Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chandigarh and Kolkata (Calcutta)

For one person, living is cheaper in Kolkata (Calcutta): $428 a month against $471 in Chandigarh, rent and utilities included – about $520 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

23

Cost of Living Index in Chandigarh
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Chandigarh Living Index
21

Cost of Living Index in Kolkata (Calcutta)
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Kolkata (Calcutta) Living Index

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Chandigarh

🇮🇳 India

$471

/mo nomad

Kolkata (Calcutta)

🇮🇳 India

$428

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chandigarh and in Kolkata (Calcutta)

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Chandigarh and in Kolkata (Calcutta) actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $471 in Chandigarh versus $428 in Kolkata (Calcutta).

Chandigarh $471
Kolkata (Calcutta) $428

Estimated couple costs with rent: $760 in Chandigarh versus $676 in Kolkata (Calcutta).

Chandigarh $760
Kolkata (Calcutta) $676

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,049 in Chandigarh versus $924 in Kolkata (Calcutta).

Chandigarh $1,049
Kolkata (Calcutta) $924

Living in Chandigarh is roughly 10% more expensive than in Kolkata (Calcutta), and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Chandigarh 65% lower, Kolkata (Calcutta) 68% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.10 ₹294

$2.10 ₹200

47.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$13.56 ₹1,288

$14.69 ₹1,395

-7.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.08 ₹387

$4.28 ₹406

-4.67%

Cappuccino

$2.72 ₹259

$1.64 ₹156

65.85%

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

$0.43 ₹41.05

$0.45 ₹42.81

-4.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.23 ₹21.71

$0.13 ₹12.23

76.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.03 ₹193

$1.94 ₹184

4.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.11 ₹295

$3.21 ₹305

-3.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.71 ₹67.4

$0.71 ₹67.6

White Bread (500g)

$0.54 ₹51.5

$0.47 ₹44.41

14.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.88 ₹83.5

$0.70 ₹66.9

25.71%

Eggs

$0.92 ₹87.7

$1.04 ₹98.6

-11.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.07 ₹481

$5.20 ₹494

-2.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.84 ₹270

$3.06 ₹291

-7.19%

Apples (1kg)

$1.64 ₹156

$2.39 ₹227

-31.38%

Banana (1kg)

$0.71 ₹67.3

$0.83 ₹78.8

-14.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.07 ₹102

$1.47 ₹140

-27.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.68 ₹64.6

$0.62 ₹58.8

9.68%

Potato (1kg)

$0.28 ₹26.53

$0.30 ₹28.62

-6.67%

Onion (1kg)

$0.30 ₹28.89

$0.44 ₹42.10

-31.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.66 ₹62.7

$0.34 ₹32.68

94.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.32 ₹30.81

$0.28 ₹26.62

14.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.91 ₹466

$5.12 ₹486

-4.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.48 ₹1,090

$10.30 ₹979

11.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 ₹162

$1.83 ₹174

-6.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ₹264

$2.81 ₹267

-1.07%

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

$6.61 ₹627

$6.57 ₹624

0.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.30 ₹28.16

$0.16 ₹15.06

87.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$3.59 ₹341

$3.13 ₹297

14.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.08 ₹102

$0.66 ₹62.3

63.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₹21.80

$0.32 ₹30.52

-28.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.64 ₹155

$1.61 ₹153

1.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.13 ₹107

$1.11 ₹105

1.80%

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

$12.4K ₹1.2M

$15.9K ₹1.5M

-22.06%

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

$24.6K ₹2.3M

$22.5K ₹2.1M

8.92%

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

$37.66 ₹3,576

$52.9 ₹5,021

-28.77%

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

$4.04 ₹384

$4.97 ₹472

-18.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$6.49 ₹616

$7.30 ₹693

-11.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$20.70 ₹1,965

$15.66 ₹1,487

32.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.11 ₹770

$11.55 ₹1,097

-29.78%

Cinema Ticket

$3.11 ₹295

$3.42 ₹325

-9.06%

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

$58.6 ₹5,561

$47.35 ₹4,497

23.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,454 ₹233.1K

$2,072 ₹196.7K

18.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$27.27 ₹2,589

$27.13 ₹2,576

0.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ₹2,340

$26.58 ₹2,524

-7.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$57.7 ₹5,477

$35.20 ₹3,343

63.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$44.07 ₹4,185

$28.34 ₹2,691

55.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$166 ₹15.8K

$152 ₹14.5K

8.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$117 ₹11.1K

$96.3 ₹9,143

21.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$465 ₹44.2K

$393 ₹37.3K

18.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$285 ₹27.1K

$212 ₹20.1K

34.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,052 ₹289.8K

$1,115 ₹105.9K

173.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,786 ₹169.6K

$597 ₹56.7K

199.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$432 ₹41.1K

$392 ₹37.2K

10.37%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.04

-11.50%

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

Last update for Chandigarh: October 12, 2026

Last update for Kolkata (Calcutta): October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chandigarh

$117 24.8%

Kolkata (Calcutta)

$96 22.5% 17.6% $21

Groceries & Markets

Chandigarh

$114 24.3%

Kolkata (Calcutta)

$117 27.4% 2.7% $3.1

Eating Out

Chandigarh

$89 18.8%

Kolkata (Calcutta)

$68 15.8% 23.6% $21

Clothing & Footwear

Chandigarh

$69 14.7%

Kolkata (Calcutta)

$53 12.3% 23.7% $16

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chandigarh

$48 10.2%

Kolkata (Calcutta)

$65 15.2% 35.2% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Chandigarh

$27 5.7%

Kolkata (Calcutta)

$23 5.3% 16.4% $4.4

Getting Around

Chandigarh

$7 1.5%

Kolkata (Calcutta)

$6 1.4% 13.9% $1

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $166 in Chandigarh and $152 in Kolkata (Calcutta). Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chandigarh pays 10% 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: $14.00 in Chandigarh vs $15.00 in Kolkata (Calcutta) for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $114 vs $118 per month, with Chandigarh cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇳 Chandigarh

🇮🇳 Kolkata (Calcutta)

🕒 Local time

23:53 11:53 PM

Same time as Chandigarh

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,028,667

4,486,679

💱 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

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Chandigarh Kolkata (Calcutta) 1,460 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

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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

Chandigarh vs Kolkata (Calcutta): Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kolkata (Calcutta) wins on cost – living expenses run 10% lower than in Chandigarh. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Kolkata (Calcutta) the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 10% higher in Chandigarh, 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: $166 in Chandigarh versus $152 in Kolkata (Calcutta). Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Kolkata (Calcutta) runs roughly 15% less than in Chandigarh. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $58.6 in Chandigarh versus $47.35 in Kolkata (Calcutta). 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 Kolkata (Calcutta) 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.

Safety-wise, Chandigarh and Kolkata (Calcutta) 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 Kolkata (Calcutta) gentler on the wallet – expenses run 10% less than in Chandigarh. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.