Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bangalore and Dharwad

For one person, living is cheaper in Dharwad: $372 a month against $562 in Bangalore, rent and utilities included – about $2,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

27

Cost of Living Index in Bangalore
Learn more

Bangalore Living Index
18

Cost of Living Index in Dharwad
Learn more

Dharwad Living Index

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Bangalore

🇮🇳 India

$562

/mo nomad

Dharwad

🇮🇳 India

$372

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bangalore and in Dharwad

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Bangalore and in Dharwad actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $562 in Bangalore versus $372 in Dharwad.

Bangalore $562
Dharwad $372

Estimated couple costs with rent: $949 in Bangalore versus $577 in Dharwad.

Bangalore $949
Dharwad $577

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,336 in Bangalore versus $781 in Dharwad.

Bangalore $1,336
Dharwad $781

Living in Bangalore is roughly 51% more expensive than in Dharwad, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Bangalore 59% lower, Dharwad 73% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.20 ₹304

$3.43 ₹325

-6.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.12 ₹1,720

$7.45 ₹707

143.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.66 ₹442

$3.71 ₹352

25.61%

Cappuccino

$2.33 ₹222

$1.59 ₹151

46.54%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.44 ₹41.73

$0.41 ₹38.66

7.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.14 ₹13.29

$0.14 ₹13.09

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.38 ₹226

$1.56 ₹148

52.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₹345

$3.01 ₹286

20.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.65 ₹62.0

$0.67 ₹63.8

-2.99%

White Bread (500g)

$0.58 ₹55.0

$0.46 ₹43.44

26.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.77 ₹73.2

$0.65 ₹61.3

18.46%

Eggs

$1.09 ₹103

$0.85 ₹80.8

28.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.35 ₹603

$4.02 ₹382

57.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.81 ₹362

$2.88 ₹273

32.29%

Apples (1kg)

$2.80 ₹266

$1.92 ₹182

45.83%

Banana (1kg)

$0.76 ₹72.2

$0.67 ₹63.3

13.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.26 ₹119

$0.95 ₹90.2

32.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.42 ₹39.81

$0.45 ₹42.76

-6.67%

Potato (1kg)

$0.36 ₹34.10

$0.36 ₹33.84

Onion (1kg)

$0.40 ₹37.58

$0.37 ₹35.52

8.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.39 ₹37.44

$0.40 ₹38.37

-2.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.30 ₹28.07

$0.29 ₹27.53

3.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.65 ₹442

$5.51 ₹523

-15.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.06 ₹860

$6.26 ₹594

44.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.89 ₹180

$1.59 ₹151

18.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.99 ₹284

Buffalo Round (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) (1kg)

$6.52 ₹619

$4.27 ₹405

52.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 ₹51.4

$0.23 ₹21.86

134.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.52 ₹1,189

$7.08 ₹672

76.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.07 ₹101

$0.86 ₹81.6

24.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 ₹28.59

$0.25 ₹24.21

20.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.06 ₹195

$1.62 ₹154

27.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.10 ₹104

$1.13 ₹107

-2.65%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$11.1K ₹1.1M

$12.1K ₹1.1M

-7.86%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$19.2K ₹1.8M

$21.7K ₹2.1M

-11.39%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$31.15 ₹2,958

$34.58 ₹3,283

-9.92%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$4.11 ₹390

$3.12 ₹297

31.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.56 ₹1,002

$5.82 ₹552

81.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$21.90 ₹2,080

$14.37 ₹1,364

52.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.86 ₹557

$5.67 ₹538

3.35%

Cinema Ticket

$4.64 ₹440

$2.98 ₹283

55.70%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$103 ₹9,733

$46.87 ₹4,450

118.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,902 ₹275.6K

$1,442 ₹136.9K

101.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$32.91 ₹3,125

$19.92 ₹1,892

65.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.69 ₹2,914

$26.08 ₹2,476

17.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$56.0 ₹5,320

$37.85 ₹3,594

48.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$40.75 ₹3,870

$27.95 ₹2,654

45.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$312 ₹29.6K

$121 ₹11.5K

158.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$182 ₹17.3K

$77.8 ₹7,387

134.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$842 ₹80.0K

$266 ₹25.2K

217.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$488 ₹46.4K

$163 ₹15.4K

200.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,878 ₹178.3K

$967 ₹91.8K

94.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,045 ₹99.2K

$538 ₹51.1K

94.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$928 ₹88.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.47

8.86

-4.40%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Bangalore: October 25, 2026

Last update for Dharwad: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Bangalore

$182 32.4%

Dharwad

$78 20.9% 57.3% $104

Groceries & Markets

Bangalore

$124 22.1%

Dharwad

$97 26% 22% $27

Eating Out

Bangalore

$89 15.8%

Dharwad

$74 19.8% 17.3% $15

Clothing & Footwear

Bangalore

$72 12.9%

Dharwad

$50 13.5% 30.3% $22

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bangalore

$46 8.2%

Dharwad

$44 11.7% 5% $2.3

Sport & Entertainment

Bangalore

$31 5.6%

Dharwad

$20 5.5% 34.8% $11

Getting Around

Bangalore

$17 3.1%

Dharwad

$10 2.7% 41.3% $7.1

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $312 in Bangalore and $121 in Dharwad. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $18 in Bangalore vs $7 in Dharwad for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $124 vs $97 per month, with Dharwad cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇳 Bangalore

🇮🇳 Dharwad

🕒 Local time

20:36 8:36 PM

Same time as Bangalore

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,495,492

100,000

💱 Currency

Indian Rupee INR ₹

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 INR = 10.53 USD

1,000 INR = 9.43 EUR

1,000 INR = 10.53 USD

1,000 INR = 9.43 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Bangalore Dharwad 390 km

From you

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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Bangalore vs Dharwad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dharwad wins on cost – living expenses run 34% lower than in Bangalore. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Dharwad the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $842 in Bangalore and $559 in Dharwad to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $312 in Bangalore versus $121 in Dharwad. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Dharwad runs roughly 43% less than in Bangalore. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $103 in Bangalore versus $47 in Dharwad. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Dharwad gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Dharwad gentler on the wallet – expenses run 34% less than in Bangalore. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.