Bank Interest Rates in Nepal (Kartik 2083): Interest Rate of All Banks, Base Rate & What You Actually Get
Last updated: 31 October 2026 (Kartik 14, 2083) · Deposit rates effective from Kartik 1, 2083 · Category: Finance & NEPSE
Here is the short answer on bank interest rates in Nepal for Kartik 2083: commercial banks pay about 2.75% to 2.80% on savings accounts and 2.75% to 3.20% on a 1-year fixed deposit, with “up to” FD rates averaging about 4.0% for long tenures. On the lending side, the average base rate of the 20 commercial banks is about 4.8%, the weighted average lending rate is about 6.5%, and home loans start from about 4.55%. Behind all of it sits Nepal Rastra Bank’s 4.25% policy rate and a 2.75% interbank rate.
Most pages that rank for this topic are either one bank’s rate sheet or a monthly news story listing who cut rates. This guide is different: it puts the interest rate of all banks in one table (base rate, 1-year FD, highest FD and home loan rate side by side), explains how the base rate and NRB’s policy rates decide what you earn and pay, compares commercial banks with development banks and finance companies, and shows with real numbers what today’s rates mean for savers and borrowers.
Key takeaways (Kartik 2083)
- Savings accounts at most commercial banks: about 2.75% to 2.80%.
- 1-year FD at commercial banks: 2.75% to 3.20% (20-bank average about 2.87%). Development banks and finance companies pay up to about 5%.
- Average of the highest individual FD rates: about 4.01%, down from 4.13% in Bhadra.
- Base rates of all 20 commercial banks (Bhadra 2083): 4.12% to 5.80%, simple average about 4.82%.
- Weighted average lending rate of commercial banks: 6.48%; deposit rate: 3.15% (NRB, mid-August 2026).
- With inflation near 6%, savers are earning a negative real return, while borrowers have the cheapest loans in years.
In this guide
- Bank interest rates in Nepal at a glance
- Interest rate of all banks in Nepal (20 commercial banks)
- Base rate in Nepal explained
- How interest rates are set: NRB to your account
- Savings account interest rates
- Fixed deposit interest rates
- Loan interest rates by type
- Commercial vs development banks vs finance companies
- Why rates are so low in 2083 (trend)
- What today’s rates mean for you
- When banks change interest rates
- FAQs
Bank Interest Rates in Nepal at a Glance (Kartik 2083)
Every rate a Nepali saver or borrower deals with, on one screen. Bank rates are for commercial (Class A) banks unless stated.
| Rate | Current level | What it means for you |
|---|---|---|
| NRB policy rate | 4.25% | The central bank’s signal rate; unchanged in the FY 2083/84 monetary policy |
| Standing deposit facility (floor) | 2.75% | What banks earn parking spare cash with NRB; a practical floor for deposit rates |
| Bank rate / SLF (ceiling) | 5.75% | What banks pay to borrow overnight from NRB |
| Interbank rate | 2.75% | Stuck at the floor, a sign of excess liquidity |
| Savings account | 2.75% – 2.80% | Most general savings accounts |
| 1-year fixed deposit | 2.75% – 3.20% | Commercial banks; finance companies up to about 5% |
| Highest individual FD (average) | about 4.01% | Usually needs a 3 to 10 year lock-in |
| Remittance FD | up to about 5.5% | Extra 1 point allowed on money sent from abroad |
| Average base rate | about 4.82% | Floor for floating loan rates (Bhadra 2083, 20 banks) |
| Weighted average lending rate | 6.48% | What borrowers pay on average (NRB, mid-August 2026) |
| Weighted average deposit rate | 3.11% – 3.15% | What depositors earn on average, across all deposit types |
| Home loan (starting) | from about 4.55% | Median starting rate about 5.92% |
| Inflation (year-on-year) | 5.96% | Higher than almost every deposit rate |
Sources: policy rates from NRB’s FY 2082/83 first-quarter review (ShareSansar), kept unchanged in FY 2083/84 (Global IME Bank summary); lending, deposit and inflation figures from NRB’s first-month FY 2083/84 report (Financial Notices) and NRB (3.11%, two-month data); deposit and loan product rates from our Kartik 2083 guides linked below.
