Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bangalore and Varanasi

For one person, living is cheaper in Varanasi: $290 a month against $562 in Bangalore, rent and utilities included – about $3,300 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
14

Cost of Living Index in Varanasi
Learn more

Varanasi Living Index

Jump to prices

Bangalore

🇮🇳 India

$562

/mo nomad

Varanasi

🇮🇳 India

$290

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bangalore and in Varanasi

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $562 in Bangalore versus $290 in Varanasi.

Bangalore $562
Varanasi $290

Estimated couple costs with rent: $949 in Bangalore versus $475 in Varanasi.

Bangalore $949
Varanasi $475

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,336 in Bangalore versus $661 in Varanasi.

Bangalore $1,336
Varanasi $661

Living in Bangalore is roughly 94% more expensive than in Varanasi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Bangalore 59% lower, Varanasi 79% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.20 ₹304

$1.83 ₹174

74.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.12 ₹1,725

$7.76 ₹738

133.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.66 ₹443

$3.19 ₹303

46.08%

Cappuccino

$2.33 ₹222

$1.59 ₹151

46.54%

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

$0.44 ₹41.85

$0.42 ₹39.71

4.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.14 ₹13.32

$0.10 ₹9.99

40.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.38 ₹226

$1.54 ₹147

54.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₹346

$2.06 ₹196

76.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.65 ₹62.2

$0.61 ₹58.3

6.56%

White Bread (500g)

$0.58 ₹55.2

$0.31 ₹29.62

87.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.77 ₹73.4

$0.53 ₹50.7

45.28%

Eggs

$1.09 ₹103

$0.84 ₹80.1

29.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.35 ₹605

$3.14 ₹299

102.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.81 ₹363

$2.13 ₹203

78.87%

Apples (1kg)

$2.80 ₹267

$1.36 ₹130

105.88%

Banana (1kg)

$0.76 ₹72.4

$0.66 ₹63.0

15.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.26 ₹120

$0.96 ₹91.0

31.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.42 ₹39.92

$0.32 ₹30.04

31.25%

Potato (1kg)

$0.36 ₹34.19

$0.24 ₹22.67

50.00%

Onion (1kg)

$0.40 ₹37.69

$0.24 ₹22.77

66.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.39 ₹37.54

$0.45 ₹43.03

-13.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.30 ₹28.15

$0.28 ₹26.78

7.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.65 ₹443

$3.20 ₹305

45.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.06 ₹863

$5.73 ₹546

58.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.89 ₹180

$1.58 ₹151

19.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.99 ₹284

$1.90 ₹181

57.37%

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

$6.52 ₹620

$4.12 ₹392

58.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 ₹51.5

$0.54 ₹51.9

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.52 ₹1,192

$9.74 ₹927

28.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.07 ₹102

$0.26 ₹24.91

311.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 ₹28.66

$0.11 ₹10.03

172.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.06 ₹196

$1.07 ₹102

92.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.10 ₹105

$1.11 ₹106

-0.90%

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

$11.1K ₹1.1M

$11.2K ₹1.1M

-0.95%

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

$19.2K ₹1.8M

$21.8K ₹2.1M

-12.08%

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

$31.15 ₹2,966

$12.55 ₹1,195

148.21%

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

$4.11 ₹392

$3.62 ₹344

13.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.56 ₹1,005

$7.04 ₹670

50.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$21.90 ₹2,085

$12.58 ₹1,197

74.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.86 ₹558

Cinema Ticket

$4.64 ₹442

$3.02 ₹288

53.64%

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

$103 ₹9,760

$38.76 ₹3,690

164.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,902 ₹276.3K

$990 ₹94.3K

193.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$32.91 ₹3,133

$22.78 ₹2,168

44.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.69 ₹2,922

$25.17 ₹2,397

21.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$56.0 ₹5,334

$37.77 ₹3,596

48.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$40.75 ₹3,880

$25.59 ₹2,437

59.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$312 ₹29.7K

$111 ₹10.6K

179.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$182 ₹17.3K

$47.39 ₹4,512

284.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$842 ₹80.2K

$194 ₹18.5K

333.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$488 ₹46.5K

$138 ₹13.1K

254.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,878 ₹178.8K

$571 ₹54.3K

229.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,045 ₹99.5K

$345 ₹32.8K

203.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$928 ₹88.3K

$571 ₹54.3K

62.50%

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 Varanasi: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bangalore

$182 32.4%

Varanasi

$47 16.4% 74% $135

Groceries & Markets

Bangalore

$124 22.1%

Varanasi

$81 27.8% 35.1% $44

Eating Out

Bangalore

$89 15.8%

Varanasi

$57 19.7% 35.8% $32

Clothing & Footwear

Bangalore

$72 12.9%

Varanasi

$50 17.3% 30.6% $22

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bangalore

$46 8.2%

Varanasi

$23 8% 49.3% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Bangalore

$31 5.6%

Varanasi

$19 6.4% 40.3% $13

Getting Around

Bangalore

$17 3.1%

Varanasi

$13 4.4% 26.4% $4.6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $312 in Bangalore and $111 in Varanasi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bangalore pays 63% 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 $8 in Varanasi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $124 vs $81 per month, with Varanasi cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇳 Bangalore

🇮🇳 Varanasi

🕒 Local time

07:43 7:43 AM

Same time as Bangalore

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,495,492

3,100,000

💱 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

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Between locations

Bangalore Varanasi 1,480 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Bangalore
Varanasi

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 Varanasi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Varanasi wins on cost – living expenses run 48% lower than in Bangalore. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Varanasi the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 63% 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 $111 in Varanasi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Varanasi runs roughly 22% less than in Bangalore. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $103 in Bangalore versus $39 in Varanasi. 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 Varanasi 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 Varanasi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 48% less than in Bangalore. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.