Best way to install Node.js and NPM
Node.js strongly recommend using a Node version manager like n to install Node.js and npm. They do not recommend using a Node installer, since the Node installation process installs npm in a directory with local permissions and can cause permissions errors when you run npm packages globally.
Install n directly from Github:
curl -L https://bit.ly/n-install | bash
Then check your versions (remember than node comes with npm)
node --version && npm --version
Note: if you are already having problems, first remove everything related with Node.js and NPM