9 Hidden Costs of Renting in Kathmandu

Introduction

While considering the expense incurred in renting a property in Kathmandu, the first thing that would cross our mind would be the monthly rent. Rs. 15,000? Rs. 25,000? Maybe Rs. 40,000 for a slightly bigger apartment?

But the monthly rent is just the tip of the iceberg.

Being a resident in a 2BHK apartment in Swayambhu, I have realized that along with the rent there are several other expenses one needs to take care of while living in a rented apartment. Some of them are quite obvious while some might not catch our attention initially.

Following are the 9 expenses every person needs to consider while renting an apartment in Kathmandu.

1. Rental Deposit

The first and obvious cost would be the deposit.

It could be anywhere from the value of one month's rent, to multiple months' rent, or even no deposit at all depending on the landlord and the property type in question. Personally, I have found that commercial properties tend to ask for a larger deposit than residential properties, although it really does vary.

In our case, we were fortunate enough not to pay any deposit since we were already familiar with the landlord, which saved us money.

Now imagine paying rent for Rs. 20,000 a month and having to deposit an amount that is equal to one month's rent at the beginning. This means that you have to pay Rs. 20,000 before even settling in!

Please bear in mind that a refundable deposit is not exactly an expense in the truest sense of the word. It is money that is tied up that you would reasonably expect to return to you upon the condition of the property upon your departure.
Before paying, make sure that you understand the terms of the deposit, the deductions, and the date of return.

2. Electricity

Electrical bills tend to be one of those costs that you don't really think about but quietly creep into your monthly expenses.

In our rented apartment, we pay Rs. 15 per unit for electricity, which amounts to roughly Rs. 2,000 a month for the whole apartment, my part being about Rs. 1,000.
From what I have come across, some landlords charge around Rs. 10 to 15 per unit. However, this isn't always the case. Official consumer tariff schedules of NEA can be found here, whereas the cost incurred by the tenant may vary depending on how the bill is allocated based on the metering system.

Prior to moving into the house, you should clarify whether you will be billed according to individual meters, the collective bill, or the landlord's decided rate. Also, it's best to know how communal electricity is billed.

Sometimes even a small difference of a couple of rupees per unit makes a big difference, especially if you use electrical appliances often.

3. Water

Water is yet another cost which can be estimated in several ways.

There are some houses where the cost of water consumed is charged based on a meter, whereas in some houses, there is a fixed charge for water. In our case, the cost of water per person per month is Rs. 500.

This makes it easy for us to budget since we know how much will be the cost of the water. But in the case of a house where water is measured by a meter or there are some different arrangements made for water, then there might be variation in the cost. While comparing rentals, one should inquire not only about the availability of water but also about how the cost is charged and whether it is fixed or not.

4. Waste Collection

Garbage disposal is also an expense that does not show up in the rent notice all the time.

In our case, garbage fees are Rs. 500 for the whole house, which we have to share between us. The amount that I pay individually is Rs. 125.

One other fun fact that I learned when I ran a coffee shop is that businesses will face higher garbage fees since they dispose of a lot of garbage. Back then, I learned that a small restaurant had to pay around Rs. 2,000 every month.

Costs for waste management would also be affected by the arrangement of collection and the location. For instance, according to an article on The Kathmandu Post, as cited in March 2026, Kathmandu Metropolitan City planned a Rs. 300 charge per month for household waste collection under a private arrangement. The costs may vary depending on the number of kitchens and the volume of waste produced. It does not imply that every household pays the same cost.

It is simple, ask if the waste collection cost is covered by your rental price or is separate from it. If you live in a shared property, find out how the costs will be divided.

5. Internet

Internet access is almost indispensable for many of us irrespective of whether we are studying, working, having our own businesses, or simply spending time in leisure after a hectic schedule.

For the Internet access that we have in our apartment, after the recent price hike, we now pay Rs. 4,800 for 200 Mbps for the period of three months. This means we pay Rs. 1,600 each month for the Internet access which, divided by two persons, comes to Rs. 800 for me each month.

Remember to check what would be the amount for the installation, the amount for the router, deposit and so on, since there might be additional costs related to your move despite the cost of the regular package.

Also, in case you plan to have roommates to share the connection with, think of a way of dividing the payments beforehand.

6. Home Shifting

Here comes the financial hit from moving costs.

In our case, we were moving from a 3BHK apartment in Baneshwor to our present flat in Swayambhu. Since we had a lot of belongings even from the previous house, two vehicles were required.

