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Kharchapatra
Blog · खर्चपत्र

Money, in Nepali.

Tips and stories for navigating personal finance in Nepal — statement imports, fiscal-year budgeting in BS, tax slabs, and the little spreadsheet hacks we wish we'd known sooner.

  • 8 min read

    What is ASBA and how IPO money gets blocked in your bank account

    ASBA blocks your IPO money in your own bank account instead of taking it. How the block works, what you need to apply, and what happens when the lottery runs.

    GuideNepalNEPSEIPOASBAInvesting
  • 8 min read

    Why the dollar rate moves in Nepal: how NRB sets the exchange rate

    Nepal pegs the rupee to India at 1.60, but the dollar floats. How NRB derives the daily USD rate, why it keeps hitting records, and what you actually pay.

    GuideNepalNRBForexRemittance
  • 8 min read

    How NEPSE dividends are taxed in Nepal: the 5% you never see

    Every NEPSE dividend, cash or bonus, is taxed 5% at source before it reaches you. How the final withholding works, how it differs from CGT, and what you net.

    GuideNepalNEPSETaxDividendInvesting
  • 11 min read

    How to withdraw your CIT or PF balance in Nepal

    Cashing out your EPF or CIT balance in Nepal: the conditions to withdraw, the documents, the portals, and the 5% retirement tax that tops off a big lump sum.

    GuideNepalRetirementPFCITTax
  • 9 min read

    Tax on agricultural and farm income in Nepal: what's exempt and what isn't

    Farm income is exempt from federal income tax in Nepal, with two catches: land above the ceiling, and agriculture run as a registered company (50% rebate).

    GuideNepalTaxAgricultureIncomeIRD
  • 9 min read

    Does Nepal have a credit score? CIB, your report, and how lenders judge you

    Nepal has a 60–960 credit score through CIB, but the CIBIL-style consumer score is still being built. How lenders judge you, and how to read your own report.

    GuideNepalBankingCreditCIBLoans
  • 9 min read

    eSewa vs Khalti vs IME Pay: which wallet wins for what in Nepal?

    Khalti and IME Pay merged in 2025, so it is really eSewa vs Khalti by IME now. The limits, fees, cashback, and interest that actually separate Nepal's wallets.

    GuideNepalDigital MoneyeSewaKhaltiIME Pay
  • 10 min read

    Where Rs 5 lakh would be today: land vs NEPSE vs gold vs FD (10-year look-back)

    Rs 5 lakh invested in 2016 in land, NEPSE, gold, or an FD: what each is worth in 2026, with the CAGR, the taxes, and the catch the headline numbers hide.

    GuideNepalInvestingGoldNEPSEReal Estate
  • 8 min read

    Loan processing fees and hidden charges in Nepal: the real cost of borrowing

    The 0.75% service fee NRB caps, plus valuation, CIB, insurance, penal interest, and swap charges that turn an advertised rate into the real cost of a loan.

    GuideNepalLoansBorrowingBankingHome Loan
  • 13 min read

    The real cost of having a baby in Kathmandu: delivery to first year

    What a baby costs in Kathmandu from first scan to first birthday: free public delivery vs Rs 1–2 lakh private C-sections, vaccines, diapers, and lost-leave pay.

    GuideNepalFamilyHealthcareBudgetPregnancy
  • 10 min read

    How much customs duty to bring a phone or laptop into Nepal

    What it costs to bring a phone or laptop into Nepal: the ~18.65% tax, the one-phone duty-free rule, MDMS registration, and the FY 2083/84 green tax.

    GuideNepalTaxCustomsTechImport
  • 11 min read

    SIP vs lump sum in Nepali mutual funds: which actually builds more

    SIP or lump sum into a Nepali mutual fund? The global evidence, NEPSE's volatility, and a worked rupee example showing when each one builds more.

    GuideNepalSIPMutual FundInvestingNEPSE
  • 11 min read

    FD rates have fallen across Nepal: where do you actually park money now?

    Bank FD rates in Nepal have slid from ~11% to about 4%, and the real return after tax and inflation is now negative. Where your money can actually keep up.

    GuideNepalSavingBankingInvesting
  • 8 min read

    Gold just hit record highs: what to weigh before you buy a tola now

    Gold hit Rs 339,300 a tola in Nepal in early 2026. Before you buy at a record, the making-charge spread, taxes, and peak risk that decide what it really costs.

    GuideNepalInvestingGoldSaving
  • 7 min read

    What inflation is quietly doing to your Rs 50,000 salary in 2083

    Inflation in Nepal looks tame at 2-3% a year, but it compounded to about 17% over four years. What that does to a Rs 50,000 salary that never got a raise.

    GuideNepalIncomeInflationSalary
  • 8 min read

    NEPSE near record highs: how to judge if the market is expensive

    NEPSE's valuations sit near record highs even with the index below its 2021 peak. How to read P/E, market-cap-to-GDP, and dividend yield to judge it.

    GuideNepalInvestingNEPSEShares
  • 8 min read

    A Kathmandu grocery basket in 2083 vs 2080: what the same Rs 5,000 buys now

    Cooking gas up 20%, fuel up a quarter, oil and meat sharply higher, sugar and vegetables flat. What the same Rs 5,000 grocery run buys in Kathmandu now vs 2080.

    GuideNepalSavingBudgetingCost of Living
  • 9 min read

    Loan rates are dropping too: how to get your bank to cut your home-loan premium

    Bank lending rates in Nepal have fallen from 13% to under 7%. Your floating loan should follow, but the premium is where the money hides. How to get it cut.

    GuideNepalLoansHome LoanBanking
  • 8 min read

    What happens if you can't pay your loan EMI in Nepal?

    Missing an EMI doesn't mean the bank seizes your house overnight. The real timeline from a missed installment to penal interest, CIB blacklist, and auction.

    GuideNepalLoansBankingPersonal Finance
  • 8 min read

    Is your foreign salary or remittance taxable in Nepal?

    Whether your foreign salary or the remittance your family sends is taxable in Nepal comes down to one word: residency. The full rules, and the 5% concession.

    GuideNepalTaxRemittancePersonal Finance
  • 9 min read

    Going abroad for work from Nepal: what it really costs, and the scams

    A Gulf job should cost about Rs 18,000 out of pocket; workers routinely pay Rs 130,000–700,000. The real cost, the payback math, and how the overcharging works.

    GuideNepalForeign EmploymentScamsRemittancePersonal Finance
  • 8 min read

    Annual land and house tax in Nepal: malpot vs municipal property tax

    Malpot land revenue and municipal property tax are two small annual bills, often confused with the one-time registration tax. What each is, and how to pay.

    GuideNepalTaxReal EstatePersonal Finance
  • 12 min read

    Bank lockers in Nepal: rent, rules, and whether a safe deposit box is worth it

    What a bank locker costs in Nepal: Rs 2,000–17,000 rent, the refundable deposit, who can rent one, and the catch — the bank isn't liable if it's robbed.

    GuideNepalBankingGoldPersonal Finance
  • 13 min read

    Saving for your child's education in Nepal: the 18-year plan

    How much to save monthly for a child's education in Nepal, which vehicle actually beats fee inflation, and why most 'child education' plans underperform a SIP.

    GuideNepalFamilyEducationInvestingPersonal Finance