Fast Food in Kathmandu: Why the Same Burger Costs Rs 170 or Rs 1,680

There is no single price for fast food in Kathmandu. A burger costs Rs 170 at a neighbourhood cafe in Maharajgunj and Rs 1,680 at a French restaurant on Durbar Marg. Both are on a menu right now. The gap is roughly ten times, and it is larger than for any other category of food in the city. This guide sets out what each common item actually costs, using prices restaurants publish on KTMenu.

The Price Spread, Item by Item

Each row below is the cheapest and dearest version of that item currently listed. The cheap end is almost always a neighbourhood kitchen. The expensive end is almost always Thamel, Durbar Marg, or a restaurant that treats the dish as a main course rather than a snack.

What Rs 200 Buys You

Two hundred rupees is the practical floor for a filling fast meal in Kathmandu, and it buys more than most visitors expect. At King Cafe in Maharajgunj it covers a chicken burger at Rs 180, a chicken chowmein at Rs 190, or a chicken fried rice at Rs 190. At Gaga in Baneshwor it covers a plate of eight chicken momos at Rs 200, or eight veg momos at Rs 160 with change left over.

• Plain fried rice, Rs 120 at King Cafe, the cheapest full plate listed on KTMenu. Breads go lower still, with tandoori roti at Rs 30 and plain naan at Rs 50.
• Veg momo, eight pieces, Rs 160 at Gaga in Baneshwor.
• Veg chowmein, Rs 160 at King Cafe.
• Veg thukpa, Rs 160 at King Cafe, the cheapest way to eat a hot bowl.
• Ham burger, Rs 170 at King Cafe.

Why the Gap Is So Wide

Three things move a fast food price in Kathmandu, and none of them is portion size.

1. Area. Durbar Marg and Thamel carry tourist and business pricing. Maharajgunj, Baneshwor and the residential belts do not.
2. Whether the kitchen treats the dish as a snack or a main. A Rs 1,680 burger arrives plated as a main course with sides; a Rs 170 burger arrives wrapped.
3. Imported ingredients. Cheese, beef and cured meats are the single largest input cost, and they separate the Rs 300 pizza from the Rs 900 one.

Service charge and VAT sit on top of the menu price at most sit-down restaurants, and are more common at the expensive end. A Rs 1,680 burger is closer to Rs 2,000 on the bill.

Where to Eat Cheaply

Prices come from each restaurant's own menu as listed on KTMenu and change without notice. Compare current figures on the dish pages for momo, burger, fried rice and pizza before you decide.