Cost of Living Comparison Between Bangalore and Surat Cost of Living Comparison Between Bangalore and Surat

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $560 in Bangalore versus $913 in Surat.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $952 in Bangalore versus $951 in Surat.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,344 in Bangalore versus $989 in Surat.

Living in Bangalore costs roughly 39% less than in Surat, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Bangalore 58% lower, Surat 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.56 ₹343

$3.57 ₹344

-0.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$17.57 ₹1,691

$11.68 ₹1,125

50.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.05 ₹389

$3.41 ₹329

18.77%

Cappuccino

$2.40 ₹231

$1.70 ₹164

41.18%

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

$0.46 ₹43.94

$0.42 ₹40.54

9.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.16 ₹15.23

$0.17 ₹16.79

-5.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.38 ₹229

$3.29 ₹317

-27.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 ₹381

$4.13 ₹397

-4.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.65 ₹62.4

$0.74 ₹71.5

-12.16%

White Bread (500g)

$0.62 ₹59.8

$0.53 ₹50.9

16.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.86 ₹82.6

$0.67 ₹65.0

28.36%

Eggs

$1.04 ₹100

$0.99 ₹95.1

5.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.80 ₹751

$5.14 ₹495

51.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.85 ₹370

$3.23 ₹311

19.20%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 ₹255

$1.50 ₹144

76.67%

Banana (1kg)

$0.74 ₹71.5

$0.65 ₹62.6

13.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.13 ₹109

$0.96 ₹92.7

17.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.43 ₹41.82

$0.67 ₹64.7

-35.82%

Potato (1kg)

$0.47 ₹45.35

$0.36 ₹34.27

30.56%

Onion (1kg)

$0.51 ₹49.04

$0.40 ₹38.42

27.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.44 ₹42.30

$0.55 ₹52.9

-20.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.35 ₹33.90

$0.34 ₹32.88

2.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 ₹395

$3.89 ₹374

5.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.25 ₹986

$7.72 ₹743

32.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.11 ₹204

$2.68 ₹258

-21.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.31 ₹319

$4.08 ₹393

-18.87%

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

$7.46 ₹718

$8.53 ₹821

-12.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 ₹54.7

$0.22 ₹21.11

159.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$14.55 ₹1,401

$5.97 ₹574

143.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.18 ₹113

$0.95 ₹91.4

24.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.35 ₹33.81

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.36 ₹227

$1.15 ₹111

105.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 ₹117

$1.19 ₹114

2.52%

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

$13.8K ₹1.3M

$11.7K ₹1.1M

18.56%

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

$24.7K ₹2.4M

$21.6K ₹2.1M

14.10%

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

$34.61 ₹3,333

$37.81 ₹3,641

-8.46%

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

$4.99 ₹480

$3.36 ₹323

48.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.67 ₹1,027

$7.79 ₹750

36.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$18.61 ₹1,792

$17.98 ₹1,731

3.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.99 ₹576

$6.72 ₹647

-10.86%

Cinema Ticket

$4.60 ₹443

$2.87 ₹276

60.28%

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

$117 ₹11.2K

$48.12 ₹4,633

142.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,283 ₹316.1K

$1,299 ₹125.1K

152.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$27.50 ₹2,648

$23.93 ₹2,304

14.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.18 ₹2,809

$24.85 ₹2,393

17.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$55.0 ₹5,291

$42.24 ₹4,067

30.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$40.64 ₹3,913

$42.05 ₹4,049

-3.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$308 ₹29.7K

$243 ₹23.4K

26.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$178 ₹17.1K

$556 ₹53.6K

-68.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$818 ₹78.8K

$495 ₹47.7K

65.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$485 ₹46.7K

$278 ₹26.8K

74.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,824 ₹175.6K

$697 ₹67.1K

161.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$988 ₹95.1K

$307 ₹29.6K

221.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$787 ₹75.7K

$323 ₹31.1K

143.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.19

9.2

-0.11%

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

Last update for Bangalore: July 12, 2026

Last update for Surat: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $308 in Bangalore and $243 in Surat. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bangalore pays 144% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $18.00 in Bangalore vs $12.00 in Surat for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $133 vs $115 per month, with Surat cheaper across the board.

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 Surat: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bangalore and Surat differ by about 63% in total monthly costs ($560 vs $913 including rent). Bangalore is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 144% 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: $308 in Bangalore versus $243 in Surat. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Bangalore runs roughly 144% less than in Surat. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $117 in Bangalore versus $48.12 in Surat. 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 Bangalore 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 Bangalore delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $560 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Bangalore hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Bangalore and Surat are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Bangalore gentler on the wallet – expenses run 63% less than in Surat. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.