Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Goa and Chennai (Madras)

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.

25

Cost of Living Index in Goa
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Goa Living Index
21

Cost of Living Index in Chennai (Madras)
Learn more

Chennai (Madras) Living Index

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Goa

🇮🇳 India

$517

/mo nomad

Chennai (Madras)

🇮🇳 India

$435

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

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

Goa $517
Chennai (Madras) $435

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

Goa $815
Chennai (Madras) $725

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

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

Goa costs about 19% more than Chennai (Madras), and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.23 ₹308

$2.04 ₹194

58.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$16.07 ₹1,529

$12.50 ₹1,189

28.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.62 ₹534

$4.14 ₹394

35.75%

Cappuccino

$1.20 ₹114

$1.82 ₹173

-34.07%

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

$0.35 ₹33.76

$0.34 ₹31.93

2.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.16 ₹15.27

$0.17 ₹16.21

-5.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.18 ₹112

$1.55 ₹148

-23.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.64 ₹251

$3.17 ₹301

-16.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.70 ₹66.8

$0.59 ₹56.0

18.64%

White Bread (500g)

$0.54 ₹51.5

$0.51 ₹48.13

5.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.68 ₹64.9

$0.69 ₹65.4

-1.45%

Eggs

$0.84 ₹80.0

$0.88 ₹84.0

-4.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.27 ₹692

$6.25 ₹594

16.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.02 ₹287

$3.12 ₹297

-3.21%

Apples (1kg)

$1.74 ₹166

$2.78 ₹265

-37.41%

Banana (1kg)

$0.74 ₹70.5

$0.83 ₹78.6

-10.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.59 ₹151

$1.39 ₹132

14.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.42 ₹39.52

$0.43 ₹40.73

-2.33%

Potato (1kg)

$0.31 ₹29.14

$0.44 ₹42.28

-29.55%

Onion (1kg)

$0.41 ₹38.97

$0.42 ₹39.97

-2.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.52 ₹49.20

$0.54 ₹51.8

-3.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.30 ₹28.74

$0.28 ₹26.47

7.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.94 ₹470

$5.11 ₹486

-3.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.67 ₹634

$7.25 ₹690

-8.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 ₹79.5

$1.86 ₹176

-54.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.94 ₹280

$2.76 ₹263

6.52%

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

$4.88 ₹464

$6.71 ₹638

-27.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₹23.58

$0.33 ₹31.78

-24.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.83 ₹935

$10.67 ₹1,015

-7.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.03 ₹97.8

$1.03 ₹98.0

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.34 ₹32.46

$0.30 ₹28.95

13.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.50 ₹143

$2.12 ₹202

-29.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.08 ₹102

$1.09 ₹103

-0.92%

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)

$30.3K ₹2.9M

$20.1K ₹1.9M

50.73%

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

$25.85 ₹2,459

$38.28 ₹3,641

-32.47%

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

$3.01 ₹286

$3.96 ₹377

-23.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.54 ₹907

$7.75 ₹737

23.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$17.25 ₹1,640

$14.18 ₹1,349

21.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$1.02 ₹97.0

$6.64 ₹631

-84.64%

Cinema Ticket

$3.16 ₹301

$2.28 ₹217

38.60%

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

$111 ₹10.5K

$87.7 ₹8,346

26.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,683 ₹160.1K

$2,110 ₹200.7K

-20.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$32.10 ₹3,053

$19.99 ₹1,901

60.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.70 ₹3,301

$17.11 ₹1,627

102.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$58.3 ₹5,543

$35.44 ₹3,371

64.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$28.56 ₹2,717

$30.77 ₹2,927

-7.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$211 ₹20.1K

$190 ₹18.1K

10.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$195 ₹18.5K

$123 ₹11.7K

58.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$575 ₹54.7K

$577 ₹54.9K

-0.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$384 ₹36.5K

$343 ₹32.6K

12.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,472 ₹140.0K

$1,864 ₹177.3K

-21.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,087 ₹103.4K

$798 ₹75.9K

36.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$353 ₹33.6K

$662 ₹63.0K

-46.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.12

9.99

-8.71%

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

Last update for Goa: October 25, 2026

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

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Goa

$195 37.6%

Chennai (Madras)

$123 28.3% 36.8% $72

Groceries & Markets

Goa

$108 20.9%

Chennai (Madras)

$115 26.5% 6.7% $7.3

Eating Out

Goa

$70 13.6%

Chennai (Madras)

$67 15.4% 5.1% $3.6

Clothing & Footwear

Goa

$69 13.4%

Chennai (Madras)

$46 10.7% 32.8% $23

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Goa

$38 7.4%

Chennai (Madras)

$50 11.5% 30.2% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Goa

$24 4.6%

Chennai (Madras)

$19 4.3% 20.5% $4.8

Getting Around

Goa

$14 2.6%

Chennai (Madras)

$15 3.4% 7.4% $1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $211 in Goa versus $190 in Chennai (Madras). 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 $16 in Goa versus $13 in Chennai (Madras). Groceries tell a different story – $108 in Goa vs $115 in Chennai (Madras) – so Goa wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇮🇳 Goa

🇮🇳 Chennai (Madras)

🕒 Local time

03:40 3:40 AM

Same time as Goa

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,458,545

4,681,087

💱 Currency

Indian Rupee INR ₹

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 INR = 10.51 USD

1,000 INR = 9.43 EUR

1,000 INR = 10.51 USD

1,000 INR = 9.43 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

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

From you

Goa
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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

Goa vs Chennai (Madras): 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 $776 per month in Goa and $652 in Chennai (Madras). 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 $517 in Goa and $435 in Chennai (Madras). 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 $517 in Goa and $435 in Chennai (Madras), 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.