Price per GB
$3.54
Median mid-tier catalogue price.
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Kathmandu fine; trekking routes above 3000m unreliable to none.
Nepal runs on 4G, not 5G: as of 2026 only internal 5G trials have happened, with no public 5G launch yet, since the regulator has not allocated commercial 5G spectrum. The 4G launched in 2017 across all operators. The defining factor in Nepal is terrain: coverage and speeds are solid in the Kathmandu valley and Pokhara, but drop off sharply in the mountains. NTC has the widest reach, including many trekking regions; Ncell is faster in the cities. On high-altitude treks, expect long stretches with no signal at all regardless of operator, and plan for offline maps.
Typical local SIM: $Very cheap: a local SIM with data runs a few dollars. Avoid the marked-up airport tourist SIM if you can wait until town.. Usually sold at Tribhuvan International Airport (Kathmandu) arrival counters, and NTC or Ncell shops and corner stores in the cities. A passport copy and sometimes a passport photo are needed.. Local SIMs are cheap and easy to get with a passport. For trekkers, NTC has the widest mountain coverage. A travel eSIM is the no-paperwork option for short city stays, but check it runs on a network with real coverage where you are going, since Nepal's terrain makes signal patchy off the main routes.
For Kathmandu and Pokhara, a travel eSIM is the easy, no-paperwork pick. For trekking, an NTC local SIM gives the widest mountain coverage, and even then you will lose signal at altitude, so carry offline maps either way.
The state operator with the widest reach across Nepal, including more remote and trekking areas. Speeds are modest but coverage is the broadest, which matters once you leave Kathmandu. The safer choice for trekkers and anyone heading into the hills.
The main private operator, generally faster than NTC in Kathmandu and Pokhara, with good city coverage. Reach thins out faster in remote mountain areas, so it pairs best with NTC for serious trekking.
A smaller third operator with limited coverage. Not a practical choice for most travellers.
you want to land in Kathmandu connected with no paperwork for a city-and-Pokhara trip, where 4G coverage is reliable.
you are trekking and want NTC's wider mountain reach, or staying long enough that the very low local prices matter. Registration is quick with a passport.
No first-hand measurement has been published for Nepal yet. This page will update automatically when a validated field test is added to the shared dataset.
Use this page to compare the current price per GB, network indicator, transparency signal and local-operator reference for Nepal. It also links to a destination calculator and plan page.
It is the median price per GB of mid-tier plans in the live Nepal catalogue. Small 1 GB teasers and 50 GB or larger bulk plans are excluded so the figure reflects a typical traveller choice.
The page shows the current mobile speed indicator, a transparency score and the main local operator. These are destination-level signals, not a guarantee for every street or device.
The decision section compares the practical trade-offs. A travel eSIM is usually simpler for a short visit; a local SIM can make sense when you need a local number, longer service or local pricing. Check the current conditions before deciding.
Price per GB is the median of mid-tier plans from the live Nepal catalogue. Network and transparency indicators come from the shared Drift dataset and are refreshed monthly.
Field measurements are published only after validation. Open dataset: data-asia.json.
Figures updated September 2026. Dataset license: CC BY 4.0.