EXPENSIVE: Apple MacBook Air M5 Now Costs Up to Rs. 51,500 More in Nepal

Generation Next Communications, the official distributor of Apple products in Nepal, quietly introduced the MacBook Air M5 in Nepal, alongside the iPad Air M4 and the MacBook Neo earlier this year. Just a few months later, both the Neo and Air M5 have already been hit with another price hike again.

Last year’s MacBook Air M4 stood out as one of Apple’s best-value laptops. Its successor, the Air M5, seems to have fallen far from that tree. This is already the second price increase since launch, and it is a significant one. So is it still worth it? Let’s find out.

What is the Price of Apple MacBook Air M5 in Nepal?

Last year, the MacBook Air M4 started at $999 in the US, and came in at Rs. 1,52,500 for the 16/256GB base variant in Nepal. This year, the starting price rose to $1,099, and Apple also bumped the base storage from 256GB to 512GB. So, you are getting double the storage right out of the box compared to last year.

The MacBook Air M5 13-inch price in Nepal is Rs. 2,48,500 (16/512GB), Rs. 3,05,500 (16GB/1TB), and Rs. 3,42,500 (24GB/1TB). Previously, the 13-inch M5 started at Rs. 2,15,500 (16/512GB), Rs. 2,54,000 (16GB/1TB), and Rs. 2,95,000 (24GB/1TB). So that’s a Rs. 33,000, Rs. 51,500, and Rs. 47,500 price bump for the three variants, respectively.

Meanwhile, the 15-inch model previously started at Rs. 2,56,500 (16/512GB), Rs. 2,95,500 (16GB/1TB), and Rs. 3,34,500 (24GB/1TB), but now costs Rs. 2,86,000, Rs. 3,42,500, and Rs. 3,80,500, respectively.

Before you spiral into despair, there is some good news. EvoStore still has limited stock available at the previous price — but there is a catch. The offer is limited to one unit per customer and is only available at EvoStore, not at Oliz Store.

All variants of the MacBook Air M5 are available through Apple-authorized resellers, including EvoStore and Oliz Store. Additioally, if you purchase through EvoStore, you will also receive a complimentary one-year warranty on top of everything else.

Before getting into the overview, we need to address the pricing. Globally, both the MacBook Air M4 and MacBook Air M5 launched at the same $1,099 price for the 16/512GB model. Yet in Nepal, last year’s M4 cost Rs. 1,89,000, while the M5 debuted at Rs. 2,10,500. With another price hike already in place, the difference has become even harder to justify.

Apple MacBook Air M5 Overview

This year, Apple has gone with the “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” approach for the MacBook Air’s design. The M5 Air looks identical to the M2 Air that launched all the way back in 2022, so if you are still rocking an M2, just tell everyone it is the latest M5.

Nobody’s gonna know. How would they know?

Open the laptop, and you are greeted with the same backlit Magic Keyboard with Touch ID that we have seen since the early days. Apple is clearly not taking any risks with the design and is keeping things very safe.

And just like last year, the laptop comes in either a 13-inch or 15-inch form factor. The display specs remain identical to last year as well, a Liquid Retina display with 500 nits of brightness.

The 13-inch runs a 2560 x 1664 resolution while the 15-inch steps up to 2880 x 1864. And despite the difference in resolution, both models sit at the same 224PPI pixel density, so there is no drop in picture quality between the two. It also looks like 120Hz ProMotion is still being saved for the Pro models only.

There is also a big notch on the display, just like last year, that houses a 12MP Center Stage camera. 

On the performance front, all the heavy lifting is done by the new M5 chip, which we first saw on the MacBook Pro M5. The base 13-inch 16/512GB variant ships with a 10-core CPU and 8-core GPU, while all other models get a 10-core CPU paired with a 10-core GPU.

The M5 also brings faster unified memory bandwidth, jumping from 120GB/s to 153GB/s, a 28% improvement over the M4. In simpler terms, that means smoother multitasking and faster app launches. Apple claims that the M5 MacBook Air delivers up to four times faster AI performance compared to the M4 MacBook Air, thanks to its significantly enhanced Neural Engine and GPU-based AI acceleration.

ALSO READ: Apple MacBook Neo Price in Nepal (July 2026 Updated)

On the memory front, the M5 Air comes in 16GB and 24GB configurations. The 16GB model pairs with either 512GB or 1TB of storage, while the 24GB variant comes exclusively with 1TB, making it the priciest option. This is the first time the 1TB storage variant is officially available Nepal, giving local buyers more options than ever before.

For connectivity, you get a MagSafe charging port, two Thunderbolt 4 ports, and a headphone jack. Apple has also upgraded the wireless connectivity from Wi-Fi 6E to Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.3 to Bluetooth 6, a welcome step forward.

The 13-inch model packs a 53.8Wh battery while the 15-inch steps up to 66.5Wh. Both models ship with Apple’s new 40W Dynamic Power Adapter, an upgrade from the 30W adapter that came with last year’s M4 Air. The new charger is also capable of offering up to 60W max output.

And if you want even faster charging, the laptop supports up to 70W fast charging, which can get you from zero to 50% in just 30 minutes. However, you will need to purchase the 70W adapter separately.

ALSO READ: ASUS V16 Price in Nepal (July 2026 Updated)

When it launched, the MacBook Air M5 was one of the easiest laptops to recommend. It delivers outstanding performance, exceptional battery life, and the kind of premium build quality that very few Windows laptops can match at a similar price. But after a price hike of up to  Rs. 51,500, with the base model now starting at Rs. 2,48,500, it’s no longer the clear-cut recommendation it once was for an average Joe.

Apple, it seems, is fully aware of this. The MacBook Neo exists precisely for that audience. So if you are on the fence about whether you really need the M5 Air, the Neo might be the more honest answer.

However, if you are someone who actually pushes their laptop, editing videos, or running multiple apps, or just want a machine that will stay relevant for years to come, the M5 Air is absolutely worth the investment. It is not cheap, but it is one of those purchases you will not regret.

What do you think about the MacBook Air M5? Let us know in the comments below!