What is a lakh, and how does Nepali currency counting work?
Nepal counts in lakhs and crores, not thousands and millions. If you're used to Western number formatting, this trips you up the first time you read a property listing or squint at an ATM screen.
- 1 lakh = NPR 100,000
- 10 lakh = NPR 1,000,000
- 1 crore = NPR 10,000,000 (100 lakh)
So "5 lakh" on a price tag means NPR 500,000. You'll mostly hit this in property listings or big transactions. Day-to-day tourist spending, meals, teahouses, permits, stays in the hundreds or low thousands of rupees, so you won't need to do the lakh math often.
Paisa (1, 5, 10, 25, 50) is the small-change unit, but almost nothing is priced in it anymore. Prices round to the nearest rupee.
One thing that catches returning visitors off guard: Indian Rupees used to circulate informally alongside Nepali Rupees. That stopped about eight years ago. Some shops near the border and in Kathmandu still take INR, but at the current exchange rate, not face value, so don't expect a 1:1 swap.
Where should I get my money in Nepal?
Kathmandu, specifically Thamel, has the deepest exchange network in the country. If you're carrying anything other than USD, GBP, EUR, JPY, or INR, change it there rather than in Pokhara or a smaller town. Your options for less common currencies narrow fast once you leave the capital.
Your three real options are ATMs, money changers (FOREX counters), and credit cards. Wire transfers exist but nobody uses them for travel money anymore.
Using ATMs in Nepal
International-card ATMs are reliable in Kathmandu and Pokhara. Outside those two cities, machines exist but mostly serve domestic bank cards, so don't plan a trip around finding a VISA-friendly ATM in a smaller town.
Standard Chartered, Everest Bank, Nabil Bank, and Himalaya Bank consistently accept international cards. Withdrawal limits run NPR 10,000 to 30,000 per transaction, depending on the bank, and most charge a per-transaction fee on top of whatever your home bank charges. Cash comes out in rupees only.
Since 2015, Kathmandu's Thamel and Pokhara's Lakeside area have grouped several banks into "ATM lounges," basically 4 to 5 machines from different banks in one room. That's your best bet if one machine is down or out of cash, which happens more than you'd expect. Namche Bazaar runs the same setup on a smaller scale for anyone heading toward Everest.
Cirrus and American Express cards are inconsistent bank to bank. Check with your own bank before you fly.
Paying by credit card
Hotels, larger restaurants, and tour agencies in Kathmandu and Pokhara generally take VISA, MasterCard, Cirrus, and American Express, usually with a small commission added. Outside those two cities, assume cash only.
Chip-and-PIN isn't universal. Some smaller retailers still run old carbon-copy imprint machines, and yes, they still work. Don't hand your card to anyone out of your sight, whatever the reason given.
Traveller's cheques: skip them
A handful of FOREX counters in Thamel will still cash travellers' cheques, minus a commission, and only if you bring your passport. It's slow, and there's no real upside anymore. Bring a card and use the ATMs instead.
Money changers and FOREX
Every tourist area has money changers. Major currencies (USD, GBP, EUR, JPY, INR) are no problem anywhere. Minor currencies get accepted too, just expect to wait while they work out the rate, and again, Thamel is where you want to do this if your currency is unusual.
How much cash do I need on a trek?
This is where the disappearing-ATM problem actually bites first-time trekkers, and it's worth checking the ATM and internet access along the EBC trail in detail if that's your route.
- Everest region: Namche Bazaar has the last reliable ATM. It works, but expect a line, and don't treat it as your only cash source. Past Namche, everything is cash, meals, snacks, hot showers, wifi, battery charging. If you're weighing a full Everest Base Camp Trek, our full EBC budget breakdown covers what those daily costs actually add up to.
- Annapurna region: ATMs stop after Besisahar or Pokhara, depending on your route. Manang has one machine, but it's not always working. Our Annapurna Circuit itinerary and its detailed cost guide break down exactly where that cash goes.
- Manaslu, Langtang, Dolpo, and other restricted regions: No ATMs at all past the trailhead. Whatever you're carrying when you start the trek is what you have. This is the same reality we lay out for anyone planning a Mustang trip, where ATM access exists only in Pokhara and Kathmandu. If you're headed to Manaslu or Langtang instead, check the Manaslu and Langtang cost breakdowns before you leave Kathmandu.
Budget NPR 3,000 to 5,000 per day in cash for a teahouse trek. That climbs if you're paying for wifi, hot showers, or charging at every stop, and prices go up with altitude anyway, since everything above the roadhead gets carried in by porter or mule. Our guides carry a small contingency float for clients on multi-day treks, but plan your full trek's cash before you leave Kathmandu or Lukla. The float is a backup, not a plan.