The price rise of RAM, chipset, and other components has increased the phone price in 2026. It seems the effect has started surfacing in Nepal too. The latest report from the Department of Customs shows that the price of digital equipment imported into Nepal, including smartphones, routers, SIM cards, etc., has gone up.
To put it into context, the global shortage and hiked price of RAM and chipsets have spiked the price of electronic devices. We have a post on how phone price is increasing globally in 2026. Now, it’s evident that Nepal is not going to be exempt from this undesirable situation.
Global electronics price hike seen in Nepal
According to the latest customs report, Nepal imported 12 lakh, 52 thousand, 634 units of smartphones in the first six months of FY 2082/83. The total value of these phones stands at a staggering Rs 23 arba, 29 crore, 83 lakh, and 22 thousand. In the same period in FY 2081/82, the traders brought in 11 lakh, 11 thousand, 556 units of smartphones worth Rs 16 arba, 71 crore, 39 lakh, and 30 thousand.
| Fiscal Year (First 6 Months, Till Poush) | Smartphones Imported (Units) | Import Value (Rs) |
| FY 2082/83 | 12,52,634 | Rs 23.29 arba |
| FY 2081/82 | 11,11,556 | Rs 16.71 arba |
In terms of government revenues, it generated over Rs 4.34 arba and Rs 3.11 arba in FY 2082/83 and FY 2081/82, respectively.
If you check the price to bring those phones in, you can clearly see how the global electronics price hike has directly translated in Nepal, too. Going by the data, the phone’s import has increased by 24%, ekantipur has reported. It’s not the direct side-by-side comparison of phone prices. But hey, it does point us to the obvious- the phone price has been increasing, it increases, and will continue to increase till the end of 2026, at least in the current scenario.
Also, check out the best 5G phones in Nepal with the latest update 2026
Price hike is not just limited to phones
And it’s not just about smartphones. The laptop price has also incurred the harsh effects of the global electronics challenge. In the first six months of the current fiscal year, Nepali traders have imported 75 thousand, 567 units of laptops in Nepal at Rs 5 arba, 25 crore, 74 lakh, and 19 thousand.
In the same period in FY 2081/82, Nepal imported 66 thousand, 59 units of laptops worth Rs 4 arba, 52 crore, 9 lakh, and 80 thousand. The laptop/notebook price has increased by about 1.6%.
| Fiscal Year (First 6 Months, till Poush) | Laptops Imported (Units) | Import Value (Rs) |
| FY 2082/83 | 75,567 | 5.25 arba |
| FY 2081/82 | 66,059 | Rs 4.52 arba |
Similarly, router import has also indicated the effects of the equipment price hike. Till Poush 2082, 4 lakh, 89 thousand, 3 hundred and 36 units of routers worth Rs 1 arba, 25 crore, 3 lakh, and 37 thousand were brought into the country. In the last FY during the same period, 3 lakh, 66 thousand, 8 hundred, and 80 routers worth Rs 94 crore, 68 lakh, and 2 thousand were imported into Nepal. From Ashoj to date, router price seems to have risen by up to 7%.
You may have also seen the effect of the global price hike in the recently launched Redmi Note 15 Series. The phone price starts at Rs 29,999 for the Redmi Note 15 4G. The company has said that the price is very aggressive in comparison to the cost range in other markets. That should give buyers some relief. But we will see how other brands price their phones in Nepal.
For now, the increased price on electronics equipment could be the keyword ahead in 2026, and we may only be able to cope with it.
