Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chongqing and Bangalore

For one person, living is cheaper in Bangalore: $535 a month against $714 in Chongqing, rent and utilities included – about $2,100 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

35

Cost of Living Index in Chongqing
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Chongqing Living Index
26

Cost of Living Index in Bangalore
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Bangalore Living Index

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Chongqing

🇨🇳 China

$714

/mo nomad

Bangalore

🇮🇳 India

$535

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chongqing and in Bangalore

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $714 in Chongqing versus $535 in Bangalore.

Chongqing $714
Bangalore $535

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,168 in Chongqing versus $927 in Bangalore.

Chongqing $1,168
Bangalore $927

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,622 in Chongqing versus $1,318 in Bangalore.

Chongqing $1,622
Bangalore $1,318

Living in Chongqing is roughly 33% more expensive than in Bangalore, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Chongqing 47% lower, Bangalore 60% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.64 ¥17.67

$3.04 ₹294

-13.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.05 ¥147

$17.83 ₹1,725

23.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.67 ¥31.20

$4.78 ₹463

-2.30%

Cappuccino

$2.06 ¥13.79

$2.24 ₹217

-8.04%

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

$0.43 ¥2.90

$0.39 ₹37.49

10.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ¥2.09

$0.14 ₹13.64

121.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.20 ¥8.02

$2.34 ₹226

-48.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 ¥11.71

$3.91 ₹379

-55.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 ¥12.85

$0.61 ₹58.6

214.75%

White Bread (500g)

$1.58 ¥10.56

$0.57 ₹55.2

177.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.64 ¥4.25

$0.81 ₹77.9

-20.99%

Eggs

$2.16 ¥14.42

$1.12 ₹109

92.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.55 ¥117

$5.93 ₹574

195.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.37 ¥22.55

$3.85 ₹373

-12.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.08 ¥67.4

Apples (1kg)

$1.56 ¥10.43

$2.78 ₹269

-43.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.35 ¥9.01

$0.75 ₹72.2

80.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.25 ¥8.35

$1.22 ₹118

2.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.25 ¥8.32

$0.40 ₹39.19

212.50%

Potato (1kg)

$0.61 ¥4.07

$0.38 ₹36.40

60.53%

Onion (1kg)

$0.94 ¥6.31

$0.36 ₹34.72

161.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.87 ¥5.83

$0.42 ₹40.31

107.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.62 ¥4.13

$0.32 ₹31.21

93.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.07 ¥20.51

$4.61 ₹446

-33.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.95 ¥59.8

$9.01 ₹872

-0.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.76 ¥5.10

$1.86 ₹180

-59.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.64 ¥10.93

$2.92 ₹283

-43.84%

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

$6.35 ₹614

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 ¥2.59

$0.51 ₹48.89

-23.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.16 ¥148

$15.71 ₹1,520

41.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.53 ¥10.24

$1.01 ₹97.8

51.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.29 ¥1.91

$0.30 ₹29.43

-3.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.96 ¥19.81

$2.10 ₹203

40.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 ¥8.44

$1.08 ₹104

16.67%

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

$19.5K ¥130.3K

$12.6K ₹1.2M

55.09%

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

$16.8K ¥112.4K

$19.1K ₹1.8M

-11.74%

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

$44.19 ¥295

$30.32 ₹2,934

45.75%

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

$6.95 ¥46.43

$4.11 ₹398

69.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$7.17 ¥47.91

$10.23 ₹990

-29.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.7 ¥339

$18.61 ₹1,801

172.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.64 ¥71.1

$5.95 ₹576

78.82%

Cinema Ticket

$5.94 ¥39.71

$4.60 ₹446

29.13%

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

$290 ¥1,939

$104 ₹10.1K

178.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.6K ¥171.0K

$3,176 ₹307.3K

705.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$39.88 ¥267

$32.29 ₹3,125

23.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.80 ¥199

$29.85 ₹2,889

-0.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$64.8 ¥433

$53.3 ₹5,160

21.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$62.7 ¥419

$39.66 ₹3,838

58.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$418 ¥2,790

$309 ₹29.9K

35.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$200 ¥1,338

$175 ₹16.9K

14.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$880 ¥5,879

$788 ₹76.3K

11.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$414 ¥2,767

$481 ₹46.6K

-14.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,681 ¥17.9K

$1,889 ₹182.8K

41.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,705 ¥11.4K

$1,067 ₹103.3K

59.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,111 ¥7,423

$919 ₹89.0K

20.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.34

8.5

-60.71%

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

Last update for Chongqing: October 3, 2026

Last update for Bangalore: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Chongqing

$213 29.5%

Bangalore

$122 22.4% 42.5% $90

Accommodation & Living

Chongqing

$200 27.7%

Bangalore

$175 32% 12.6% $25

Clothing & Footwear

Chongqing

$89 12.3%

Bangalore

$70 12.8% 21.4% $19

Eating Out

Chongqing

$72 10%

Bangalore

$87 15.9% 20.4% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Chongqing

$63 8.7%

Bangalore

$28 5.1% 55.5% $35

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chongqing

$58 8.1%

Bangalore

$45 8.2% 23.4% $14

Getting Around

Chongqing

$27 3.7%

Bangalore

$20 3.7% 24% $6.4

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $418 in Chongqing and $309 in Bangalore. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chongqing pays 21% 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: $22.00 in Chongqing vs $18.00 in Bangalore for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $213 vs $122 per month, with Bangalore cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Chongqing

🇮🇳 Bangalore

🕒 Local time

19:29 7:29 PM

16:59 4:59 PM

2 h 30 min behind Chongqing

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,564,449

8,495,492

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

Indian Rupee INR ₹

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.134 EUR

1,000 INR = 10.33 USD

1,000 INR = 9.22 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

INR, USD, EUR to CNY – Chinese Yuan Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇳 Chinese Yuan (¥)

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 6.68 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.49 CNY (1 CNY = 0.134 EUR).

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 96.78 INR (100 INR = 1.03 USD). 1 EUR = 108 INR (1,000 INR = 9.22 EUR).

USD to CNY in detail →

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Chongqing Bangalore 3,500 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Chongqing
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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

Chongqing vs Bangalore: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bangalore wins on cost – living expenses run 33% lower than in Chongqing. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Bangalore the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 21% higher in Chongqing, 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: $418 in Chongqing versus $309 in Bangalore. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Bangalore runs roughly 41% less than in Chongqing. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $290 in Chongqing versus $104 in Bangalore. 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 $535 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Bangalore hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Bangalore gentler on the wallet – expenses run 33% less than in Chongqing. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.