Kathmandu - Post Report Question and Answers
How would you describe the availability and cost of groceries and household supplies relative to your home country?
Groceries and household supplies are much cheaper than back home, but (with the exception of chicken and fresh fruits and vegetables) the quality is much lower than what you would find in the US. There are some imported items in standard grocery stores, but it seems even the US brand names are actually Asian versions of those brands and not quite what you would expect. For anything non-perishable where you care about quality, Amazon is relatively quick and dependable. - Jun 2024
Most items made/grown in Nepal are very affordable, I can get my vegetables for less than $10 a week, and fruit isn't much more. It is wonderful! Anything imported will be more expensive. If you want high quality meats, that can get a little more expensive. But overall it is very affordable compared to the USA. - Aug 2022
I was surprised at this one. Nepal is supposed to be a very cheap country, but the availability and quality of local food is terrible. Never eat the mangoes from India! They put some chemical on them that makes people sick. Also there is no regulation on what companies put in their packaged food, so you might be eating all kinds of chemicals and not be aware of it until you feel terrible. If you have any kind of allergy, just stick to meat, veggies, fruits and things off Amazon. You can eat really cheap here if you want to eat Dal Bhatt (lentils and rice) every day, but if you want to eat an American diet, you'll be spending way more than you would in the US. For example, butter is $6/ half pound, beef is around $21/ pound, and cheese is $20-30/ pound. We bought a turkey from the commissary for thanksgiving and it was $100! Also, the only place you can find berries is in the commissary and they're $10/bag. The availability of anything is highly seasonal and subject to change on a moments notice. When we first got here, the boarder with India was closed and you could hardly get anything. Even now you may want to make dinner on night, but only be able to find a few sad carrots, tomatoes, and onions in the store. - Aug 2019
The local food and produce is cheap, but can be low quality. The imported items are very expensive (US$8 for cream cheese, etc.). Beef and some vegetables (red peppers, peas, brussels sprouts) and almost all quality dry-goods are imported (cereals, pasta, etc.). Depending on how you eat, you can either save a ton of money or go broke. - Aug 2015
Very cheap but limited and very seasonal. Kathmandu was getting more and more products over the course of my tour. Pack lots of liquids and canned foods in your consumables. You can get everything else you need at the commissary or on Amazon. Also, there are a number of great companies that deliver things like strawberry and fresh milk/yogurt to your house. Ask around about them. - Jul 2014
Vegetables and fruits are good and available in season. Some are imported from China or India and so available off season but expensive. Dry goods are available at a few supermarkets (Saleways is one example) and about the same prices as U.S. Household supplies are mostly cheap Chinese or Indian . - May 2014
Most everything is available here and is pretty cheap if you get the local version. Household supplies are cheap but also flimsy cheap. Nice quality household goods are not available. - Apr 2014
Different varieties of western foods are pricey and hard to find. If there's anything you have to have, particularly liquids, ship it in your consumables. Amazon Prime has been a lifesaver for school snacks, toilet paper, and paper towels. There is a good organic vegetable and fruit market on Saturday mornings where you can also find good cheeses and meats. For the most part, you have to make do with what you can find or have it shipped through the diplomatic pouch. - Dec 2013
Groceries are very low in cost - especially produce at the local markets. Household supplies are reasonably priced at the local supermarket. - Jun 2013
I have seen a more limited grocery selection in other countries, but there are many items I miss. Cheese is quite expensive here and I love it. - May 2013
Groceries are largely available although some items (such as cheese) is hard to find. I would recommend using your consumables/HHE to bring your favorite items from home. - Jun 2011
Bhatbhateni Super Market, Namaste SM, Blue Bird are major dept stores and they have most things you need to survive. Cost of most things is less, milk and western-style cereal is more. Meat is VERY expensive. Get used to veg. to remain healthy. That said, Nina & Hagar is the best place for meat (imported from AU), and restaurants often have small meat dishes for less than one would buy fresh meat in the store. - Sep 2010
Be prepared to drive all over for groceries. You can go to Bhat Bhatini but it can be pricey and selective. Plus, it was across the city for me and could take up to an hour to get there. I would get my veggies and fruits from the market. There is also an excellent meat shop (and really the only hygenic store)it is called Nina and Hagar. Only trust their meats. Everything else is scary. Blue Bird is also a good alternative to Bhat Bhatini - Jan 2010
Local food prices have risen sharply here in the past two years as they have worldwide. Anything imported will be relatively expensive. Locally grown food is still fairly reasonable for us, but becoming unreasonable for Nepalis. - May 2008
