Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kolkata (Calcutta) and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Kolkata (Calcutta): $417 a month against $2,704 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $27,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

21

Cost of Living Index in Kolkata (Calcutta)
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Kolkata (Calcutta) Living Index
129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index

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Kolkata (Calcutta)

🇮🇳 India

$417

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,704

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Kolkata (Calcutta) and in Austin, TX

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $417 in Kolkata (Calcutta) versus $2,704 in Austin, TX.

Kolkata (Calcutta) $417
Austin, TX $2,704

Estimated couple costs with rent: $669 in Kolkata (Calcutta) versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

Kolkata (Calcutta) $669
Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $922 in Kolkata (Calcutta) versus $5,562 in Austin, TX.

Kolkata (Calcutta) $922
Austin, TX $5,562

Living in Kolkata (Calcutta) costs roughly 85% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Kolkata (Calcutta) is 69% below, Austin, TX is 102% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.04 ₹198

$20.22 $20.22

-89.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$14.78 ₹1,430

$85.0 $85.0

-82.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.26 ₹412

$12.35 $12.35

-65.51%

Cappuccino

$1.64 ₹159

$5.47 $5.47

-70.02%

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

$0.48 ₹46.58

$3.82 $3.82

-87.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.12 ₹11.89

$2.50 $2.50

-95.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.90 ₹184

$8.06 $8.06

-76.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.13 ₹303

$8.99 $8.99

-65.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.72 ₹69.3

$1.13 $1.13

-36.28%

White Bread (500g)

$0.46 ₹44.25

$3.78 $3.78

-87.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.68 ₹65.5

$3.25 $3.25

-79.08%

Eggs

$1.03 ₹99.3

$4.14 $4.14

-75.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.31 ₹514

$13.08 $13.08

-59.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.04 ₹295

$14.31 $14.31

-78.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.96 $15.96

Apples (1kg)

$2.38 ₹230

$4.38 $4.38

-45.66%

Banana (1kg)

$0.79 ₹76.7

$1.45 $1.45

-45.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.39 ₹134

$4.54 $4.54

-69.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.61 ₹59.2

$4.19 $4.19

-85.44%

Potato (1kg)

$0.30 ₹29.22

$2.63 $2.63

-88.59%

Onion (1kg)

$0.40 ₹38.88

$2.36 $2.36

-83.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.35 ₹33.52

$1.76 $1.76

-80.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.26 ₹24.88

$2.16 $2.16

-87.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.92 ₹476

$9.81 $9.81

-49.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.34 ₹1,001

$14.72 $14.72

-29.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 ₹168

$2.78 $2.78

-37.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.70 ₹261

$3.48 $3.48

-22.41%

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

$6.34 ₹614

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.14 ₹13.90

$1.49 $1.49

-90.60%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$3.19 ₹309

$40.51 $40.51

-92.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.76 ₹73.5

$2.67 $2.67

-71.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.32 ₹31.19

$1.58 $1.58

-79.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.52 ₹147

$35.29 $35.29

-95.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.08 ₹105

$0.99 $0.99

9.09%

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

$15.8K ₹1.5M

$35.8K $35.8K

-55.85%

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

$22.7K ₹2.2M

$27.2K $27.2K

-16.49%

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

$52.5 ₹5,076

$219 $219

-76.08%

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

$5.10 ₹494

$58.0 $58.0

-91.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$7.13 ₹690

$68.4 $68.4

-89.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$15.73 ₹1,523

$57.9 $57.9

-72.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.52 ₹1,018

$14.82 $14.82

-29.01%

Cinema Ticket

$3.33 ₹322

$14.13 $14.13

-76.43%

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

$45.81 ₹4,433

$1,509 $1,509

-96.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,090 ₹202.2K

$21.5K $21.5K

-90.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$26.12 ₹2,528

$51.7 $51.7

-49.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.89 ₹2,506

$44.05 $44.05

-41.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$35.62 ₹3,448

$85.1 $85.1

-58.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$27.81 ₹2,691

$105 $105

-73.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$151 ₹14.6K

$1,932 $1,932

-92.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$95.4 ₹9,229

$1,272 $1,272

-92.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$399 ₹38.6K

$3,670 $3,670

-89.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$204 ₹19.8K

$2,525 $2,525

-91.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,119 ₹108.3K

$7,617 $7,617

-85.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$590 ₹57.1K

$3,199 $3,199

-81.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$382 ₹36.9K

$5,105 $5,105

-92.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.04

6.79

33.14%

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

Last update for Kolkata (Calcutta): October 6, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Kolkata (Calcutta)

$116 27.4%

Austin, TX

$403 15.3% 248% $287

Accommodation & Living

Kolkata (Calcutta)

$95 22.5%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.2% 1234% $1.2K

Eating Out

Kolkata (Calcutta)

$67 15.8%

Austin, TX

$348 13.2% 419% $281

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kolkata (Calcutta)

$65 15.3%

Austin, TX

$346 13.1% 434% $281

Clothing & Footwear

Kolkata (Calcutta)

$52 12.3%

Austin, TX

$129 4.9% 148% $77

Sport & Entertainment

Kolkata (Calcutta)

$22 5.3%

Austin, TX

$86 3.3% 285% $64

Getting Around

Kolkata (Calcutta)

$6.1 1.5%

Austin, TX

$57 2.2% 829% $51

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $151 in Kolkata (Calcutta) and $1,932 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 1237% 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: $15.00 in Kolkata (Calcutta) vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $116 vs $403 per month, with Kolkata (Calcutta) cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇳 Kolkata (Calcutta)

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

16:53 4:53 PM

06:23 6:23 AM

10 h 30 min behind Kolkata (Calcutta)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,486,679

974,447

💱 Currency

Indian Rupee INR ₹

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 INR = 10.33 USD

1,000 INR = 9.22 EUR

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to INR – Indian Rupee Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇳 Indian Rupee (₹)

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).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to INR in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Kolkata (Calcutta) Austin, TX 14,100 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Kolkata (Calcutta)
Austin, TX

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

Kolkata (Calcutta) vs Austin, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kolkata (Calcutta) wins on cost – living expenses run 548% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Kolkata (Calcutta) the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 1237% lower in Austin, TX. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $151 in Kolkata (Calcutta) versus $1,932 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $417 per month in Kolkata (Calcutta) versus $2,704 in Austin, TX – a 548% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Kolkata (Calcutta) runs roughly 1170% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $417 in Kolkata (Calcutta) versus $2,704 in Austin, TX, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Kolkata (Calcutta) but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Kolkata (Calcutta) the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Kolkata (Calcutta) gentler on the wallet – expenses run 548% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.