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: $563 in Bangalore versus $888 in Surat.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $963 in Bangalore versus $942 in Surat.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,362 in Bangalore versus $996 in Surat.

Living in Bangalore costs roughly 37% less than in Surat, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Bangalore 58% lower, Surat 34% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.42 ₹327

$3.58 ₹343

-4.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$17.49 ₹1,674

$11.41 ₹1,092

53.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.09 ₹391

$3.42 ₹328

19.59%

Cappuccino

$2.27 ₹217

$1.74 ₹166

30.46%

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

$0.46 ₹43.73

$0.40 ₹38.00

15.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.16 ₹15.37

$0.20 ₹19.53

-20.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.28 ₹218

$3.13 ₹299

-27.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.14 ₹396

$3.95 ₹378

4.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.61 ₹57.9

$0.73 ₹69.9

-16.44%

White Bread (500g)

$0.58 ₹56.0

$0.53 ₹50.6

9.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.86 ₹82.4

$0.67 ₹64.6

28.36%

Eggs

$1.02 ₹97.4

$1.03 ₹98.5

-0.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.69 ₹736

$5.13 ₹491

49.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.70 ₹354

$3.11 ₹297

18.97%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 ₹253

$1.43 ₹137

84.62%

Banana (1kg)

$0.81 ₹77.1

$0.64 ₹61.3

26.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.13 ₹108

$0.95 ₹91.2

18.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.44 ₹42.09

$0.61 ₹58.3

-27.87%

Potato (1kg)

$0.51 ₹48.57

$0.36 ₹34.37

41.67%

Onion (1kg)

$0.55 ₹52.2

$0.44 ₹41.89

25.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.48 ₹45.54

$0.60 ₹57.1

-20.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.35 ₹33.50

$0.35 ₹33.07

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.98 ₹381

$3.86 ₹370

3.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.28 ₹984

$7.56 ₹723

35.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.15 ₹206

$2.57 ₹246

-16.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.28 ₹314

$4.01 ₹384

-18.20%

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

$7.57 ₹724

$8.42 ₹806

-10.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.59 ₹56.5

$0.24 ₹22.97

145.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$14.61 ₹1,398

$5.65 ₹540

158.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.18 ₹113

$0.97 ₹93.2

21.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.33 ₹31.28

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.36 ₹226

$1.18 ₹113

100.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.19 ₹114

$1.13 ₹108

5.31%

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

$14.0K ₹1.3M

$11.6K ₹1.1M

20.85%

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

$24.7K ₹2.4M

$21.5K ₹2.1M

15.20%

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

$34.40 ₹3,292

$38.31 ₹3,666

-10.21%

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

$4.95 ₹474

$3.37 ₹323

46.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.97 ₹1,050

$7.72 ₹739

42.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$18.59 ₹1,779

$17.76 ₹1,699

4.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.98 ₹573

$6.74 ₹645

-11.28%

Cinema Ticket

$4.66 ₹446

$2.90 ₹277

60.69%

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

$116 ₹11.1K

$48.91 ₹4,681

137.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,236 ₹309.7K

$1,294 ₹123.8K

150.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$27.98 ₹2,678

$24.00 ₹2,297

16.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.75 ₹2,847

$24.62 ₹2,356

20.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$54.6 ₹5,225

$42.46 ₹4,064

28.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$40.21 ₹3,848

$42.48 ₹4,065

-5.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$306 ₹29.3K

$241 ₹23.1K

26.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$179 ₹17.2K

$557 ₹53.3K

-67.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$842 ₹80.6K

$506 ₹48.4K

66.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$486 ₹46.6K

$275 ₹26.3K

77.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,812 ₹173.4K

$693 ₹66.4K

161.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$962 ₹92.1K

$306 ₹29.3K

214.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$876 ₹83.8K

$327 ₹31.3K

167.51%

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: May 30, 2026

Last update for Surat: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $306 in Bangalore and $241 in Surat. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bangalore pays 168% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $17.00 in Bangalore vs $11.00 in Surat for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $132 vs $113 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 58% in total monthly costs ($563 vs $888 including rent). Bangalore is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Bangalore pays 168% more on average, 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: $306 in Bangalore versus $241 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 159% less than in Surat. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $116 in Bangalore versus $48.91 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 $563 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 58% less than in Surat. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.