Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chennai (Madras) and Mangalore

For one person, living is cheaper in Chennai (Madras): $414 a month against $457 in Mangalore, rent and utilities included – about $520 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

20

Cost of Living Index in Chennai (Madras)
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Chennai (Madras) Living Index
22

Cost of Living Index in Mangalore
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Mangalore Living Index

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Chennai (Madras)

🇮🇳 India

$414

/mo nomad

Mangalore

🇮🇳 India

$457

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $414 per month in Chennai (Madras) vs $457 in Mangalore, rent included.

Chennai (Madras) $414
Mangalore $457

A couple spends around $693 per month in Chennai (Madras) vs $687 in Mangalore, rent included.

Chennai (Madras) $693
Mangalore $687

A family of three spends $973 per month in Chennai (Madras) vs $917 in Mangalore, rent included.

Chennai (Madras) $973
Mangalore $917

Chennai (Madras) is about 10% cheaper than Mangalore, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chennai (Madras) and Mangalore are more affordable than the global median – Chennai (Madras) 69% lower, Mangalore 66% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.06 ₹196

$3.22 ₹306

-36.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$12.41 ₹1,179

$11.69 ₹1,111

6.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.25 ₹404

$4.23 ₹401

0.47%

Cappuccino

$1.81 ₹172

$1.95 ₹185

-7.18%

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

$0.36 ₹34.57

$0.39 ₹37.50

-7.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.18 ₹16.64

$0.16 ₹14.81

12.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.56 ₹148

$2.04 ₹193

-23.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.05 ₹289

$2.40 ₹228

27.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.56 ₹53.4

$0.54 ₹51.3

3.70%

White Bread (500g)

$0.54 ₹51.6

$0.43 ₹41.21

25.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.74 ₹70.2

$0.57 ₹54.2

29.82%

Eggs

$0.82 ₹77.9

$0.89 ₹84.7

-7.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.06 ₹575

$3.45 ₹328

75.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.23 ₹307

$2.49 ₹236

29.72%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 ₹275

$1.61 ₹153

79.50%

Banana (1kg)

$0.80 ₹76.2

$0.85 ₹80.8

-5.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.40 ₹133

$0.87 ₹82.4

60.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.43 ₹40.70

$0.36 ₹34.20

19.44%

Potato (1kg)

$0.45 ₹42.42

$0.43 ₹40.52

4.65%

Onion (1kg)

$0.43 ₹40.45

$0.39 ₹36.66

10.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.52 ₹49.61

$0.60 ₹57.2

-13.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.28 ₹26.44

$0.31 ₹29.48

-9.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.14 ₹488

$5.10 ₹484

0.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.52 ₹714

$4.21 ₹400

78.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.85 ₹176

$1.41 ₹134

31.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ₹254

$2.51 ₹239

6.77%

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

$6.78 ₹644

$5.15 ₹489

31.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.30 ₹28.41

$0.27 ₹25.73

11.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$10.31 ₹979

$31.56 ₹2,997

-67.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.07 ₹102

$0.93 ₹88.0

15.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.32 ₹30.55

$0.30 ₹28.38

6.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₹204

$1.24 ₹117

72.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.09 ₹104

$1.11 ₹106

-1.80%

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

$15.5K ₹1.5M

$10.7K ₹1.0M

45.31%

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

$19.7K ₹1.9M

$18.8K ₹1.8M

4.55%

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

$38.87 ₹3,691

$28.72 ₹2,728

35.34%

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

$4.07 ₹387

$4.86 ₹462

-16.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$7.93 ₹753

$6.98 ₹662

13.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$12.80 ₹1,216

$16.09 ₹1,528

-20.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.83 ₹648

$3.56 ₹338

91.85%

Cinema Ticket

$2.56 ₹243

$2.58 ₹245

-0.78%

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

$86.7 ₹8,229

$54.7 ₹5,194

58.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,119 ₹201.2K

$851 ₹80.8K

149.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$20.39 ₹1,936

$29.60 ₹2,811

-31.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$16.65 ₹1,581

$27.51 ₹2,612

-39.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$35.60 ₹3,381

$49.16 ₹4,668

-27.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$30.60 ₹2,906

$34.58 ₹3,283

-11.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$181 ₹17.2K

$174 ₹16.5K

4.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$101 ₹9,611

$132 ₹12.6K

-23.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$506 ₹48.0K

$337 ₹32.0K

49.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$300 ₹28.5K

$214 ₹20.3K

40.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,083 ₹197.8K

$571 ₹54.2K

264.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$797 ₹75.6K

$385 ₹36.5K

107.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$654 ₹62.1K

$394 ₹37.4K

66.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.99

7.9

26.46%

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

Last update for Chennai (Madras): October 11, 2026

Last update for Mangalore: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Chennai (Madras)

$116 28%

Mangalore

$85 18.7% 26.3% $30

Accommodation & Living

Chennai (Madras)

$101 24.5%

Mangalore

$132 29% 30.8% $31

Eating Out

Chennai (Madras)

$67 16.2%

Mangalore

$79 17.3% 18% $12

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chennai (Madras)

$51 12.3%

Mangalore

$41 8.9% 20.3% $10

Clothing & Footwear

Chennai (Madras)

$46 11.2%

Mangalore

$63 13.9% 36.4% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Chennai (Madras)

$18 4.3%

Mangalore

$21 4.7% 18.6% $3.3

Getting Around

Chennai (Madras)

$14 3.4%

Mangalore

$35 7.7% 147% $21

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $181 in Chennai (Madras) versus $174 in Mangalore. 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 66% 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 $12.00 in Chennai (Madras) versus $12.00 in Mangalore. Groceries tell a different story – $116 in Chennai (Madras) vs $85.0 in Mangalore – so Mangalore wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇮🇳 Chennai (Madras)

🇮🇳 Mangalore

🕒 Local time

08:55 8:55 AM

Same time as Chennai (Madras)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,681,087

500,000

💱 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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Chennai (Madras) Mangalore 590 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Chennai (Madras)
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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

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

Mangalore costs about 11% more than Chennai (Madras), and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $620 per month in Chennai (Madras) and $686 in Mangalore. 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $414 in Chennai (Madras) and $457 in Mangalore. That's a gap of about 11%.

Public transport costs about 206% less in Chennai (Madras). For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $414 in Chennai (Madras) and $457 in Mangalore, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chennai (Madras) costs $414 versus $457 in Mangalore. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Chennai (Madras). If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Mangalore makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.