	Sagarmatha National Park NPR 3,000 + Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality NPR 3,000 (no TIMS)	NPR 6,000 ≈ US$39
Langtang	Langtang National Park NPR 3,000 + TIMS NPR 2,000	NPR 5,000 ≈ US$32
Manaslu Circuit, 14 days, Sep–Nov	Restricted Area Permit US$100 for 7 days then US$15 a day, + MCAP NPR 3,000 + ACAP NPR 3,000	≈ US$244
Upper Mustang, 10 days	Restricted Area Permit US$50 a day + ACAP NPR 3,000	≈ US$519

The Manaslu permit drops to US$75 for the first week and US$10 a day after it from December to August. Where each permit is issued and what to bring is on our permit hub, with a cost calculator for any number of days.

Visa fees, the first thing you pay

A Nepal tourist visa costs US$30 for 15 days, US$50 for 30 days and US$125 for 90 days. Most people on a two- or three-week trip take the 30-day visa. You can get it on arrival at Kathmandu airport or apply ahead; carry the fee in clean US dollar notes, because the airport card machines are unreliable at peak times. Indian citizens do not need a visa. Extensions and the full process are on our Nepal visa guide.

The costs people forget

Five lines catch most first-timers out because no daily budget includes them.

Heritage tickets: Kathmandu, Patan and Bhaktapur each charge foreigners for their old town. Bhaktapur’s ticket is NPR 1,800 or US$15 (Himalayan Times): pay in rupees and it costs you about US$12.
Charging and hot showers on the trail: free low down, a few dollars each above about 3,500 m where power is solar.
Gear you rent rather than buy: sleeping bags and down jackets rent cheaply in Thamel and Lakeside. Read what to rent and what to bring before you buy anything at home.
ATM fees: your bank’s foreign fee plus the Nepali bank’s charge on every withdrawal, with low limits per transaction. Our cash and ATM guide covers how much to carry.
Tips and insurance: guides and porters expect a tip at the end (how much), and any trek above 4,000 m needs a policy that names helicopter evacuation at that altitude (what to check).

Two weeks in Nepal, three budgets

Two weeks costs about US$640–900 as a backpacker, US$1,200–1,450 mid-range and US$1,900–2,600 in comfort, per person, before international flights and insurance. Each assumes a 30-day visa and a week-long Annapurna trek, the most common first trip.

Style	City days	Trek	Visa	Two weeks
Backpacker	6 days × US$25–35 = US$150–210	8 days self-arranged with a guide, US$440–640	US$50	US$640–900
Mid-range	7 days × US$50–85 = US$350–595	Our 7-day Annapurna Base Camp trek, US$800 solo	US$50	US$1,200–1,445
Comfort	7 days × US$150–250 = US$1,050–1,750	Our 7-day Annapurna Base Camp trek, US$800 solo	US$50	US$1,900–2,600

Travelling as a group of eight or more cuts the trek line by a quarter: US$600 each instead of US$800 on that Annapurna Base Camp trek. For a day-by-day version, see our two-week budget itinerary.

The cheapest months are the June to August monsoon, when many hotels and lodges discount and the trails empty; the trade-off is afternoon rain and cloud on the views, much lighter in rain-shadow areas such as Upper Mustang. Our month-by-month weather guide shows what each season looks like.

Frequently asked questions

How much money do I need per day in Nepal?

About US$25–35 a day as a backpacker in Kathmandu and Pokhara, US$50–85 mid-range and US$150–250 in comfort. A trek day costs US$55–80 solo if you arrange it yourself, or US$74–142 on our packages, at NPR 154 to the dollar.

Is Nepal cheap to visit?

City days are cheap, and cheaper this year because the rupee has weakened from NPR 144 to 154 to the dollar since January. Trekking costs more because a licensed guide is required, plus permits and domestic flights.

How much does a two-week trip to Nepal cost?

Roughly US$640–900 as a backpacker, US$1,200–1,450 mid-range and US$1,900–2,600 in comfort per person, including a week’s trek and a 30-day visa but not international flights or insurance.

Do I need a guide to trek in Nepal?

Yes. Since 1 April 2023 the Nepal Tourism Board has required foreign trekkers to hire a licensed guide or porter. On restricted-area routes such as Manaslu and Upper Mustang a licensed guide and a registered agency were already required.

How much are Nepal trekking permits?

About US$32 for Annapurna (ACAP NPR 3,000 + TIMS NPR 2,000) and US$39 for Everest Base Camp (Sagarmatha NPR 3,000 + Khumbu Pasang Lhamu NPR 3,000). An autumn Manaslu Circuit is about US$244 and 10 days in Upper Mustang about US$519.

How much cash should I bring to Nepal?

Bring the visa fee in US dollar notes (US$30, US$50 or US$125) plus a cash buffer for the trail, where ATMs are rare. Withdraw rupees in Kathmandu or Pokhara for everything else; our money guide has the details.

Sources, all read 3 October 2026: Nepal Rastra Bank foreign exchange rates (US$1 = NPR 153.81 buying on 3 October, 144.02 on 5 January 2026; ₹100 = NPR 160); Embassy of Nepal, Washington DC, tourist visa fees; Kathmandu Post, “No more solo treks. Guides mandatory from April 1”, 4 March 2023; Himalayan Times, “Bhaktapur adjusts the entry fee for foreigners”, 2 January 2023; permit fees as published on our permits pages (ACAP, TIMS, Sagarmatha, Khumbu Pasang Lhamu, Langtang, MCAP and the Manaslu and Upper Mustang restricted-area permits); our tour prices from our published group pricing. City and trail costs: Travel Himalaya Nepal field reporting, Kathmandu and Pokhara, autumn 2026. Cover photo: Mehmet Turgut Kirkgoz on Pexels.

Explore Nepal · From our trails