Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bangalore and Kollam

For one person, living is cheaper in Kollam: $284 a month against $562 in Bangalore, rent and utilities included – about $3,300 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
14

Cost of Living Index in Kollam
Learn more

Kollam Living Index

Jump to prices

Bangalore

🇮🇳 India

$562

/mo nomad

Kollam

🇮🇳 India

$284

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bangalore and in Kollam

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 Kollam actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $562 in Bangalore versus $284 in Kollam.

Bangalore $562
Kollam $284

Estimated couple costs with rent: $949 in Bangalore versus $446 in Kollam.

Bangalore $949
Kollam $446

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,336 in Bangalore versus $609 in Kollam.

Bangalore $1,336
Kollam $609

Living in Bangalore is roughly 98% more expensive than in Kollam, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Bangalore 59% lower, Kollam 79% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.20 ₹304

$1.03 ₹97.5

210.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.12 ₹1,720

$6.14 ₹583

195.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.66 ₹442

$3.23 ₹307

44.27%

Cappuccino

$2.33 ₹222

$1.37 ₹130

70.07%

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

$0.44 ₹41.73

$0.34 ₹31.99

29.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.14 ₹13.29

$0.12 ₹11.54

16.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.38 ₹226

$1.33 ₹126

78.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₹345

$1.86 ₹177

95.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.65 ₹62.0

$0.60 ₹57.4

8.33%

White Bread (500g)

$0.58 ₹55.0

$0.48 ₹45.65

20.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.77 ₹73.2

$0.51 ₹47.98

50.98%

Eggs

$1.09 ₹103

$0.78 ₹74.1

39.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.35 ₹603

$3.59 ₹341

76.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.81 ₹362

$2.13 ₹203

78.87%

Apples (1kg)

$2.80 ₹266

$1.57 ₹149

78.34%

Banana (1kg)

$0.76 ₹72.2

$0.59 ₹56.2

28.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.26 ₹119

$0.70 ₹66.1

80.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.42 ₹39.81

$0.41 ₹38.63

2.44%

Potato (1kg)

$0.36 ₹34.10

$0.35 ₹32.95

2.86%

Onion (1kg)

$0.40 ₹37.58

$0.35 ₹33.54

14.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.39 ₹37.44

$0.61 ₹57.8

-36.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.30 ₹28.07

$0.27 ₹25.68

11.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.65 ₹442

$5.17 ₹491

-10.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.06 ₹860

$2.70 ₹256

235.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.89 ₹180

$2.05 ₹195

-7.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.99 ₹284

$2.72 ₹258

9.93%

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

$6.52 ₹619

$3.35 ₹318

94.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 ₹51.4

$0.17 ₹15.88

217.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.52 ₹1,189

$7.20 ₹684

73.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.07 ₹101

$0.81 ₹76.8

32.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 ₹28.59

$0.33 ₹31.56

-9.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.06 ₹195

$2.05 ₹195

0.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.10 ₹104

$1.11 ₹106

-0.90%

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

$11.1K ₹1.1M

$9,035 ₹857.8K

23.31%

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

$19.2K ₹1.8M

$16.6K ₹1.6M

15.55%

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

$31.15 ₹2,958

$32.12 ₹3,050

-3.02%

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

$4.11 ₹390

$2.97 ₹282

38.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.56 ₹1,002

$5.04 ₹479

109.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$21.90 ₹2,080

$13.44 ₹1,276

62.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.86 ₹557

$10.44 ₹991

-43.87%

Cinema Ticket

$4.64 ₹440

$1.54 ₹146

201.30%

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

$103 ₹9,733

$21.19 ₹2,012

383.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,902 ₹275.6K

$2,630 ₹249.7K

10.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$32.91 ₹3,125

$16.30 ₹1,548

101.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.69 ₹2,914

$23.34 ₹2,216

31.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$56.0 ₹5,320

$25.49 ₹2,420

119.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$40.75 ₹3,870

$24.42 ₹2,319

66.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$312 ₹29.6K

$82.2 ₹7,801

279.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$182 ₹17.3K

$47.79 ₹4,538

281.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$842 ₹80.0K

$182 ₹17.3K

362.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$488 ₹46.4K

$115 ₹10.9K

325.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,878 ₹178.3K

$834 ₹79.2K

125.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,045 ₹99.2K

$449 ₹42.6K

132.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$928 ₹88.1K

$525 ₹49.9K

76.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.47

9.13

-7.23%

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

Last update for Bangalore: October 25, 2026

Last update for Kollam: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bangalore

$182 32.4%

Kollam

$48 16.8% 73.8% $134

Groceries & Markets

Bangalore

$124 22.1%

Kollam

$82 28.9% 33.8% $42

Eating Out

Bangalore

$89 15.8%

Kollam

$47 16.4% 47.6% $42

Clothing & Footwear

Bangalore

$72 12.9%

Kollam

$40 14.2% 44.2% $32

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bangalore

$46 8.2%

Kollam

$40 14.1% 12.4% $5.7

Sport & Entertainment

Bangalore

$31 5.6%

Kollam

$17 5.8% 47% $15

Getting Around

Bangalore

$17 3.1%

Kollam

$10 3.6% 40.1% $6.9

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $312 in Bangalore and $82 in Kollam. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bangalore pays 77% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $18 in Bangalore vs $6 in Kollam for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $124 vs $82 per month, with Kollam cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇳 Bangalore

🇮🇳 Kollam

🕒 Local time

06:29 6:29 AM

Same time as Bangalore

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,495,492

367,107

💱 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 Kollam 470 km

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Bangalore
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Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Kollam: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kollam wins on cost – living expenses run 49% lower than in Bangalore. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Kollam the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 77% higher in Bangalore, 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 $82 in Kollam. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Kollam runs roughly 42% less than in Bangalore. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $103 in Bangalore versus $21 in Kollam. 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 Kollam 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 Kollam gentler on the wallet – expenses run 49% less than in Bangalore. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.