Interest Rate of All Banks in Nepal: 20 Commercial Banks Compared
This is the table most searchers are really looking for. It lines up the four numbers that matter for each bank, sorted by base rate (lowest first). A low base rate usually means cheaper loans; a high FD rate means better returns for savers.
| Commercial bank | Base rate (Bhadra 2083) | 1-year FD (Kartik) | Highest FD (Kartik) | Home loan from (Kartik) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Standard Chartered Bank Nepal | 4.12% | 2.75% | 3.70% | 6.12% |
| Rastriya Banijya Bank | 4.13% | 3.15% | 4.00% | 5.51%* |
| Everest Bank | 4.25% | 2.75% | 3.75% | 5.18% |
| Nabil Bank | 4.42% | 2.80% | 3.75% | 4.91% |
| Nepal Bank Limited | 4.45% | 2.76% | 3.75% | 6.83%* |
| Nepal Investment Mega Bank | 4.63% | 3.00% | 3.70% | 4.55% |
| Agricultural Development Bank | 4.66% | 2.75% | 4.15% | 4.55% |
| Global IME Bank | 4.67% | 2.76% | 4.00% | 5.64% |
| Sanima Bank | 4.79% | 2.80% | 4.50% | 6.21% |
| Prabhu Bank | 4.94% | 2.75% | 4.25% | 5.69% |
| Prime Commercial Bank | 4.95% | 3.00% | 4.00% | 4.87% |
| Machhapuchchhre Bank | 4.95% | 3.00% | 4.50% | 5.43% |
| Siddhartha Bank | 4.96% | 2.75% | 3.76% | 4.88% |
| Laxmi Sunrise Bank | 4.99% | 3.00% | 4.00% | 5.44% |
| Kumari Bank | 5.03% | 2.75% | 3.40% | 5.92% |
| NMB Bank | 5.06% | 2.75% | 4.50% | 5.51% |
| Citizens Bank International | 5.07% | 2.90% | 3.85% | 5.99% |
| Nepal SBI Bank | 5.14% | 3.20% | 4.00% | 5.61% |
| Himalayan Bank | 5.31% | 3.00% | 4.00% | 5.59% |
| NIC Asia Bank | 5.80% | 2.75% | 4.00% | 5.94% |
Sources: Bhadra 2083 base rates as compiled by Saral Banking Sewa; FD rates from bank rate sheets compiled by Byajdar and BankByaj; home loan starting rates from Byajdar (checked Kartik 7, 2083). *Trackers disagree for some state-owned banks; BankByaj lists lower home loan starting rates for RBB and Nepal Bank. Home loans are priced on a 3-month average base rate, which is why some starting rates sit below the single-month figure shown.
What the all-bank table tells us
- The whole market is squeezed into a narrow band. Base rates differ by only about 1.7 points from the lowest bank to the highest, and 1-year FD rates by less than half a point. Three years ago these gaps were much wider.
- Low base rate does not mean the best home loan. Standard Chartered has the lowest base rate but one of the higher home loan starting rates, because its premium is bigger. Always compare base rate plus premium.
- For savers, the bank barely matters at 1 year. Twelve banks pay 2.80% or less. The real differences appear at 3 to 5 years, and outside commercial banks.
- Rates are still falling. Ashwin 2083 figures already published show further small cuts: Rastriya Banijya Bank’s base rate is down to 3.90% and Nepal Bank’s to 4.37%.
Chart: Lowest and highest base rates, Bhadra 2083
Bar length scaled to 6%. The 20-bank average is our simple average of the Bhadra 2083 figures in the table; NRB’s own average for mid-August 2026 was 4.72%.
