The website cost in Nepal depends on the type of site, how much custom work it needs and who prepares the content, so a simple brochure site and a full online store can sit far apart in price. On top of the build fee, you pay small yearly costs for the domain, hosting and upkeep. Knowing both parts lets you budget with confidence.
I’m Apar, an independent designer in Bharatpur, Chitwan, and this is the question I hear before almost any other. In this article I break the cost down by type of site, show the yearly running costs with real published figures, list the hidden costs most quotes skip, and explain how to compare two quotes fairly. If you are still deciding what kind of website you need, start with my guide to website design in Nepal and come back here when you are ready to budget.
A website cost in Nepal has two parts you should budget separately.
Every website has a one time build cost and a yearly running cost, and most confusion in quotes comes from mixing the two. The build cost pays for planning, design, development, content setup and launch. The running cost keeps the site online, secure and current every year after that.
Think of it like opening a shop. The fit out is paid once. The rent, electricity and repairs come back every year. A designer who quotes only the build is not hiding anything, but you still need to know what the yearly bills will be before you say yes.
I always split these two in my own proposals. It makes the conversation calmer, because the owner can see that the large number happens once and the small numbers are predictable.
How much does each type of website cost to build in Nepal?
The build cost rises with each step from a simple information site to a store or a custom system, because each step adds features, data and testing. Published price lists in Nepal mostly come from web companies and vary widely, so I describe the tiers by what you get rather than repeat any one company’s numbers.
| Type of website | What you usually get | Where it sits on price |
|---|---|---|
| One page or small brochure site | Three to five pages, contact form, map, Viber or WhatsApp button | Lowest tier |
| Business website you can edit | Five to fifteen pages on WordPress, service pages, blog, basic SEO setup, training | Lower middle tier |
| Catalogue or directory site | Custom fields, filters, product or doctor listings, enquiry forms | Upper middle tier |
| Online store | Products, cart, eSewa or Khalti, cash on delivery, order emails | Upper middle to high tier |
| Custom web application | Logins, dashboards, bookings or data tied to your own systems | Highest tier |
The jump between tiers is rarely about the number of pages. A site with a doctor database linked to departments, like the one I built for Kathmandu Model Hospital, takes far more planning than a fifteen page site of plain text. If you are deciding between WordPress, Shopify and a custom build, my comparison of WordPress, Shopify or custom code for a Nepali business covers the platform side.
These seven factors drive the price of a website more than page count.
The biggest cost drivers are custom features, content, products and payments, not how many pages appear in the menu. When I scope a project, these are the questions that move the number up or down.
- Custom features. Filters, booking forms, member areas and databases need planning and testing. On the Goreto Gears ecommerce website, the activity filters for trekking and outdoor gear took more thought than any single page design.
- Who writes the content. If you supply finished text in English and Nepali, the cost stays lower. If the designer writes it, that is real work and should be priced.
- Product and data entry. Uploading two hundred products with photos, sizes and descriptions takes days, not minutes.
- Payments. Adding a payment gateway means merchant registration, testing in sandbox mode and handling failed payments.
- Design originality. A lightly adjusted theme costs less than a layout designed from scratch around your brand.
- Languages. A bilingual site doubles the content to write, check and keep updated.
- Photography. Good photos of your team, rooms or products often matter more than any design choice, and they cost money if you do not already have them.
Timeline also affects cost. A rushed launch before Dashain means more hours in fewer days, and most designers price that in.
What are the yearly costs of running a website in Nepal?
Running costs in Nepal are modest: a .com.np domain is free, a .com domain and basic hosting cost a few thousand rupees a year, and maintenance depends on how much care the site needs. Platforms like Shopify add a monthly fee in US dollars.
Here are the published figures I could check for 2025 and 2026.
| Item | Published figure | How often you pay |
|---|---|---|
| .com.np domain | Free through the official .np registry | No fee, but reverification applies |
| .com domain | About NPR 2,000 a year (Prabhu Host, 2025) | Every year |
| Shared hosting from a Nepali host | NPR 1,800 to 10,000 a year (Domain Nepal plans, October 2026) | Every year |
| WooCommerce core plugin | Free, no monthly subscription | No fee |
| Premium WooCommerce extensions | $29 to $299 a year per extension | Every year, in US dollars |
| Shopify Basic plan | $29 a month billed yearly, or $39 paid monthly (October 2026) | Monthly or yearly, in US dollars |
| Maintenance and updates | Varies with the size of the site and the plan | Monthly or yearly |
The official registry, run by Mercantile Communications, states on its .np registry FAQ page that domain registrations under .np are free of cost. A 2025 cost guide from Prabhu Host puts a .com domain at about NPR 2,000 a year. The hosting plans listed by Domain Nepal in October 2026 ran from NPR 1,800 a year for a 1 GB starter plan to NPR 10,000 a year for the top plan.
For platform fees, the WooCommerce pricing page in October 2026 listed the core plugin as free with no monthly subscription, and paid extensions at $29 to $299 a year each. Shopify’s pricing page in October 2026 showed the Basic plan at $29 a month billed yearly in US dollars. Anything priced in dollars has to be paid with a card that works internationally, which is its own small hassle for many Nepali owners.
