Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bangalore and Shimla

For one person, living is cheaper in Shimla: $310 a month against $562 in Bangalore, rent and utilities included – about $3,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

27

Cost of Living Index in Bangalore
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Bangalore Living Index
15

Cost of Living Index in Shimla
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Shimla Living Index

Jump to prices

Bangalore

🇮🇳 India

$562

/mo nomad

Shimla

🇮🇳 India

$310

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bangalore and in Shimla

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $562 in Bangalore versus $310 in Shimla.

Bangalore $562
Shimla $310

Estimated couple costs with rent: $949 in Bangalore versus $504 in Shimla.

Bangalore $949
Shimla $504

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,336 in Bangalore versus $698 in Shimla.

Bangalore $1,336
Shimla $698

Living in Bangalore is roughly 81% more expensive than in Shimla, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Bangalore 59% lower, Shimla 77% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.20 ₹304

$1.56 ₹149

105.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.12 ₹1,725

$10.47 ₹997

73.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.66 ₹443

$3.09 ₹295

50.81%

Cappuccino

$2.33 ₹222

$0.92 ₹87.3

153.26%

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

$0.44 ₹41.85

$0.34 ₹32.20

29.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.14 ₹13.32

$0.11 ₹10.42

27.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.38 ₹226

$1.64 ₹156

45.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₹346

$2.07 ₹197

75.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.65 ₹62.2

$0.67 ₹64.2

-2.99%

White Bread (500g)

$0.58 ₹55.2

$0.42 ₹40.36

38.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.77 ₹73.4

$0.63 ₹60.4

22.22%

Eggs

$1.09 ₹103

$0.89 ₹85.1

22.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.35 ₹605

$4.33 ₹412

46.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.81 ₹363

$3.18 ₹303

19.81%

Apples (1kg)

$2.80 ₹267

$1.87 ₹178

49.73%

Banana (1kg)

$0.76 ₹72.4

$0.76 ₹72.1

Oranges (1kg)

$1.26 ₹120

$0.63 ₹60.1

100.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.42 ₹39.92

$0.48 ₹45.51

-12.50%

Potato (1kg)

$0.36 ₹34.20

$0.30 ₹28.72

20.00%

Onion (1kg)

$0.40 ₹37.69

$0.36 ₹34.35

11.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.39 ₹37.55

$0.22 ₹20.99

77.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.30 ₹28.15

$0.27 ₹25.62

11.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.65 ₹443

$3.38 ₹322

37.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.06 ₹863

$8.57 ₹816

5.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.89 ₹180

$1.54 ₹147

22.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.99 ₹284

$2.04 ₹194

46.57%

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

$6.52 ₹620

$3.80 ₹362

71.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 ₹51.5

$0.22 ₹20.98

145.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.52 ₹1,192

$7.84 ₹747

59.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.07 ₹102

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 ₹28.67

$0.34 ₹31.93

-11.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.06 ₹196

$1.02 ₹97.4

101.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.10 ₹105

$1.09 ₹104

0.92%

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

$11.1K ₹1.1M

$8,462 ₹805.8K

31.65%

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

$19.2K ₹1.8M

$18.1K ₹1.7M

6.20%

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

$31.15 ₹2,966

$18.17 ₹1,730

71.44%

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

$4.11 ₹392

$3.13 ₹298

31.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.56 ₹1,005

$7.02 ₹669

50.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$21.90 ₹2,085

$13.85 ₹1,319

58.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.86 ₹558

$10.63 ₹1,012

-44.87%

Cinema Ticket

$4.64 ₹442

$3.07 ₹292

51.14%

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

$103 ₹9,761

$42.11 ₹4,010

143.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,902 ₹276.3K

$2,173 ₹206.9K

33.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$32.91 ₹3,134

$24.76 ₹2,357

32.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.69 ₹2,922

$21.97 ₹2,092

39.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$56.0 ₹5,335

$39.31 ₹3,744

42.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$40.75 ₹3,881

$26.41 ₹2,515

54.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$312 ₹29.7K

$86.4 ₹8,222

261.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$182 ₹17.3K

$53.3 ₹5,075

241.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$842 ₹80.2K

$199 ₹18.9K

323.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$488 ₹46.5K

$125 ₹11.9K

290.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,878 ₹178.8K

$563 ₹53.6K

233.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,045 ₹99.5K

$563 ₹53.6K

85.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$928 ₹88.3K

$612 ₹58.3K

51.55%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.47

8.25

2.67%

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

Last update for Bangalore: October 25, 2026

Last update for Shimla: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bangalore

$182 32.4%

Shimla

$53 17.2% 70.7% $129

Groceries & Markets

Bangalore

$124 22.1%

Shimla

$99 32.1% 19.8% $25

Eating Out

Bangalore

$89 15.8%

Shimla

$47 15.1% 47.3% $42

Clothing & Footwear

Bangalore

$72 12.9%

Shimla

$51 16.3% 29.9% $22

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bangalore

$46 8.2%

Shimla

$28 9.1% 38.2% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Bangalore

$31 5.6%

Shimla

$20 6.5% 35.9% $11

Getting Around

Bangalore

$17 3.1%

Shimla

$11 3.7% 33.5% $5.8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $312 in Bangalore and $86 in Shimla. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bangalore pays 52% 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 $10 in Shimla for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $124 vs $99 per month, with Shimla cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇳 Bangalore

🇮🇳 Shimla

🕒 Local time

03:38 3:38 AM

Same time as Bangalore

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,495,492

170,000

💱 Currency

Indian Rupee INR ₹

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 INR = 10.5 USD

1,000 INR = 9.43 EUR

1,000 INR = 10.5 USD

1,000 INR = 9.43 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Bangalore Shimla 2,010 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Bangalore
Shimla

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 Shimla: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Shimla wins on cost – living expenses run 45% lower than in Bangalore. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Shimla the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 52% 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 $86 in Shimla. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Shimla runs roughly 37% less than in Bangalore. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $103 in Bangalore versus $42 in Shimla. 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 Shimla 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 Shimla gentler on the wallet – expenses run 45% less than in Bangalore. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.