Base Rate in Nepal Explained
The base rate is the minimum lending rate a bank can charge. Nepal Rastra Bank requires every bank and financial institution to calculate it from a standard formula and publish it every month. Almost every floating-rate loan in Nepal, from home loans to business overdrafts, is priced as:
What goes into the base rate
- Cost of funds: mainly the interest the bank pays its depositors. This is the biggest piece, which is why falling deposit rates have dragged base rates down.
- Cost of reserves: money the bank must keep idle as the cash reserve ratio (CRR) and statutory liquidity ratio (SLR) earns little or nothing.
- Operating cost: branches, staff and systems.
- Return on equity: a margin for shareholders.
Monthly base rate vs 3-month average
Banks publish a base rate for each month, but most loans are re-priced using the average of the last three months. Nepal Bank Limited, for example, reported a base rate of 4.37% for Ashwin 2083 and a 3-month average of 4.38%, applied to loans from Kartik 11, 2083 (Nepal Bank base rate history). This smoothing means your EMI moves a few weeks after the market does, not instantly.
Base rate vs policy rate vs interest spread
| Term | Who sets it | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Policy rate (4.25%) | Nepal Rastra Bank | Signals NRB’s stance; the target around which it wants the interbank rate |
| Base rate (about 4.8%) | Each bank, by NRB formula | The floor for that bank’s floating loan rates |
| Premium | Bank, per borrower | Extra margin for your loan’s risk; written in your offer letter |
| Interest spread (about 3.3%) | Result of bank pricing; capped by NRB | Average lending rate minus average deposit rate: the bank’s gross margin |
Worked example: suppose your bank’s 3-month average base rate is 4.67% and it offers you a business loan at a 2-point premium. You pay 6.67%. On Rs. 20 lakh over 7 years that is an EMI of about Rs. 29,864. A riskier borrower given a 4-point premium (8.67%) at the same bank pays about Rs. 31,844 a month, around Rs. 1.66 lakh more over the loan. The premium decides more of your cost than which bank you pick.
Base rates outside commercial banks
Development banks and finance companies have higher costs of funds, so their base rates are higher. In NRB’s mid-February 2026 data, the average base rate was 5.12% at commercial banks, 7.19% at development banks and 7.89% at finance companies (NRB). Some larger development banks are now closer to commercial banks; trackers list Garima, Lumbini and Muktinath at about 5.2% to 5.5%.
How Interest Rates Are Set in Nepal: From NRB to Your Account
Bank rates in Nepal are not fixed by the government. Each bank sets its own, but within a chain that starts at Nepal Rastra Bank.
Diagram: The interest rate chain in Nepal
Floor 2.75%, policy 4.25%, ceiling 5.75%
Banks lend to each other; now 2.75%
Savings and FD rates follow funding needs
Built mostly from cost of deposits
Base rate + your premium
NRB’s interest rate corridor
NRB cut the policy rate from 4.50% to 4.25% and the upper bound (the standing liquidity facility or bank rate) from 6.00% to 5.75% in its first-quarter review of FY 2082/83, keeping the 2.75% deposit facility floor. The FY 2083/84 monetary policy, announced in July 2026, kept all three unchanged and continued to use the interbank rate as its operating target. In practice, because banks are flush with cash, the interbank rate sits right on the 2.75% floor rather than near the 4.25% policy rate, so the floor is what really drives deposit pricing today.
NRB rules that shape what banks can charge and pay
- Monthly publication: banks publish deposit and lending rates before the start of each Nepali month, effective from the 1st.
- Spread cap: commercial banks must keep their average interest spread within the limit NRB sets (4%); most now report around 3% to 3.5%.
- Same loan, similar price: under NRB’s Unified Directive, rates for loans of the same nature cannot differ by more than 2 percentage points between borrowers, as banks restate in their rate notices.
- Remittance bonus: banks can pay up to 1 point more on deposits received from Nepalis in foreign employment, which is why remittance FDs pay the most.
- No surprise premium: the premium written in your accepted loan offer letter cannot be raised later; only the base rate part moves.
