Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bangalore and Kolkata (Calcutta)

For one person, living is cheaper in Kolkata (Calcutta): $434 a month against $562 in Bangalore, rent and utilities included – about $1,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

27

Cost of Living Index in Bangalore
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Bangalore Living Index
21

Cost of Living Index in Kolkata (Calcutta)
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Kolkata (Calcutta) Living Index

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Bangalore

🇮🇳 India

$562

/mo nomad

Kolkata (Calcutta)

🇮🇳 India

$434

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bangalore and in Kolkata (Calcutta)

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 Kolkata (Calcutta) actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $562 in Bangalore versus $434 in Kolkata (Calcutta).

Bangalore $562
Kolkata (Calcutta) $434

Estimated couple costs with rent: $949 in Bangalore versus $691 in Kolkata (Calcutta).

Bangalore $949
Kolkata (Calcutta) $691

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,336 in Bangalore versus $948 in Kolkata (Calcutta).

Bangalore $1,336
Kolkata (Calcutta) $948

Living in Bangalore is roughly 30% more expensive than in Kolkata (Calcutta), and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Bangalore 59% lower, Kolkata (Calcutta) 68% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.20 ₹304

$2.08 ₹198

53.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.12 ₹1,720

$13.98 ₹1,327

29.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.66 ₹442

$4.15 ₹394

12.29%

Cappuccino

$2.33 ₹222

$1.66 ₹158

40.36%

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

$0.44 ₹41.73

$0.45 ₹42.69

-2.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.14 ₹13.29

$0.12 ₹11.11

16.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.38 ₹226

$1.95 ₹185

22.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₹345

$3.01 ₹286

20.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.65 ₹62.0

$0.67 ₹63.4

-2.99%

White Bread (500g)

$0.58 ₹55.0

$0.50 ₹47.53

16.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.77 ₹73.2

$0.74 ₹70.2

4.05%

Eggs

$1.09 ₹103

$1.08 ₹102

0.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.35 ₹603

$5.20 ₹494

22.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.81 ₹362

$3.00 ₹285

27.00%

Apples (1kg)

$2.80 ₹266

$2.42 ₹230

15.70%

Banana (1kg)

$0.76 ₹72.2

$0.81 ₹77.0

-6.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.26 ₹119

$1.36 ₹129

-7.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.42 ₹39.81

$0.66 ₹62.5

-36.36%

Potato (1kg)

$0.36 ₹34.10

$0.30 ₹28.66

20.00%

Onion (1kg)

$0.40 ₹37.58

$0.47 ₹44.83

-14.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.39 ₹37.44

$0.31 ₹29.00

25.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.30 ₹28.07

$0.28 ₹26.82

7.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.65 ₹442

$5.10 ₹484

-8.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.06 ₹860

$10.36 ₹983

-12.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.89 ₹180

$1.76 ₹167

7.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.99 ₹284

$2.82 ₹267

6.03%

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

$6.52 ₹619

$7.01 ₹666

-6.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 ₹51.4

$0.18 ₹16.66

200.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.52 ₹1,189

$3.12 ₹296

301.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.07 ₹101

$0.81 ₹76.7

32.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 ₹28.59

$0.31 ₹29.20

-3.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.06 ₹195

$1.61 ₹152

27.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.10 ₹104

$1.10 ₹105

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

$11.1K ₹1.1M

$13.1K ₹1.2M

-15.24%

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

$19.2K ₹1.8M

$23.3K ₹2.2M

-17.55%

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

$31.15 ₹2,958

$52.5 ₹4,987

-40.69%

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

$4.11 ₹390

$5.16 ₹490

-20.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.56 ₹1,002

$7.36 ₹699

43.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$21.90 ₹2,080

$15.76 ₹1,496

38.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.86 ₹557

$11.45 ₹1,088

-48.82%

Cinema Ticket

$4.64 ₹440

$3.19 ₹303

45.45%

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

$103 ₹9,733

$43.26 ₹4,107

136.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,902 ₹275.6K

$1,997 ₹189.6K

45.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$32.91 ₹3,125

$27.19 ₹2,581

21.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.69 ₹2,914

$26.01 ₹2,470

17.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$56.0 ₹5,320

$35.95 ₹3,413

55.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$40.75 ₹3,870

$29.01 ₹2,754

40.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$312 ₹29.6K

$167 ₹15.9K

86.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$182 ₹17.3K

$103 ₹9,802

76.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$842 ₹80.0K

$392 ₹37.2K

115.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$488 ₹46.4K

$241 ₹22.9K

102.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,878 ₹178.3K

$1,097 ₹104.2K

71.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,045 ₹99.2K

$612 ₹58.1K

70.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$928 ₹88.1K

$379 ₹36.0K

144.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.47

9.08

-6.72%

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

Last update for Bangalore: October 25, 2026

Last update for Kolkata (Calcutta): October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bangalore

$182 32.4%

Kolkata (Calcutta)

$103 23.8% 43.3% $79

Groceries & Markets

Bangalore

$124 22.1%

Kolkata (Calcutta)

$117 27% 5.8% $7.2

Eating Out

Bangalore

$89 15.8%

Kolkata (Calcutta)

$67 15.5% 24.6% $22

Clothing & Footwear

Bangalore

$72 12.9%

Kolkata (Calcutta)

$53 12.3% 26.3% $19

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bangalore

$46 8.2%

Kolkata (Calcutta)

$65 15% 41.9% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Bangalore

$31 5.6%

Kolkata (Calcutta)

$22 5.1% 29% $9

Getting Around

Bangalore

$17 3.1%

Kolkata (Calcutta)

$6.2 1.4% 64.3% $11

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $312 in Bangalore and $167 in Kolkata (Calcutta). Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bangalore pays about 2.4 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $18 in Bangalore vs $14 in Kolkata (Calcutta) for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $124 vs $117 per month, with Kolkata (Calcutta) cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇳 Bangalore

🇮🇳 Kolkata (Calcutta)

🕒 Local time

16:39 4:39 PM

Same time as Bangalore

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,495,492

4,486,679

💱 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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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Bangalore vs Kolkata (Calcutta): Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kolkata (Calcutta) wins on cost – living expenses run 23% lower than in Bangalore. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Kolkata (Calcutta) the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay in Bangalore is about 2.4 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $312 in Bangalore versus $167 in Kolkata (Calcutta). Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Kolkata (Calcutta) runs roughly 75% less than in Bangalore. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $103 in Bangalore versus $43 in Kolkata (Calcutta). Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Either city works on $800 a month, though Kolkata (Calcutta) 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 Kolkata (Calcutta) gentler on the wallet – expenses run 23% less than in Bangalore. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.