Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kolkata (Calcutta) and Bangalore

For one person, living is cheaper in Kolkata (Calcutta): $434 a month against $562 in Bangalore, rent and utilities included – about $1,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

21

Cost of Living Index in Kolkata (Calcutta)
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Kolkata (Calcutta) Living Index
27

Cost of Living Index in Bangalore
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Bangalore Living Index

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Kolkata (Calcutta)

🇮🇳 India

$434

/mo nomad

Bangalore

🇮🇳 India

$562

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Kolkata (Calcutta) and in Bangalore

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $434 in Kolkata (Calcutta) versus $562 in Bangalore.

Kolkata (Calcutta) $434
Bangalore $562

Estimated couple costs with rent: $691 in Kolkata (Calcutta) versus $949 in Bangalore.

Kolkata (Calcutta) $691
Bangalore $949

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $948 in Kolkata (Calcutta) versus $1,336 in Bangalore.

Kolkata (Calcutta) $948
Bangalore $1,336

Living in Kolkata (Calcutta) costs roughly 23% less than in Bangalore, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Kolkata (Calcutta) 68% lower, Bangalore 59% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.08 ₹198

$3.20 ₹304

-35.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$13.98 ₹1,327

$18.12 ₹1,720

-22.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.15 ₹394

$4.66 ₹442

-10.94%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ₹158

$2.33 ₹222

-28.76%

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

$0.45 ₹42.69

$0.44 ₹41.73

2.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.12 ₹11.11

$0.14 ₹13.29

-14.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.95 ₹185

$2.38 ₹226

-18.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 ₹286

$3.63 ₹345

-17.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.67 ₹63.4

$0.65 ₹62.0

3.08%

White Bread (500g)

$0.50 ₹47.53

$0.58 ₹55.0

-13.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.74 ₹70.2

$0.77 ₹73.2

-3.90%

Eggs

$1.08 ₹102

$1.09 ₹103

-0.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.20 ₹494

$6.35 ₹603

-18.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.00 ₹285

$3.81 ₹362

-21.26%

Apples (1kg)

$2.42 ₹230

$2.80 ₹266

-13.57%

Banana (1kg)

$0.81 ₹77.0

$0.76 ₹72.2

6.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.36 ₹129

$1.26 ₹119

7.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.66 ₹62.5

$0.42 ₹39.81

57.14%

Potato (1kg)

$0.30 ₹28.66

$0.36 ₹34.10

-16.67%

Onion (1kg)

$0.47 ₹44.83

$0.40 ₹37.58

17.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.31 ₹29.00

$0.39 ₹37.44

-20.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.28 ₹26.82

$0.30 ₹28.07

-6.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.10 ₹484

$4.65 ₹442

9.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.36 ₹983

$9.06 ₹860

14.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ₹167

$1.89 ₹180

-6.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 ₹267

$2.99 ₹284

-5.69%

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

$7.01 ₹666

$6.52 ₹619

7.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.18 ₹16.66

$0.54 ₹51.4

-66.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$3.12 ₹296

$12.52 ₹1,189

-75.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.81 ₹76.7

$1.07 ₹101

-24.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.31 ₹29.20

$0.30 ₹28.59

3.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.61 ₹152

$2.06 ₹195

-21.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.10 ₹105

$1.10 ₹104

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

$13.1K ₹1.2M

$11.1K ₹1.1M

17.98%

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

$23.3K ₹2.2M

$19.2K ₹1.8M

21.29%

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

$52.5 ₹4,987

$31.15 ₹2,958

68.60%

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

$5.16 ₹490

$4.11 ₹390

25.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$7.36 ₹699

$10.56 ₹1,002

-30.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$15.76 ₹1,496

$21.90 ₹2,080

-28.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.45 ₹1,088

$5.86 ₹557

95.39%

Cinema Ticket

$3.19 ₹303

$4.64 ₹440

-31.25%

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

$43.26 ₹4,107

$103 ₹9,733

-57.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,997 ₹189.6K

$2,902 ₹275.6K

-31.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$27.19 ₹2,581

$32.91 ₹3,125

-17.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.01 ₹2,470

$30.69 ₹2,914

-15.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$35.95 ₹3,413

$56.0 ₹5,320

-35.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$29.01 ₹2,754

$40.75 ₹3,870

-28.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$167 ₹15.9K

$312 ₹29.6K

-46.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$103 ₹9,802

$182 ₹17.3K

-43.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$392 ₹37.2K

$842 ₹80.0K

-53.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$241 ₹22.9K

$488 ₹46.4K

-50.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,097 ₹104.2K

$1,878 ₹178.3K

-41.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$612 ₹58.1K

$1,045 ₹99.2K

-41.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$379 ₹36.0K

$928 ₹88.1K

-59.11%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.08

8.47

7.20%

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

Last update for Kolkata (Calcutta): October 26, 2026

Last update for Bangalore: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Kolkata (Calcutta)

$117 27%

Bangalore

$124 22.1% 6.2% $7.2

Accommodation & Living

Kolkata (Calcutta)

$103 23.8%

Bangalore

$182 32.4% 76.4% $79

Eating Out

Kolkata (Calcutta)

$67 15.5%

Bangalore

$89 15.8% 32.6% $22

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kolkata (Calcutta)

$65 15%

Bangalore

$46 8.2% 29.6% $19

Clothing & Footwear

Kolkata (Calcutta)

$53 12.3%

Bangalore

$72 12.9% 35.7% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Kolkata (Calcutta)

$22 5.1%

Bangalore

$31 5.6% 40.8% $9

Getting Around

Kolkata (Calcutta)

$6.2 1.4%

Bangalore

$17 3.1% 180% $11

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $167 in Kolkata (Calcutta) and $312 in Bangalore. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bangalore pays about 2.4 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $14 in Kolkata (Calcutta) vs $18 in Bangalore for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $117 vs $124 per month, with Kolkata (Calcutta) cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇳 Kolkata (Calcutta)

🇮🇳 Bangalore

🕒 Local time

23:30 11:30 PM

Same time as Kolkata (Calcutta)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,486,679

8,495,492

💱 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

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Kolkata (Calcutta) Bangalore 1,560 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

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Kolkata (Calcutta)
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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

Kolkata (Calcutta) vs Bangalore: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kolkata (Calcutta) wins on cost – living expenses run 23% lower than in Bangalore. 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 59% lower in Kolkata (Calcutta). 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: $167 in Kolkata (Calcutta) versus $312 in Bangalore. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Kolkata (Calcutta) runs roughly 75% less than in Bangalore. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $43 in Kolkata (Calcutta) versus $103 in Bangalore. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Either city works on $800 a month, though Kolkata (Calcutta) gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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 23% less than in Bangalore. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.