Savings Account Interest Rates in Nepal
Savings rates have converged almost completely. Nabil Bank’s Kartik 2083 sheet lists 2.75% on nearly all its savings products, rising only to 2.77% to 2.80% for premium and payroll accounts (Nabil Bank). Nepal SBI Bank pays 2.80% on its general accounts and Nepal Bank 2.75% to 2.76%. Special accounts such as senior citizen or women’s savings can pay slightly more, but rarely above about 3.75%.
Tip: With savings and 1-year FD rates now within a few tenths of a point at many banks, there is little reason to lock money for one year at a commercial bank. Keep your emergency fund in savings, and only lock money where the rate gap is real (longer tenures, remittance FDs, or a sound finance company).
Fixed Deposit Interest Rates in Nepal
For Kartik 2083, the average of commercial banks’ highest individual FD rates fell to about 4.01%, according to Artha Sansar via ShareHub. It was 4.13% in Bhadra and 4.08% in Ashwin (Kantipur). But that headline is for long tenures. For a 1-year FD, commercial banks pay 2.75% to 3.20%.
Commercial bank, 1 year
2.75% – 3.20%
Finance co. / dev. bank, 1 year
up to 5.00%
Remittance FD
up to 5.5%
- Banks deduct 6% TDS on FD interest for individuals, so a 2.75% FD nets about 2.59%.
- Deposits are insured up to Rs. 5 lakh per depositor per institution by the Deposit and Credit Guarantee Fund.
- Nepal Investment Mega Bank added a 1-point premium on all remittance FDs from Kartik 1, 2083 (ICT Frame).
- Full tenure-wise rates for every bank, plus laddering and tax: read our fixed deposit interest rate in Nepal guide. Living abroad? See NRN fixed deposit interest rates for USD deposits.
Loan Interest Rates in Nepal by Type
Loan rates vary much more than deposit rates, because the premium depends on the type of loan and your risk. These are the published ranges at commercial banks for the latest available month.
| Loan type | Typical range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Agriculture loan | 3.91% – 9.99% | Average about 5.61% (Ashwin 2083); many priced at base rate |
| Home loan | from 4.55% | Median starting rate 5.92% across 47 BFIs (Kartik 2083) |
| Mortgage loan | 4.80% – 9.99% | Average about 7.01% across 13 banks (Ashwin 2083) |
| Professional loan | 5.13% – 9.86% | 11 banks (Bhadra 2083) |
| Loan against FD | FD rate + up to 2% | Cheapest way to borrow without breaking an FD |
| Credit card | Highest of all | Unsecured; see our credit card guide for bank-wise rates |
| All loans (weighted average) | 6.48% | Commercial banks, NRB mid-August 2026 |
Sources: agriculture and mortgage loans from BFIS Compare; professional loans from Sasto Karja; loan against FD terms as published in bank rate notices such as Kamana Sewa Bikas Bank’s. Ranges are published rates; your rate depends on your premium.
- Buying or building a home? Our home loan interest rate in Nepal guide has all 47 lenders, EMIs for Rs. 50 lakh, NRB loan limits and a rate-rise stress test.
- Using a card? See credit card interest rates and fees in Nepal, and the dollar card guide for international payments.
Commercial Banks vs Development Banks vs Finance Companies
Nepal has three main classes of deposit-taking institutions licensed by NRB. Smaller ones pay more to depositors and charge more to borrowers.
| Type | Avg. deposit rate | Avg. lending rate | Avg. base rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Class A: Commercial banks (20) | 3.35% | 6.73% | 5.12% |
| Class B: Development banks | 3.70% | 7.87% | 7.19% |
| Class C: Finance companies | 4.59% | 9.14% | 7.89% |
Deposit and lending rates: NRB data for Baishakh 2083 as reported by Ratopati. Base rates: NRB, mid-February 2026. These are weighted averages across all products, which is why they differ from headline FD rates.
Choose a commercial bank if…
You are borrowing (cheapest loans), holding large balances, or want the widest branch, app and remittance network.
