Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bangalore and Shillong

For one person, living is cheaper in Shillong: $402 a month against $552 in Bangalore, rent and utilities included – about $1,800 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

27

Cost of Living Index in Bangalore
Learn more

Bangalore Living Index
20

Cost of Living Index in Shillong
Learn more

Shillong Living Index

Jump to prices

Bangalore

🇮🇳 India

$552

/mo nomad

Shillong

🇮🇳 India

$402

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bangalore and in Shillong

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $552 in Bangalore versus $402 in Shillong.

Bangalore $552
Shillong $402

Estimated couple costs with rent: $936 in Bangalore versus $638 in Shillong.

Bangalore $936
Shillong $638

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,320 in Bangalore versus $874 in Shillong.

Bangalore $1,320
Shillong $874

Living in Bangalore is roughly 37% more expensive than in Shillong, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Bangalore 59% lower, Shillong 70% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.20 ₹304

$3.35 ₹318

-4.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$17.72 ₹1,683

$11.44 ₹1,086

54.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.74 ₹451

$4.81 ₹457

-1.46%

Cappuccino

$2.24 ₹213

$1.66 ₹157

34.94%

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

$0.38 ₹36.16

$0.41 ₹38.89

-7.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.13 ₹11.88

$0.15 ₹13.94

-13.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.29 ₹217

$1.22 ₹116

87.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.69 ₹351

$3.49 ₹331

5.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.63 ₹60.1

$0.61 ₹57.9

3.28%

White Bread (500g)

$0.59 ₹55.6

$0.31 ₹29.07

90.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.81 ₹77.2

$0.58 ₹55.4

39.66%

Eggs

$1.12 ₹106

$0.92 ₹86.9

21.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.97 ₹567

$3.86 ₹366

54.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.75 ₹356

$2.43 ₹231

54.32%

Apples (1kg)

$2.80 ₹266

$2.16 ₹205

29.63%

Banana (1kg)

$0.76 ₹72.6

$0.68 ₹64.4

11.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.18 ₹112

$0.93 ₹88.4

26.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.38 ₹36.11

$0.52 ₹49.22

-26.92%

Potato (1kg)

$0.38 ₹35.71

$0.31 ₹29.25

22.58%

Onion (1kg)

$0.36 ₹34.08

$0.35 ₹32.78

2.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.42 ₹40.06

$0.22 ₹20.91

90.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.32 ₹30.82

$0.25 ₹23.68

28.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.80 ₹456

$5.11 ₹485

-6.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.31 ₹884

$4.83 ₹458

92.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.95 ₹185

$1.28 ₹121

52.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 ₹285

$1.97 ₹187

52.28%

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

$6.37 ₹605

$4.78 ₹454

33.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 ₹50.9

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.55 ₹1,477

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.02 ₹97.2

$0.74 ₹70.3

37.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 ₹28.63

$0.28 ₹26.52

7.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.04 ₹194

$1.29 ₹123

58.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.10 ₹105

$1.09 ₹104

0.92%

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

$12.5K ₹1.2M

$12.6K ₹1.2M

-0.73%

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

$18.7K ₹1.8M

$16.0K ₹1.5M

16.68%

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

$30.94 ₹2,938

$34.74 ₹3,299

-10.94%

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

$4.10 ₹389

$3.29 ₹313

24.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.39 ₹987

$6.12 ₹581

69.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$18.87 ₹1,792

$9.99 ₹948

88.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.79 ₹550

$5.11 ₹486

13.31%

Cinema Ticket

$4.82 ₹457

$3.10 ₹294

55.48%

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

$102 ₹9,658

$27.65 ₹2,626

267.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,257 ₹309.3K

$1,164 ₹110.5K

179.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$33.54 ₹3,185

$17.41 ₹1,653

92.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.76 ₹2,921

$22.11 ₹2,100

39.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$52.7 ₹5,002

$36.74 ₹3,489

43.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$40.37 ₹3,834

$27.45 ₹2,606

47.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$307 ₹29.1K

$210 ₹19.9K

46.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$176 ₹16.7K

$131 ₹12.4K

34.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$782 ₹74.2K

$727 ₹69.0K

7.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ₹45.8K

$284 ₹27.0K

69.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,857 ₹176.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,074 ₹102.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$940 ₹89.2K

$442 ₹41.9K

112.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.46

7.38

14.63%

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

Last update for Bangalore: October 10, 2026

Last update for Shillong: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bangalore

$176 31.9%

Shillong

$131 32.5% 25.7% $45

Groceries & Markets

Bangalore

$124 22.4%

Shillong

$86 21.3% 30.8% $38

Eating Out

Bangalore

$88 15.9%

Shillong

$76 19% 12.8% $11

Clothing & Footwear

Bangalore

$71 12.8%

Shillong

$47 11.6% 34.1% $24

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bangalore

$45 8.2%

Shillong

$44 11% 2.8% $1.3

Sport & Entertainment

Bangalore

$29 5.2%

Shillong

$16 4% 43.2% $12

Getting Around

Bangalore

$20 3.7%

Shillong

$2.1 * 0.5% 89.4% $18

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $307 in Bangalore and $210 in Shillong. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bangalore pays 113% 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: $18.00 in Bangalore vs $11.00 in Shillong for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $124 vs $86.0 per month, with Shillong cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇳 Bangalore

🇮🇳 Shillong

🕒 Local time

01:30 1:30 AM

Same time as Bangalore

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,495,492

143,000

💱 Currency

Indian Rupee INR ₹

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 INR = 10.53 USD

1,000 INR = 9.37 EUR

1,000 INR = 10.53 USD

1,000 INR = 9.37 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Bangalore Shillong 2,050 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Bangalore
Shillong

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 Shillong: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Shillong wins on cost – living expenses run 37% lower than in Bangalore. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Shillong the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 113% 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: $307 in Bangalore versus $210 in Shillong. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 44% higher in Bangalore. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $552 per month in Bangalore versus $402 in Shillong – a 37% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Either city works on $800 a month, though Shillong gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Both work as nomad bases, but Shillong delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $402 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Shillong hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Shillong gentler on the wallet – expenses run 37% less than in Bangalore. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.