Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hyderabad and Karaikal

For one person, living is cheaper in Karaikal: $300 a month against $491 in Hyderabad, rent and utilities included – about $2,300 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

24

Cost of Living Index in Hyderabad
Learn more

Hyderabad Living Index
15

Cost of Living Index in Karaikal
Learn more

Karaikal Living Index

Jump to prices

Hyderabad

🇮🇳 India

$491

/mo nomad

Karaikal

🇮🇳 India

$300

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Hyderabad and in Karaikal

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

A single person spends $491 per month in Hyderabad vs $300 in Karaikal, rent included.

Hyderabad $491
Karaikal $300

A couple spends around $809 per month in Hyderabad vs $469 in Karaikal, rent included.

Hyderabad $809
Karaikal $469

A family of three spends $1,127 per month in Hyderabad vs $638 in Karaikal, rent included.

Hyderabad $1,127
Karaikal $638

Hyderabad costs about 64% more than Karaikal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Hyderabad and Karaikal are more affordable than the global median – Hyderabad 64% lower, Karaikal 78% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.58 ₹245

$0.71 ₹67.3

263.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$15.95 ₹1,515

$12.53 ₹1,190

27.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.10 ₹484

$3.66 ₹348

39.34%

Cappuccino

$2.27 ₹216

$0.61 ₹57.7

272.13%

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

$0.45 ₹42.44

$0.20 ₹18.98

125.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.15 ₹14.09

$0.15 ₹14.50

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.12 ₹201

$0.98 ₹93.0

116.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.29 ₹407

$1.59 ₹151

169.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.83 ₹79.0

$0.50 ₹47.51

66.00%

White Bread (500g)

$0.58 ₹55.5

$0.30 ₹28.93

93.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.70 ₹66.1

$0.49 ₹46.15

42.86%

Eggs

$0.99 ₹94.3

$0.64 ₹61.2

54.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.10 ₹674

$2.60 ₹247

173.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.38 ₹321

$2.66 ₹252

27.07%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 ₹222

$1.27 ₹121

84.25%

Banana (1kg)

$0.68 ₹65.0

$0.43 ₹40.86

58.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.14 ₹109

$0.76 ₹72.4

50.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.44 ₹42.05

$0.17 ₹16.00

158.82%

Potato (1kg)

$0.43 ₹40.36

$0.22 ₹20.91

95.45%

Onion (1kg)

$0.39 ₹37.47

$0.28 ₹26.42

39.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.51 ₹48.66

$0.14 ₹13.11

264.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.32 ₹30.82

$0.25 ₹23.72

28.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₹492

$2.77 ₹263

87.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.37 ₹795

$3.07 ₹292

172.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ₹173

$1.25 ₹118

45.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.72 ₹259

$2.13 ₹202

27.70%

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

$6.16 ₹584

$3.74 ₹355

64.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 ₹51.4

$0.22 ₹20.84

145.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$14.95 ₹1,419

$7.17 ₹681

108.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.92 ₹87.0

$1.07 ₹102

-14.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.55 ₹52.1

$0.22 ₹20.92

150.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.19 ₹113

$1.03 ₹97.9

15.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.12 ₹106

$1.02 ₹97.3

9.80%

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

$11.4K ₹1.1M

$8,356 ₹793.4K

36.25%

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

$22.7K ₹2.2M

$9,625 ₹913.9K

135.50%

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

$35.06 ₹3,329

$37.93 ₹3,601

-7.57%

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

$4.30 ₹408

$1.58 ₹150

172.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$7.89 ₹749

$6.36 ₹603

24.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.12 ₹2,290

$6.64 ₹631

263.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.43 ₹706

$6.38 ₹606

16.46%

Cinema Ticket

$3.07 ₹291

$2.39 ₹227

28.45%

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

$145 ₹13.8K

$21.28 ₹2,021

582.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,836 ₹269.2K

$2,141 ₹203.3K

32.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$21.57 ₹2,049

$10.30 ₹978

109.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$21.03 ₹1,997

$17.07 ₹1,620

23.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$42.00 ₹3,988

$35.55 ₹3,375

18.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$34.78 ₹3,303

$25.89 ₹2,458

34.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$231 ₹21.9K

$149 ₹14.1K

55.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$133 ₹12.6K

$91.3 ₹8,668

45.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$624 ₹59.3K

$220 ₹20.9K

183.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$339 ₹32.2K

$178 ₹16.9K

90.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,354 ₹128.5K

$956 ₹90.8K

41.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$776 ₹73.7K

$536 ₹50.9K

44.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,260 ₹119.6K

$417 ₹39.6K

202.29%

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 Karaikal: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Hyderabad

$133 27.1%

Karaikal

$91 30.4% 31.4% $42

Groceries & Markets

Hyderabad

$121 24.7%

Karaikal

$68 22.6% 43.9% $53

Eating Out

Hyderabad

$85 17.3%

Karaikal

$33 11.1% 60.6% $51

Clothing & Footwear

Hyderabad

$54 10.9%

Karaikal

$40 13.3% 25.6% $14

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hyderabad

$47 9.6%

Karaikal

$46 15.3% 2.9% $1.4

Sport & Entertainment

Hyderabad

$30 6.2%

Karaikal

$11 3.8% 62.2% $19

Getting Around

Hyderabad

$21 4.2%

Karaikal

$10 3.4% 50.8% $11

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $231 in Hyderabad versus $149 in Karaikal. 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 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $16 in Hyderabad versus $13 in Karaikal. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $121 vs $68 – making Karaikal the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇳 Hyderabad

🇮🇳 Karaikal

🕒 Local time

03:48 3:48 AM

Same time as Hyderabad

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

6,809,970

10,000

💱 Currency

Indian Rupee INR ₹

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 INR = 10.53 USD

1,000 INR = 9.43 EUR

1,000 INR = 10.53 USD

1,000 INR = 9.43 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Hyderabad Karaikal 730 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Hyderabad
Karaikal

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

Hyderabad vs Karaikal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hyderabad costs about 64% more than Karaikal, 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 $736 per month in Hyderabad and $450 in Karaikal. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Karaikal, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $149 there versus $231 in Hyderabad.

Public transport costs about 52% less in Karaikal. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $145 per month in Hyderabad and $21 in Karaikal. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $491 in Hyderabad and $300 in Karaikal, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Karaikal – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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