Consider a development bank or finance company if…
You want a higher FD return and can keep each deposit within the Rs. 5 lakh insured limit, after checking the institution’s financial health.
Why Bank Interest Rates in Nepal Are So Low in 2083
In just two years, the average lending rate at commercial banks has fallen by about 3 points and the deposit rate by more than 2 points. The chart uses NRB’s own weighted averages so every point is like-for-like.
Chart: Commercial bank rates, Bhadra 2081 to Shrawan 2083 (NRB)
Weighted average lending rate
Weighted average deposit rate
Sources: NRB Current Macroeconomic and Financial Situation reports (two months of 2025/26, seven months of 2025/26, one month of 2026/27 via Financial Notices), Baishakh 2083 via Ratopati. Bar length scaled to 10%. Same period: average base rate fell from 7.49% to 4.72%.
- Too much money, too few borrowers. In mid-October 2026, BFIs held about Rs. 8,515 billion in deposits but had lent only about Rs. 6,077 billion, a credit-to-deposit ratio near 71% (NRB indicators).
- Strong remittance inflows keep adding deposits faster than loan demand grows.
- NRB is soaking up the surplus through deposit auctions, its deposit facility and NRB bonds, which pins the interbank rate at the 2.75% floor.
- Cheaper deposits mean cheaper loans. Because the base rate is built from the cost of deposits, every cut in FD rates flows into lower lending rates a month or two later.
Will rates rise again? Nobody can promise the timing. Deposit rates are already close to the 2.75% floor, so there is little room left to fall. Inflation (5.96%) is now above NRB’s target of about 5.5%, and NRB has signalled it may narrow its interest rate corridor. If loan demand recovers or NRB tightens, deposit and loan rates would rise together. Watch NRB’s first-quarter monetary policy review, normally released around Mangsir.
What Today’s Interest Rates Mean for You
For savers: Rs. 10 lakh in a 1-year FD
| Scenario | Rate | Interest | After 6% TDS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Typical commercial bank today | 2.75% | Rs. 27,500 | Rs. 25,850 |
| Best commercial bank today | 3.20% | Rs. 32,000 | Rs. 30,080 |
| Best finance company today | 5.00% | Rs. 50,000 | Rs. 47,000 |
| Average deposit rate two years ago | 5.53% | Rs. 55,300 | Rs. 51,982 |
The same Rs. 10 lakh at a typical bank now earns roughly half what it did two years ago. With inflation near 6%, the money buys less at maturity than today. An FD is now a tool for safety, not growth. If you have a long horizon, compare it with a monthly SIP in a mutual fund or investing in the Nepal share market, keeping in mind that those carry real risk.
For borrowers: Rs. 10 lakh over 5 years
At 9.52% (Bhadra 2081 average)
Rs. 21,012/month
Total interest about Rs. 2.61 lakh
At 6.48% (today’s average)
Rs. 19,557/month
Total interest about Rs. 1.73 lakh
That is about Rs. 87,000 less interest on the same loan. Our calculations use the standard reducing-balance EMI formula. Two cautions: most loans are floating, so plan for rates 2 to 3 points higher later, and with FD rates at 2.75% while your loan costs 6% or more, paying down debt early is often a better use of spare cash than a new FD.
When Do Banks in Nepal Change Interest Rates?
| What changes | How often | Affects you when |
|---|---|---|
| Savings and FD rates | Every Nepali month (published around the middle of the previous month) | Savings: immediately. FD: only new or renewed deposits |
| Base rate | Monthly, with a 3-month average | Floating loans re-priced, often quarterly |
| NRB policy rates | Annual monetary policy (Asar) plus quarterly reviews | Indirectly, over the following months |
How to check and compare rates yourself
- Use the bank’s own rate sheet on its website or app for the current month. Trackers are handy, but they sometimes disagree.
- Compare like with like: the rate for your exact FD tenure, or the base rate plus your premium for a loan.