Maintenance is the line that varies most, so I explain what it covers and what drives its price in my article on website maintenance in Nepal. For choosing between .com.np and .com, see my guide to domain and hosting in Nepal.
Which hidden costs do most website quotes leave out?
The costs that surprise owners are usually content, photos, payment charges and yearly renewals in US dollars, because they sit outside the design work itself. Ask about each one before you sign.
- Copywriting and translation. Someone has to write every page. If that is you, set aside the time.
- Payment gateway charges. Khalti says on its payment gateway page that merchants pay a one time API charge plus a service charge on each transaction, with exact rates agreed directly.
- Platform transaction fees. Shopify’s pricing page in October 2026 listed a 2 percent fee on its Basic plan when you use a third party payment provider, which any Nepali store must do.
- Plugin and theme renewals. Premium licences renew every year, and a lapsed licence means no security updates.
- Business email. Professional email on your domain may come with hosting or may need a separate paid service.
- Changes after launch. New pages, a new menu or seasonal offers are often billed separately once the project closes.
- Rebuilding from scratch. If your designer disappears and nobody else can edit the site, the real cost is building it again.
That last one is the most expensive hidden cost of all, and I see it often. It is why I build on WordPress and hand over every login on launch day.
How do you compare two website quotes fairly?
Compare quotes by scope, not by the final number: list the pages, features, content responsibilities, revisions and yearly costs in each, then see which quote actually delivers what you need. A cheaper quote that leaves out content or training often costs more by the end.
I suggest putting both quotes side by side and checking these points.
| Question to ask | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Which pages and features are named in writing? | Vague scope leads to arguments later. |
| Who writes and uploads the content? | This is often the biggest hidden workload. |
| How many revision rounds are included? | Endless revisions or none at all both cause trouble. |
| Are the domain and hosting registered in your name? | You must own your own address and files. |
| What platform is it built on? | It decides who else can maintain it in future. |
| What happens in the first month after launch? | Bugs appear once real customers arrive. |
| Is training included? | You should be able to change prices and text yourself. |
A big gap between two quotes usually means they describe different projects. Ask each designer to explain what the other one included. The answers tell you a lot about who has thought your project through.
Is a cheap website worth it for a small Nepali business?
A low cost website can be worth it if it is fast, honest and easy to edit, but it becomes expensive when it is slow, built on a pirated theme or locked away from you. Cheap is fine. Fragile is not.
I have nothing against small budgets. A clean three page site with clear services, a map and a phone button will do more for a Chitwan clinic or a Pokhara guesthouse than a fancy site nobody updates. What worries me is the cheap site with nulled plugins, no backups and a login that only the original developer knows.
My honest advice is to spend less on decoration and more on the basics: good photos, clear words, speed on mobile data and ownership of your accounts. Those four things carry most of the value.
This is how I help clients set a sensible website budget.
I start with a discovery call, agree the scope in writing, and only then give a clear quote, so the price matches the work rather than a guess. If the budget is tight, we build the essential version first and plan a second phase.
On the call I ask what the site must achieve in its first six months. For a hospital, that might be helping patients find the right doctor. For a shop, it is orders. Everything that does not serve that goal can wait for phase two, which keeps the first bill smaller without cutting quality.
I also write down the yearly costs at the start, so nobody gets a surprise renewal email a year later.
These are the questions business owners ask me most about website costs.
Is a .com.np domain really free in Nepal?
Yes, the official .np registry says registrations under .np are free of cost. You still need to submit the right documents and keep your contact details current for reverification. Your hosting is a separate paid service.
Do I have to pay for my website every year?
Yes, you pay every year for hosting and for a .com domain, plus any premium plugin licences or platform fees. The design and build are paid once. Budget for the yearly costs before you launch so the site never goes offline over an unpaid bill.
Does an online store cost more than a normal website?
Yes, an online store usually costs more because it adds products, a cart, payment gateways, delivery options and more testing. Product data entry alone can take days. I cover the full setup in my guide on starting an online store in Nepal with eSewa and Khalti.
How long does it take to build a business website?
Most business websites take a few weeks, depending on scope and how quickly content arrives. The Goreto Gears store took about three weeks, while the Kathmandu Model Hospital project took about two months including social media work. Content delays are the most common reason projects run late.
Should I pay the full website cost upfront?
No, staged payments are fairer for both sides. A common pattern is a deposit to start, a payment when the design is approved and the balance at launch. Make sure the stages are written into the agreement.
Can I build my own website to save money?
Yes, you can, and for a very small business a simple builder can be a fair start. The trade off is your time, plus the risk of a slow site with weak structure for Google. Many owners begin this way and hire a designer once enquiries matter.
Here is what I would do next if I were you.
Write down the three things your website must do, list the pages you think you need, and collect your logo, photos and any existing text. With that in hand, any designer can give you a realistic website cost instead of a guess.
If you would like me to look at your plans, you can read about my website design and development service or get in touch for a discovery call. I will give you a clear quote once we agree the scope.