The price we paid for the vehicles was roughly Rs. 2,000 each and since we required two vehicles, it made it Rs. 4,000. The movers also assisted us in unloading the heavy items like the fridge itself and that too to the first floor flat. For their help we gave them extra Rs. 500 each, which made our moving cost total up to Rs. 5,000.

As we split the payment in half, my part would come to be Rs. 2,500.

The exact moving costs you have to pay would depend upon several factors like how many belongings you have, the distance, the number of vehicles required, the access to the building and stairs and if loading and unloading assistance is required or not.

If you are moving from a hostel and all you have is a couple of bags, then your moving costs will be much lower than those who are moving from another apartment.

7. Groceries

As you settle into your new place, the monthly costs keep coming.

Food is one of the main variable costs since the cost depends on your eating habits, cooking practices, sharing of food, and places where you buy your food from.

Based on people that I have interacted with, I get estimates of anywhere between Rs. 5,000 to Rs. 10,000 per month. This is not a survey, just a general estimate from observations, and your costs may be different from this.

In my case, I spend about Rs. 6,000 to 7,000 per month.

Some of the items included in this are food products like rice, veggies, fruits, spices, and other food stuff. These individual items might not seem costly, but when considered together, they end up costing quite a bit.

Sharing of grocery expenses with your roommates could also prove helpful as long as there’s agreement on the items being shared and how costs will be split.

8. Sanitary and Household Supplies

One of the simplest costs to forget, as you do not usually buy everything at once.
Think of the soap, bathroom cleaning products, tissues, toilet paper, dishwashing liquids, cleaning products, and all other tiny household products.

At some times, the cost might be minimal, while sometimes many items might go out of stock simultaneously, and the amount will reach thousands depending on the items that are needed.

The above mentioned costs are not fixed each month but are costs that are associated with maintaining a house. When considering your budget to just cover rent, electricity costs, and grocery bills, then such costs might come as a surprise.

What I would recommend is to have an individual budget category of household supplies. It is not required that you know the exact budget for such costs each month, however, tracking the costs for some months will give you a better estimate.
In case you have roommates who share the same costs, discuss what should be included in the shared costs and how you are going to finance them.

9. Your Time

Lastly, there is one cost that does not come with an invoice attached. TIME!

One may fail to appreciate the importance of time while shifting from the parents' home or hostel to an independent residence.

There will be a need for someone to cook, clean, do the laundry, purchase food items, dispose of waste and solve other minor issues that arise while at home.
That person will most probably be you.

In my experience, it may take several hours of time to complete these chores. Spending about two hours daily doing household chores would mean spending about 60 hours monthly, in the case of 30 days per month.

This time can be used to study, work, acquire skills, build a business, exercise or just relax.

Certainly, independence has its advantages. One gets to enjoy more freedom and privacy. The idea here is not to discourage anyone from renting. The message is that the time spent is definitely part of the cost.

So, how much does renting actually cost beyond rent?

Let's put my own numbers together.

Electricity - Rs. 1,000
Water - Rs. 500
Waste Collection - Rs. 125
Internet - Rs. 800
Groceries - Rs. 7,000
Monthly Total - Rs. 9,425

This amounts to roughly Rs. 10,000 per month in addition to rent, without taking into account sanitary goods and my time.

Also, I paid Rs. 2,500 for my share of expenses related to moving. Thus, the total amount of additional expenditure during the month of our move was approximately Rs. 12,500, without taking into account rent and sanitary goods.

Thus, if my recurrent costs remained the same throughout the whole year, their total amount would be Rs. 120,000. This is an example of calculations based on my experience and does not reflect the budget of the average tenant of Kathmandu.
Your figures will be different. You can pay a deposit, spend less money on groceries, live alone, share more bills, have to move once again. The point is to estimate the overall costs, and not just the rent.

A final thought

When looking for your next accommodation, make sure that you inquire about deposit, electricity costs, water, garbage disposal, internet cost, and any other fees that you will have to pay. Don't forget to include grocery and household goods expenditure as well. Finally, make sure to leave some room for unplanned expenses.

At Nawa Niwas, we strive to help people in Nepal find a property to rent in the easiest way possible. At Nawa Niwas, one may look through rental properties and then make an informed decision which accommodation is better to choose.

Are you an owner of a property to rent? Then you can list your rental property at Nawa Niwas without any listing fees, and let the tenants see your property without paying anything either.