Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chennai (Madras) and Goa

For one person, living is cheaper in Chennai (Madras): $435 a month against $517 in Goa, rent and utilities included – about $980 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

21

Cost of Living Index in Chennai (Madras)
Learn more

Chennai (Madras) Living Index
25

Cost of Living Index in Goa
Learn more

Goa Living Index

Jump to prices

Chennai (Madras)

🇮🇳 India

$435

/mo nomad

Goa

🇮🇳 India

$517

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chennai (Madras) and in Goa

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

A single person spends $435 per month in Chennai (Madras) vs $517 in Goa, rent included.

Chennai (Madras) $435
Goa $517

A couple spends around $725 per month in Chennai (Madras) vs $815 in Goa, rent included.

Chennai (Madras) $725
Goa $815

A family of three spends $1,016 per month in Chennai (Madras) vs $1,112 in Goa, rent included.

Chennai (Madras) $1,016
Goa $1,112

Chennai (Madras) is about 16% cheaper than Goa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Chennai (Madras) and Goa are more affordable than the global median – Chennai (Madras) 68% lower, Goa 62% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.04 ₹194

$3.23 ₹308

-36.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$12.50 ₹1,189

$16.07 ₹1,529

-22.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.14 ₹394

$5.62 ₹534

-26.33%

Cappuccino

$1.82 ₹173

$1.20 ₹114

51.67%

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

$0.34 ₹31.92

$0.35 ₹33.75

-2.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.17 ₹16.20

$0.16 ₹15.27

6.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.55 ₹148

$1.18 ₹112

31.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 ₹301

$2.64 ₹251

20.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.59 ₹56.0

$0.70 ₹66.8

-15.71%

White Bread (500g)

$0.51 ₹48.12

$0.54 ₹51.5

-5.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.69 ₹65.4

$0.68 ₹64.9

1.47%

Eggs

$0.88 ₹84.0

$0.84 ₹80.0

4.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.25 ₹594

$7.27 ₹692

-14.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.12 ₹297

$3.02 ₹287

3.31%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 ₹265

$1.74 ₹166

59.77%

Banana (1kg)

$0.83 ₹78.5

$0.74 ₹70.5

12.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.39 ₹132

$1.59 ₹151

-12.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.43 ₹40.72

$0.42 ₹39.52

2.38%

Potato (1kg)

$0.44 ₹42.27

$0.31 ₹29.14

41.94%

Onion (1kg)

$0.42 ₹39.97

$0.41 ₹38.96

2.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.54 ₹51.8

$0.52 ₹49.20

3.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.28 ₹26.47

$0.30 ₹28.74

-6.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.11 ₹486

$4.94 ₹470

3.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.25 ₹690

$6.67 ₹634

8.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ₹176

$0.84 ₹79.5

121.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ₹263

$2.94 ₹280

-6.12%

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

$6.71 ₹638

$4.88 ₹464

37.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.33 ₹31.77

$0.25 ₹23.57

32.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$10.67 ₹1,015

$9.83 ₹935

8.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.03 ₹98.0

$1.03 ₹97.8

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 ₹28.94

$0.34 ₹32.46

-11.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.12 ₹202

$1.50 ₹143

41.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.09 ₹103

$1.08 ₹102

0.93%

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

$11.1K ₹1.1M

-0.07%

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

$20.1K ₹1.9M

$30.3K ₹2.9M

-33.66%

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

$38.28 ₹3,641

$25.85 ₹2,459

48.09%

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

$3.96 ₹376

$3.01 ₹286

31.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$7.75 ₹737

$9.54 ₹907

-18.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$14.18 ₹1,349

$17.25 ₹1,640

-17.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.64 ₹631

$1.02 ₹97.0

550.98%

Cinema Ticket

$2.28 ₹217

$3.16 ₹301

-27.85%

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

$87.7 ₹8,344

$111 ₹10.5K

-20.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,110 ₹200.7K

$1,683 ₹160.1K

25.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$19.99 ₹1,901

$32.10 ₹3,052

-37.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$17.11 ₹1,627

$34.70 ₹3,300

-50.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$35.44 ₹3,371

$58.3 ₹5,543

-39.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$30.77 ₹2,927

$28.56 ₹2,716

7.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$190 ₹18.1K

$211 ₹20.1K

-9.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$123 ₹11.7K

$195 ₹18.5K

-36.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$577 ₹54.8K

$575 ₹54.7K

0.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$343 ₹32.6K

$384 ₹36.5K

-10.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,864 ₹177.3K

$1,472 ₹140.0K

26.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$798 ₹75.9K

$1,087 ₹103.4K

-26.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$662 ₹63.0K

$353 ₹33.6K

87.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.99

9.12

9.54%

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

Last update for Chennai (Madras): October 26, 2026

Last update for Goa: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chennai (Madras)

$123 28.3%

Goa

$195 37.6% 58.3% $72

Groceries & Markets

Chennai (Madras)

$115 26.5%

Goa

$108 20.9% 6.3% $7.3

Eating Out

Chennai (Madras)

$67 15.4%

Goa

$70 13.6% 5.4% $3.6

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chennai (Madras)

$50 11.5%

Goa

$38 7.4% 23.2% $12

Clothing & Footwear

Chennai (Madras)

$46 10.7%

Goa

$69 13.4% 48.7% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Chennai (Madras)

$19 4.3%

Goa

$24 4.6% 25.8% $4.8

Getting Around

Chennai (Madras)

$15 3.4%

Goa

$14 2.6% 6.9% $1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $190 in Chennai (Madras) versus $211 in Goa. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 88% higher in Chennai (Madras), which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $13 in Chennai (Madras) versus $16 in Goa. Groceries tell a different story – $115 in Chennai (Madras) vs $108 in Goa – so Goa wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇮🇳 Chennai (Madras)

🇮🇳 Goa

🕒 Local time

21:13 9:13 PM

Same time as Chennai (Madras)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,681,087

1,458,545

💱 Currency

Indian Rupee INR ₹

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 INR = 10.51 USD

1,000 INR = 9.45 EUR

1,000 INR = 10.51 USD

1,000 INR = 9.45 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chennai (Madras) Goa 710 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Chennai (Madras)
Goa

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

Chennai (Madras) vs Goa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Goa costs about 19% more than Chennai (Madras), and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from clothing. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $652 per month in Chennai (Madras) and $776 in Goa. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Chennai (Madras), especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $190 there versus $211 in Goa.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $435 in Chennai (Madras) and $517 in Goa. That’s a gap of about 19%.

Public transport costs about 8% less in Goa. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $435 in Chennai (Madras) and $517 in Goa, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chennai (Madras) costs $435 versus $517 in Goa. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.