Reference snapshot: Asar 2083 (June 2026), 1-year individual fixed deposit rates. Rates are revised monthly - confirm the current figure with the bank before depositing.
Choosing a fixed deposit in Nepal usually comes down to a short list of real questions: which bank pays the most, how much of that gap actually matters on the amount you have to deposit, and whether the highest payer is safe and convenient enough to be worth switching to. This article puts all 20 commercial banks side by side, works out what the rate difference is actually worth in rupees, and gives you a filterable way to find banks above a rate you set yourself.
What this comparison covers
Standard 1-year fixed deposit rates for individual depositors at all 20 Nepali commercial banks, as published for Asar 2083 (June 2026). Institutional, senior citizen, and remittance-linked rates differ from these figures - see the notes below each section for how much they typically vary.
Full comparison table
Use the filter below to quickly narrow the list to banks meeting a minimum rate you care about.
| Rank | Bank | Rate (p.a.) | Interest on Rs 5,00,000 (1 yr, gross) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | NIMB Bank | 5.25% | Rs 26,250 |
| 2 | Agricultural Development Bank (ADBL) | 5.15% | Rs 25,750 |
| 3 | Prime Commercial Bank | 5.00% | Rs 25,000 |
| 4 | Sanima Bank | 4.75% | Rs 23,750 |
| 5 | Rastriya Banijya Bank (RBB) | 4.75% | Rs 23,750 |
| 6 | NMB Bank | 4.75% | Rs 23,750 |
| 7 | Prabhu Bank | 4.55% | Rs 22,750 |
| 8 | Nabil Bank | 4.55% | Rs 22,750 |
| 9 | Machhapuchchhre Bank (MBL) | 4.50% | Rs 22,500 |
| 10 | Global IME Bank | 4.50% | Rs 22,500 |
| 11 | Nepal Bank Limited | 4.25% | Rs 21,250 |
| 12 | Nepal SBI Bank | 4.10% | Rs 20,500 |
| 13 | Everest Bank | 4.05% | Rs 20,250 |
| 14 | Siddhartha Bank | 4.05% | Rs 20,250 |
| 15 | Citizens Bank International | 4.05% | Rs 20,250 |
| 16 | NIC Asia Bank | 4.00% | Rs 20,000 |
| 17 | Himalayan Bank | 4.00% | Rs 20,000 |
| 18 | Laxmi Sunrise Bank | 4.00% | Rs 20,000 |
| 19 | Standard Chartered Bank Nepal (SCB) | 3.95% | Rs 19,750 |
| 20 | Kumari Bank | 3.91% | Rs 19,550 |
Average top rate across all 20 banks: 4.41% p.a. (median 4.38%). Spread between highest and lowest: 1.34 percentage points, which on Rs 5,00,000 works out to roughly Rs 6,700 in gross interest over one year.
Grouping banks by tier
Raw rank order is less useful than seeing where the natural breaks fall. Grouped by tier, the market splits roughly into four bands:
Most competitive (5.00%+)
- NIMB - 5.25%
- ADBL - 5.15%
- Prime - 5.00%
Upper tier (4.50% - 4.75%)
- Sanima, RBB, NMB - 4.75%
- Prabhu, Nabil - 4.55%
- MBL, Global IME - 4.50%
Mid tier (4.00% - 4.25%)
- Nepal Bank - 4.25%
- Nepal SBI - 4.10%
- Everest, Siddhartha, Citizens - 4.05%
Least competitive (below 4.00%)
- NIC Asia, Himalayan, Laxmi Sunrise - 4.00%
- SCB - 3.95%
- Kumari - 3.91%
Does the rate difference actually matter?
On a modest deposit, chasing the top of the table is rarely worth switching banks for. On a larger deposit, it adds up quickly. The table below shows the same 1.34-point spread applied to three common deposit sizes.
| Deposit amount | At 3.91% | At 5.25% | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rs 1,00,000 | Rs 3,910 | Rs 5,250 | Rs 1,340 |
| Rs 5,00,000 | Rs 19,550 | Rs 26,250 | Rs 6,700 |
| Rs 20,00,000 | Rs 78,200 | Rs 1,05,000 | Rs 26,800 |
On a small deposit, the difference is a few thousand rupees - probably not worth the hassle of opening an account at an unfamiliar bank if you already have a relationship with a mid-tier one. On a large deposit, the gap is significant enough that it is worth the extra paperwork, especially since Nepal Rastra Bank guarantees each account up to Rs 5,00,000 through the DCGC regardless of which licensed bank you choose.
Rate is not the only thing that matters
A slightly lower rate at a bank with a branch near you, a functioning mobile app, and fast customer service can be a better real-world choice than the top rate at a bank you will struggle to reach if something goes wrong. Before you decide purely on rate, weigh:
- Branch and ATM access - useful if you will need to visit in person for renewals or premature withdrawal requests.
- Digital banking quality - whether you can open, renew, or check on the FD without visiting a branch.
- Minimum deposit and tenure options - some of the higher-rate offers apply only above a certain minimum or for specific tenures.
- Bank stability and NRB standing - all 20 commercial banks are NRB-licensed and DCGC-covered up to Rs 5,00,000, which meaningfully reduces this concern for individual depositors.
A note on how these rates were compiled
These figures come from published bank rate sheets and third-party rate trackers for Asar 2083, cross-referenced across multiple sources for consistency. Nepali banks revise FD rates roughly monthly, so by the time you read this, several banks on this list will likely have moved. Treat this table as a structural map of the market - who tends to lead and who tends to sit at the floor - and always confirm the live number before opening an account.
Frequently asked questions
No single bank stays at the top permanently, since rates are revised monthly based on each bank's liquidity needs. Mid-sized banks such as NIMB, ADBL, and Prime have tended to sit toward the upper end of the market in recent snapshots, while some of the largest, most established banks have tended to sit in the mid-to-lower tier.
Banks with strong existing deposit bases and lower immediate lending needs often see less pressure to offer high rates. Banks that are actively growing their loan book or need to shore up liquidity tend to offer more to attract fresh deposits. Neither situation by itself indicates a safety problem, since all commercial banks are NRB-regulated.
It is a common and reasonable approach for deposits above Rs 5,00,000, since that is the per-depositor, per-institution limit for DCGC insurance coverage. Splitting also lets you capture the best available rate at more than one institution rather than committing everything to a single bank's current offer.
Most banks review and adjust their deposit rates monthly, often in response to Nepal Rastra Bank's policy signals and their own liquidity position. It is normal for a bank's rate to move by a quarter or half a percentage point from one month to the next.
Conclusion
Across all 20 commercial banks, the practical spread in Asar 2083 ran from 3.91% to 5.25% - a gap worth chasing on a large deposit and largely academic on a small one. Use the filter above to shortlist banks above whatever rate matters to you, then weigh convenience and digital banking quality before you make the final call, since the highest number on the sheet is only part of the decision.
Curious why these rates keep drifting lower month after month, or want to know exactly how much tax comes out of your FD interest?
Read: Why FD Rates Keep Falling ->Rate data referenced from published commercial bank rate sheets and Nepal Rastra Bank disclosures for Asar 2083 (June 2026). FD rates change monthly; figures here may not reflect the current rate at the time you are reading this. This article is for general information only and is not personalized financial advice - confirm current rates and terms directly with your bank or NRB before making a deposit decision.
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