Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hyderabad and Kottayam

For one person, living is cheaper in Kottayam: $263 a month against $491 in Hyderabad, rent and utilities included – about $2,700 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Hyderabad
🇮🇳 India
$491
/mo nomad
Kottayam
🇮🇳 India
$263
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Hyderabad and in Kottayam

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

A single person spends $491 per month in Hyderabad vs $263 in Kottayam, rent included.

  • Hyderabad $491
  • Kottayam $263

A couple spends around $806 per month in Hyderabad vs $425 in Kottayam, rent included.

  • Hyderabad $806
  • Kottayam $425

A family of three spends $1,121 per month in Hyderabad vs $587 in Kottayam, rent included.

  • Hyderabad $1,121
  • Kottayam $587

Hyderabad costs about 86% more than Kottayam, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Hyderabad and Kottayam are more affordable than the global median – Hyderabad 64% lower, Kottayam 80% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Hyderabad
Kottayam
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$2.65 ₹251
$1.07 ₹101
147.66%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$15.86 ₹1,506
$9.66 ₹917
64.18%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.29 ₹502
$3.17 ₹301
66.88%
Cappuccino
$2.31 ₹219
$0.81 ₹77.0
185.19%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.46 ₹43.38
$0.30 ₹28.38
53.33%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.15 ₹14.46
$0.14 ₹13.02
7.14%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.04 ₹194
$1.22 ₹116
67.21%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.27 ₹405
$1.88 ₹178
127.13%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Hyderabad
Kottayam
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.83 ₹78.5
$0.61 ₹57.8
36.07%
White Bread (500g)
$0.57 ₹54.5
$0.48 ₹45.83
18.75%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$0.72 ₹68.5
$0.52 ₹49.78
38.46%
Eggs
$1.02 ₹96.9
$0.83 ₹79.1
22.89%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$6.95 ₹660
$2.11 ₹200
229.38%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.31 ₹314
$3.72 ₹353
-11.02%
Apples (1kg)
$2.28 ₹216
$2.05 ₹195
11.22%
Banana (1kg)
$0.71 ₹67.0
$0.59 ₹55.8
20.34%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.12 ₹106
$0.89 ₹84.1
25.84%
Tomato (1kg)
$0.47 ₹44.18
$0.49 ₹46.62
-4.08%
Potato (1kg)
$0.39 ₹36.70
$0.34 ₹32.59
14.71%
Onion (1kg)
$0.39 ₹36.70
$0.41 ₹38.60
-4.88%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.52 ₹49.51
$0.59 ₹56.3
-11.86%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.30 ₹28.02
$0.27 ₹25.87
11.11%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.16 ₹490
$5.05 ₹480
2.18%
Wine (Bottle)
$8.54 ₹811
$3.96 ₹376
115.66%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.75 ₹166
$1.53 ₹145
14.38%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.62 ₹249
$2.20 ₹209
19.09%
Buffalo Round (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) (1kg)
$6.46 ₹613
$3.43 ₹326
88.34%
🚌 Getting Around
Hyderabad
Kottayam
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.50 ₹47.10
$0.29 ₹27.33
72.41%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$14.88 ₹1,413
$8.92 ₹847
66.82%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.96 ₹91.3
$0.82 ₹78.1
17.07%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.53 ₹50.3
$0.32 ₹30.51
65.63%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$1.13 ₹108
$2.04 ₹194
-44.61%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.17 ₹111
$1.11 ₹106
5.41%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$15.3K ₹1.5M
$9,250 ₹878.3K
65.36%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$22.8K ₹2.2M
$14.8K ₹1.4M
53.88%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Hyderabad
Kottayam
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$35.47 ₹3,368
$20.51 ₹1,947
72.94%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$4.20 ₹399
$2.98 ₹283
40.94%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$7.92 ₹752
$5.96 ₹566
32.89%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Hyderabad
Kottayam
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$24.75 ₹2,350
$6.09 ₹578
306.40%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$7.27 ₹691
$9.19 ₹873
-20.89%
Cinema Ticket
$3.08 ₹293
$1.74 ₹165
77.01%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Hyderabad
Kottayam
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$103 ₹9,767
$10.63 ₹1,009
867.64%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$2,753 ₹261.4K
$505 ₹47.9K
445.54%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Hyderabad
Kottayam
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$22.36 ₹2,123
$18.53 ₹1,760
20.67%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$21.36 ₹2,028
$15.72 ₹1,493
35.88%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$43.24 ₹4,106
$20.96 ₹1,990
106.30%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$35.07 ₹3,330
$12.10 ₹1,149
189.83%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Hyderabad
Kottayam
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$229 ₹21.7K
$128 ₹12.2K
78.07%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$132 ₹12.5K
$53.7 ₹5,102
145.56%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$614 ₹58.3K
$261 ₹24.8K
135.28%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$332 ₹31.5K
$116 ₹11.0K
185.84%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,349 ₹128.1K
$947 ₹89.9K
42.42%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$766 ₹72.7K
$550 ₹52.2K
39.28%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Hyderabad
Kottayam
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,209 ₹114.8K
$290 ₹27.5K
317.63%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
8.46
9
-6.00%

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

Last update for Hyderabad: October 12, 2026

Last update for Kottayam: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Hyderabad
$132
Kottayam
$54 59.3% $78
Groceries & Markets
Hyderabad
$119
Kottayam
$89 25.9% $31
Eating Out
Hyderabad
$86
Kottayam
$39 54.2% $47
Clothing & Footwear
Hyderabad
$55
Kottayam
$30 44.8% $25
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Hyderabad
$48
Kottayam
$29 38.1% $18
Sport & Entertainment
Hyderabad
$31
Kottayam
$9.6 69% $21
Getting Around
Hyderabad
$20
Kottayam
$13 39% $8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $229 in Hyderabad versus $128 in Kottayam. 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 318% higher in Hyderabad, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $16.00 in Hyderabad versus $10.00 in Kottayam. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $119 vs $89.0 – making Kottayam the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇮🇳 Hyderabad
🇮🇳 Kottayam
🕒 Local time
19:27 7:27 PM
19:27 7:27 PM
Same time as Hyderabad
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
6,809,970
55,374
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to INR – Indian Rupee Converter

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 94.95 INR (100 INR = 1.05 USD). 1 EUR = 107 INR (1,000 INR = 9.37 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Hyderabad Kottayam 890 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Hyderabad
  • Kottayam

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 Kottayam: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Hyderabad or Kottayam?
Hyderabad costs about 86% more than Kottayam, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Hyderabad and in Kottayam?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $737 per month in Hyderabad and $395 in Kottayam. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Hyderabad or Kottayam?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Kottayam, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
How expensive is transport in Hyderabad compared to Kottayam?
Public transport costs about 67% less in Kottayam. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
How do childcare costs compare in Hyderabad and in Kottayam?
Kindergarten costs $103 per month in Hyderabad and $10.63 in Kottayam. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Can you live on $800/month in Hyderabad or in Kottayam?
$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $491 in Hyderabad and $263 in Kottayam, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Hyderabad or Kottayam?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Kottayam costs $263 versus $491 in Hyderabad. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.
Should I move to Hyderabad or to Kottayam?
If budget matters most, go with Kottayam. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Hyderabad makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

Hyderabad vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?