Money in Nepal: currency, ATMs, cards, and tipping

The rupee and the current exchange rate

Nepal’s currency is the Nepalese rupee (NPR), issued in banknotes and coins. As of mid-to-late August 2026, the US dollar has been trading in roughly the NPR 152–155 range, cross-referenced across independent currency-data sites. Treat this as a rounded, dated approximate figure, not a fixed number — exchange rates move daily, so check a live converter shortly before you travel or exchange money.

Change money at licensed money-changers or banks, both common in Kathmandu and Pokhara’s tourist areas, or at the airport on arrival for an initial cash float. Avoid unlicensed street changers offering rates that look better than the licensed ones — there is no reliable recourse if a transaction goes wrong. Keep exchange receipts; some banks and changers ask for them if you want to convert leftover rupees back to foreign currency on departure.

ATMs: limits, fees, and where they thin out

Foreign cards work at ATMs in Nepal, but budget for real limits and fees. Per-transaction withdrawal caps are commonly cited around NPR 20,000–35,000 (most often reported near NPR 25,000), with a daily limit around NPR 50,000 and a monthly limit around NPR 300,000 — these figures vary by bank, so treat them as a planning range rather than a guarantee for any specific machine. No ATM in Nepal is fee-free for foreign cards: local banks typically charge roughly NPR 500–800 (about US$4–6) per withdrawal, on top of whatever foreign-transaction fee your own bank charges (commonly 1–3%).

One practical habit consistently recommended across sources: when the ATM asks whether to convert to your home currency or charge in Nepalese rupees, choose local currency. The machine’s own conversion rate is typically worse than what your card issuer will apply.

ATMs cluster densely around Kathmandu’s Thamel and Pokhara’s Lakeside, the two main tourist hubs. Availability drops sharply outside them, and working foreign-card ATMs are scarce to nonexistent in most trekking regions — withdraw what you need for a trekking stage before leaving Kathmandu or Pokhara, not along the way.

Cash vs. card: it depends entirely on where you are

Visa and Mastercard are accepted at 3–5 star hotels, tour agencies, and many Thamel and Lakeside restaurants, typically with a 3–5% surcharge passed to the cardholder; American Express is accepted less widely. Outside that Kathmandu/Pokhara tourist-hub core — local markets, small shops, taxis, and essentially all teahouses and lodges in the trekking regions this site covers — cash is the only accepted payment. This is a load-bearing planning fact, not a minor caveat: a traveller relying on cards alone once they leave the two main hubs will not be able to pay for most things. Carry enough rupees for each leg of your trip before you leave the last city with reliable ATMs.

Bringing money into Nepal

Travellers may bring in or take out up to US$5,000 in cash, or the equivalent in other currencies, without a customs declaration; amounts above that must be declared and certified by customs. This is the general rule reported for Nepal Rastra Bank’s current policy, corroborated across multiple Nepali news outlets. If you are entering by the India land border specifically, there are additional Indian-currency-specific restrictions (including on older Indian ₹500/₹1000 notes) — see India to Nepal travel guide for that detail rather than duplicating it here.

Tipping: customary, not obligatory

Tipping in Nepal is not legally required and is not added to any bill by default, but it is culturally expected and, according to consistent industry reporting, forms a meaningful part of trekking-crew and service-worker income. The figures below are widely reported across a large number of trekking and travel sources — treat them as an industry-reported norm, not a NepalPick-verified fixed figure, since tipping-specific search results are heavily dominated by near-identical commercial content.

• Trekking guide: commonly cited at US$15–25 a day for the whole party (not per trekker), typically given as one lump sum at the end of the trek rather than daily. For a roughly 12–14 day trek such as Everest Base Camp, that works out to a widely reported total in the region of US$200–300.
• Porter: commonly cited at US$8–12 a day per porter, same lump-sum-at-the-end convention, working out to roughly US$100–180 total on a similar-length trek.
• Private driver: around US$5–10 a day is reported as fair for a hired driver on a multi-day trip; metered taxis don’t expect a tip beyond rounding up the fare.
• Restaurants: where a service charge isn’t already on the bill, 5–10% for good service is a commonly reported norm; at small local eateries a smaller, voluntary amount is more typical.
• Hotel staff: bellboys are commonly tipped roughly NPR 100–300 for luggage help, and housekeeping roughly NPR 100–200 a night; receptionists are not typically tipped.

Frame every figure above as customary and appreciated, never as a fixed obligation — and where a service charge is already included on a restaurant or hotel bill, an additional cash tip is a bonus, not an expectation. For guide and porter treatment more broadly, including fair pay and conditions beyond the trip-end tip, see Nepal trekking for beginners.

One etiquette note

Handing over or receiving money — including tips — with your right hand, rather than your left, is widely cited as the culturally polite convention across Nepal and the wider region. It is a small courtesy, not a hard rule, but an easy one to build into habit.