- Check the effective date (“effective from 1st Kartik 2083”) so you are not looking at last month.
- Ask about special products: remittance, senior citizen and salary accounts often pay more than the headline sheet.
- Get loan terms in writing, including the premium, service fee and how often the rate resets.
More Loans, Cards & Banking guides
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the current bank interest rates in Nepal?
For Kartik 2083, commercial banks pay about 2.75% to 2.80% on savings and 2.75% to 3.20% on 1-year fixed deposits, with highest FD rates averaging about 4%. The average base rate is about 4.8% and the weighted average lending rate about 6.5%.
What is the base rate in Nepal?
The base rate is the minimum lending rate a bank can charge, calculated monthly from its cost of deposits, reserve costs, operating costs and a return margin. In Bhadra 2083, commercial bank base rates ranged from 4.12% to 5.80%, averaging about 4.82%.
Which bank has the lowest base rate in Nepal?
In Bhadra 2083, Standard Chartered Bank Nepal (4.12%) and Rastriya Banijya Bank (4.13%) had the lowest base rates, followed by Everest Bank (4.25%). NIC Asia Bank had the highest at 5.80%.
Which bank gives the highest interest rate in Nepal?
For a 1-year FD in Kartik 2083, Nepal SBI Bank leads commercial banks at 3.20%. For longer tenures, Machhapuchchhre, Sanima and NMB Bank publish up to 4.50%. Some development banks and finance companies pay up to 5% for 1 year, and remittance FDs reach about 5.5%.
What is Nepal Rastra Bank’s current policy rate?
The policy rate is 4.25%, with the standing deposit facility at 2.75% and the bank rate at 5.75%. NRB kept all three unchanged in its FY 2083/84 monetary policy.
How is my loan interest rate calculated?
Most loans in Nepal are floating: your rate equals the bank’s 3-month average base rate plus a premium set for you in the offer letter. When the base rate changes, your rate changes; the premium stays the same.
What is the interest spread rate?
It is the difference between a bank’s average lending rate and average deposit rate. NRB caps it for commercial banks at 4%, and most banks now report about 3% to 3.5%.
How often do banks in Nepal change interest rates?
Every Nepali month. Banks publish new deposit and lending rates before the month starts, effective from the 1st. Existing FDs keep their booked rate until maturity.
Why are bank interest rates in Nepal falling?
Banks hold far more deposits than they can lend, with a credit-to-deposit ratio near 71%. With the interbank rate stuck at NRB’s 2.75% floor, banks cut deposit rates, which lowers their base rates and loan rates.
Final Verdict
Bank interest rates in Nepal are at multi-year lows in Kartik 2083. Savings and 1-year FDs at commercial banks pay under 3.2%, below inflation, while the average base rate of about 4.8% has pushed loan rates down to around 6.5% on average. The interest rate of all banks now sits in a tight band, so the details matter more than the bank name: the tenure on your FD, the premium on your loan, and whether you qualify for remittance or special rates.
Savers should keep FDs for safety and short-term goals, and spread larger sums across institutions within the insured limit. Borrowers should enjoy the low rates but budget for them rising. Rates change at the start of every Nepali month, so check this page again in Mangsir. Browse all our Finance & NEPSE guides for more.
How we compiled these rates
We checked Kartik 2083 rate sheets and trackers between 18 and 31 October 2026. Market-wide figures come from Nepal Rastra Bank’s monetary policy and monthly macroeconomic reports. Bank-wise base rates are Bhadra 2083 figures, the latest complete month for all 20 banks; deposit and home loan figures are Kartik 2083. Where trackers disagreed, we cross-checked against the bank’s own website (Nabil Bank, Nepal Bank, Rastriya Banijya Bank, Nepal SBI Bank). All averages, EMIs and FD returns are our own calculations.
Disclaimer: This article is for general information, not financial advice. Rates change monthly and vary by product, amount, tenure and borrower. Always confirm the current rate with the bank or financial institution before depositing or borrowing.