Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hyderabad and Ernakulam

For one person, living is cheaper in Ernakulam: $393 a month against $491 in Hyderabad, rent and utilities included – about $1,200 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

24

Cost of Living Index in Hyderabad
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Hyderabad Living Index
19

Cost of Living Index in Ernakulam
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Ernakulam Living Index

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Hyderabad

🇮🇳 India

$491

/mo nomad

Ernakulam

🇮🇳 India

$393

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Hyderabad and in Ernakulam

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

A single person spends $491 per month in Hyderabad vs $393 in Ernakulam, rent included.

Hyderabad $491
Ernakulam $393

A couple spends around $809 per month in Hyderabad vs $651 in Ernakulam, rent included.

Hyderabad $809
Ernakulam $651

A family of three spends $1,127 per month in Hyderabad vs $909 in Ernakulam, rent included.

Hyderabad $1,127
Ernakulam $909

Hyderabad costs about 25% more than Ernakulam, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Hyderabad and Ernakulam are more affordable than the global median – Hyderabad 64% lower, Ernakulam 71% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.58 ₹246

$1.70 ₹162

51.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$15.95 ₹1,519

$8.18 ₹779

94.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.10 ₹486

$3.65 ₹347

39.73%

Cappuccino

$2.27 ₹217

$1.29 ₹123

75.97%

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

$0.45 ₹42.56

$0.39 ₹37.58

15.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.15 ₹14.13

$0.12 ₹11.55

25.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.12 ₹202

$1.62 ₹154

30.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.29 ₹409

$2.12 ₹202

102.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.83 ₹79.2

$0.63 ₹60.2

31.75%

White Bread (500g)

$0.58 ₹55.7

$0.50 ₹47.41

16.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.70 ₹66.3

$0.63 ₹59.6

11.11%

Eggs

$0.99 ₹94.5

$0.90 ₹86.1

10.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.10 ₹676

$5.52 ₹526

28.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.38 ₹322

$2.82 ₹268

19.86%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 ₹223

$2.25 ₹214

4.00%

Banana (1kg)

$0.68 ₹65.2

$0.70 ₹66.3

-2.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.14 ₹109

$1.06 ₹101

7.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.44 ₹42.17

$0.45 ₹43.14

-2.22%

Potato (1kg)

$0.43 ₹40.47

$0.38 ₹36.21

13.16%

Onion (1kg)

$0.39 ₹37.58

$0.50 ₹47.43

-22.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.51 ₹48.79

$0.56 ₹53.6

-8.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.32 ₹30.91

$0.29 ₹27.40

10.34%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₹493

$4.52 ₹431

14.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.37 ₹797

$5.37 ₹512

55.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ₹173

$1.69 ₹161

7.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.72 ₹259

$2.50 ₹239

8.80%

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

$6.16 ₹586

$5.07 ₹483

21.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 ₹51.5

$0.10 ₹9.20

440.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$14.95 ₹1,423

$6.24 ₹595

139.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.92 ₹87.2

$1.33 ₹126

-30.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.55 ₹52.3

$0.33 ₹31.72

66.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.19 ₹113

$1.34 ₹128

-11.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.12 ₹106

$1.09 ₹104

2.75%

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

$11.4K ₹1.1M

$11.1K ₹1.1M

2.54%

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

$22.7K ₹2.2M

$27.1K ₹2.6M

-16.30%

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

$35.06 ₹3,339

$32.90 ₹3,133

6.57%

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

$4.30 ₹409

$3.28 ₹312

31.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$7.89 ₹751

$6.63 ₹631

19.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.12 ₹2,297

$12.20 ₹1,162

97.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.43 ₹708

$9.04 ₹861

-17.81%

Cinema Ticket

$3.07 ₹292

$2.16 ₹206

42.13%

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

$145 ₹13.8K

$56.8 ₹5,407

155.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,836 ₹270.0K

$2,068 ₹196.9K

37.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$21.57 ₹2,054

$21.73 ₹2,069

-0.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$21.03 ₹2,003

$17.36 ₹1,653

21.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$42.00 ₹3,999

$36.23 ₹3,450

15.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$34.78 ₹3,312

$27.47 ₹2,615

26.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$231 ₹22.0K

$226 ₹21.5K

2.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$133 ₹12.7K

$121 ₹11.5K

10.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$624 ₹59.4K

$415 ₹39.5K

50.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$339 ₹32.3K

$330 ₹31.4K

2.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,354 ₹128.9K

$1,084 ₹103.2K

24.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$776 ₹73.9K

$1,184 ₹112.7K

-34.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,260 ₹120.0K

$349 ₹33.3K

260.87%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.55

9.5

-10.00%

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

Last update for Hyderabad: October 25, 2026

Last update for Ernakulam: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Hyderabad

$133 27.1%

Ernakulam

$121 30.8% 9.2% $12

Groceries & Markets

Hyderabad

$121 24.7%

Ernakulam

$102 26% 15.7% $19

Eating Out

Hyderabad

$85 17.3%

Ernakulam

$54 13.9% 35.8% $30

Clothing & Footwear

Hyderabad

$54 10.9%

Ernakulam

$46 11.8% 13.9% $7.5

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hyderabad

$47 9.6%

Ernakulam

$43 10.9% 9.4% $4.4

Sport & Entertainment

Hyderabad

$30 6.2%

Ernakulam

$17 4.2% 45.4% $14

Getting Around

Hyderabad

$21 4.2%

Ernakulam

$9.6 2.5% 53.7% $11

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $231 in Hyderabad versus $226 in Ernakulam. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Hyderabad are about 3.6 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $16 in Hyderabad versus $8 in Ernakulam. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $121 vs $102 – making Ernakulam the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇳 Hyderabad

🇮🇳 Ernakulam

🕒 Local time

03:05 3:05 AM

Same time as Hyderabad

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

6,809,970

612,343

💱 Currency

Indian Rupee INR ₹

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 INR = 10.5 USD

1,000 INR = 9.43 EUR

1,000 INR = 10.5 USD

1,000 INR = 9.43 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Hyderabad Ernakulam 850 km ≈ 1 h 30 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

Hyderabad vs Ernakulam: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Hyderabad is pricier by about 25%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $736 per month in Hyderabad and $589 in Ernakulam. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $231 in Hyderabad and $226 in Ernakulam. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $491 in Hyderabad and $393 in Ernakulam. That makes Ernakulam about 20% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 58% less in Ernakulam. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$1,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $491 in Hyderabad and $393 in Ernakulam, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Ernakulam costs $393 versus $491 in Hyderabad. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Ernakulam. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Hyderabad makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.