Ask five companies in Kathmandu what an app costs and you'll get five very different numbers, from NPR 50,000 to NPR 50 lakh. They're not all wrong; they're quoting different apps. Here's how to tell what yours will actually cost.
App cost in Nepal by type
| Type of app | Typical price in Nepal | Typical timeline |
|---|---|---|
| Simple information or catalogue app | NPR 1,50,000 – 4,00,000 | 6–10 weeks |
| Booking or appointment app | NPR 3,50,000 – 6,00,000 | 2–4 months |
| Ecommerce app with eSewa / Khalti | NPR 4,00,000 – 7,00,000 | 3–4 months |
| School, hospital or business management app | NPR 4,00,000 – 10,00,000 | 3–6 months |
| Delivery, ride or marketplace platform | NPR 10,00,000+ | 6 months+ |
These ranges are based on published Nepali price guides and our own quotes. A delivery or marketplace app costs much more because it's really three apps: one for customers, one for drivers or vendors, and an admin panel.
What drives the price
- The back end: logins, databases, payments and notifications
- The admin panel your team uses to manage content and orders
- Number of user types (customer, vendor, driver, admin)
- Integrations: eSewa, Khalti, SMS, maps, accounting
- Design: custom UI or a template
- Android only, or Android and iOS
Flutter, React Native or native?
For most Nepali business apps, a cross-platform framework like Flutter is the sensible choice. One codebase covers Android, which most people in Nepal use, and iOS, at a lower cost than building two native apps. Native development is worth it for apps that depend on heavy device features or very complex animation.
Running costs after launch
| Cost | Typical amount |
|---|---|
| Server and database | About NPR 2,500 – 15,000 a month |
| Google Play developer account | USD 25, one-time |
| Apple developer account | USD 99 a year |
| SMS for OTP and alerts | About NPR 0.45 – 1.00 per SMS |
| Maintenance and updates | About 15–20% of build cost a year |
Questions to ask before you hire
- Can I download and try apps you've published?
- Who owns the source code and the store accounts?
- Is the admin panel included in the price?
- What happens if the App Store rejects the app?
- What does maintenance cost after the free period?
