Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bangalore and Lucknow

For one person, living is cheaper in Lucknow: $396 a month against $562 in Bangalore, rent and utilities included – about $2,000 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Bangalore, India
Lucknow, India
Bangalore
🇮🇳 India
$562
/mo nomad
Lucknow
🇮🇳 India
$396
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bangalore and in Lucknow

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $562 in Bangalore versus $396 in Lucknow.

  • Bangalore $562
  • Lucknow $396

Estimated couple costs with rent: $949 in Bangalore versus $621 in Lucknow.

  • Bangalore $949
  • Lucknow $621

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,336 in Bangalore versus $846 in Lucknow.

  • Bangalore $1,336
  • Lucknow $846

Living in Bangalore is roughly 42% more expensive than in Lucknow, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Bangalore 59% lower, Lucknow 71% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Bangalore
Lucknow
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.20 ₹304
$1.86 ₹176
72.04%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$18.12 ₹1,720
$10.62 ₹1,009
70.62%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$4.66 ₹442
$3.23 ₹307
44.27%
Cappuccino
$2.33 ₹222
$1.57 ₹149
48.41%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.44 ₹41.73
$0.44 ₹41.97
-
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.14 ₹13.29
$0.13 ₹12.29
7.69%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.38 ₹226
$1.56 ₹148
52.56%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.63 ₹345
$2.26 ₹214
60.62%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Bangalore
Lucknow
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.65 ₹62.0
$0.70 ₹66.6
-7.14%
White Bread (500g)
$0.58 ₹55.0
$0.47 ₹44.92
23.40%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$0.77 ₹73.2
$0.59 ₹55.9
30.51%
Eggs
$1.09 ₹103
$1.02 ₹96.4
6.86%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$6.35 ₹603
$3.32 ₹315
91.27%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.81 ₹362
$2.51 ₹239
51.79%
Apples (1kg)
$2.80 ₹266
$1.79 ₹170
56.42%
Banana (1kg)
$0.76 ₹72.2
$0.66 ₹63.1
15.15%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.26 ₹119
$0.96 ₹91.0
31.25%
Tomato (1kg)
$0.42 ₹39.81
$0.47 ₹44.75
-10.64%
Potato (1kg)
$0.36 ₹34.10
$0.30 ₹28.11
20.00%
Onion (1kg)
$0.40 ₹37.58
$0.42 ₹39.45
-4.76%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.39 ₹37.44
$0.42 ₹39.88
-7.14%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.30 ₹28.07
$0.30 ₹28.36
-
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.65 ₹442
$4.90 ₹465
-5.10%
Wine (Bottle)
$9.06 ₹860
$8.57 ₹814
5.72%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.89 ₹180
$1.66 ₹158
13.86%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.99 ₹284
$2.63 ₹249
13.69%
Buffalo Round (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) (1kg)
$6.52 ₹619
$5.72 ₹543
13.99%
🚌 Getting Around
Bangalore
Lucknow
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.54 ₹51.4
$0.43 ₹41.10
25.58%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$12.52 ₹1,189
$9.07 ₹861
38.04%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.07 ₹101
$0.98 ₹93.4
9.18%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.30 ₹28.59
$0.20 ₹18.95
50.00%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$2.06 ₹195
$1.14 ₹108
80.70%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.10 ₹104
$1.14 ₹108
-3.51%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$11.1K ₹1.1M
$11.1K ₹1.1M
0.28%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$19.2K ₹1.8M
$22.0K ₹2.1M
-12.73%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Bangalore
Lucknow
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$31.15 ₹2,958
$54.2 ₹5,149
-42.56%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$4.11 ₹390
$3.74 ₹356
9.89%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$10.56 ₹1,002
$8.66 ₹822
21.94%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Bangalore
Lucknow
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$21.90 ₹2,080
$15.88 ₹1,508
37.91%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$5.86 ₹557
$6.69 ₹635
-12.41%
Cinema Ticket
$4.64 ₹440
$3.20 ₹304
45.00%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Bangalore
Lucknow
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$103 ₹9,733
$38.90 ₹3,693
163.52%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$2,902 ₹275.6K
$979 ₹92.9K
196.49%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Bangalore
Lucknow
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$32.91 ₹3,125
$23.41 ₹2,223
40.58%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$30.69 ₹2,914
$25.07 ₹2,381
22.42%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$56.0 ₹5,320
$38.75 ₹3,679
44.59%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$40.75 ₹3,870
$25.60 ₹2,431
59.18%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Bangalore
Lucknow
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$312 ₹29.6K
$133 ₹12.6K
135.05%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$182 ₹17.3K
$87.7 ₹8,324
107.79%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$842 ₹80.0K
$356 ₹33.8K
136.34%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$488 ₹46.4K
$212 ₹20.1K
130.14%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,878 ₹178.3K
$1,124 ₹106.7K
67.12%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,045 ₹99.2K
$606 ₹57.5K
72.55%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Bangalore
Lucknow
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$928 ₹88.1K
$331 ₹31.5K
179.96%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
8.47
8.53
-0.70%

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

Last update for Bangalore: October 25, 2026

Last update for Lucknow: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Bangalore
$182
Lucknow
$88 51.9% $94
Groceries & Markets
Bangalore
$124
Lucknow
$98 21.4% $27
Eating Out
Bangalore
$89
Lucknow
$58 34.8% $31
Clothing & Footwear
Bangalore
$72
Lucknow
$51 29.6% $21
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Bangalore
$46
Lucknow
$67 45.4% $21
Sport & Entertainment
Bangalore
$31
Lucknow
$22 28.5% $8.9
Getting Around
Bangalore
$17
Lucknow
$13 26% $4.5

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $312 in Bangalore and $133 in Lucknow. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bangalore pays about 2.8 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $18 in Bangalore vs $11 in Lucknow for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $124 vs $98 per month, with Lucknow cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇮🇳 Bangalore
🇮🇳 Lucknow
🕒 Local time
02:44 2:44 AM
02:44 2:44 AM
Same time as Bangalore
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
8,495,492
4,588,455
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to INR – Indian Rupee Converter

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 94.95 INR (100 INR = 1.05 USD). 1 EUR = 106 INR (1,000 INR = 9.43 EUR).

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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index
Bangalore vs Lucknow: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Bangalore or Lucknow?
Lucknow wins on cost – living expenses run 30% lower than in Bangalore. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Lucknow the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Bangalore or in Lucknow?
Average pay in Bangalore is about 2.8 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Bangalore compared to Lucknow?
Rent for a central apartment: $312 in Bangalore versus $133 in Lucknow. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How expensive is transport in Bangalore compared to Lucknow?
A monthly transit pass in Lucknow runs roughly 28% less than in Bangalore. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.
How do childcare costs compare in Bangalore and in Lucknow?
Childcare runs $103 in Bangalore versus $39 in Lucknow. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Bangalore or in Lucknow?
Either city works on $1,000 a month, though Lucknow gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Bangalore or Lucknow?
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.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Lucknow gentler on the wallet – expenses run 30% less than in Bangalore. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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