Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kolkata (Calcutta) and Mumbai (Bombay)

For one person, living is cheaper in Kolkata (Calcutta): $436 a month against $811 in Mumbai (Bombay), rent and utilities included – about $4,500 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
38

Cost of Living Index in Mumbai (Bombay)
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Mumbai (Bombay) Living Index

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Kolkata (Calcutta)

🇮🇳 India

$436

/mo nomad

Mumbai (Bombay)

🇮🇳 India

$811

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Mumbai (Bombay) actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $436 in Kolkata (Calcutta) versus $811 in Mumbai (Bombay).

Kolkata (Calcutta) $436
Mumbai (Bombay) $811

Estimated couple costs with rent: $692 in Kolkata (Calcutta) versus $1,402 in Mumbai (Bombay).

Kolkata (Calcutta) $692
Mumbai (Bombay) $1,402

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $948 in Kolkata (Calcutta) versus $1,992 in Mumbai (Bombay).

Kolkata (Calcutta) $948
Mumbai (Bombay) $1,992

Living in Kolkata (Calcutta) costs roughly 46% less than in Mumbai (Bombay), and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Kolkata (Calcutta) 68% lower, Mumbai (Bombay) 40% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.16 ₹204

$5.12 ₹484

-57.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$14.07 ₹1,329

$26.54 ₹2,508

-46.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.15 ₹392

$3.92 ₹370

5.87%

Cappuccino

$1.69 ₹159

$2.86 ₹270

-40.91%

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

$0.44 ₹41.85

$0.40 ₹38.14

10.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.13 ₹12.73

$0.14 ₹13.68

-7.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.85 ₹174

$2.71 ₹256

-31.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 ₹283

$4.32 ₹408

-30.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.72 ₹67.6

$0.74 ₹70.1

-2.70%

White Bread (500g)

$0.46 ₹43.15

$0.52 ₹48.93

-11.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.72 ₹68.4

$0.75 ₹71.3

-4.00%

Eggs

$1.06 ₹99.8

$1.02 ₹96.1

3.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.09 ₹576

$5.73 ₹541

6.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.05 ₹288

$3.64 ₹344

-16.21%

Apples (1kg)

$2.51 ₹237

$2.37 ₹224

5.91%

Banana (1kg)

$0.82 ₹77.3

$0.69 ₹65.4

18.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.42 ₹134

$1.25 ₹118

13.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.66 ₹62.2

$0.47 ₹44.82

40.43%

Potato (1kg)

$0.29 ₹27.07

$0.34 ₹32.35

-14.71%

Onion (1kg)

$0.47 ₹44.53

$0.37 ₹35.39

27.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.30 ₹27.92

$0.43 ₹40.46

-30.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.26 ₹24.24

$0.31 ₹29.72

-16.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.96 ₹469

$4.95 ₹468

0.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.53 ₹994

$8.43 ₹796

24.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 ₹165

$1.99 ₹188

-12.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.81 ₹265

$3.18 ₹300

-11.64%

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

$7.06 ₹667

$6.04 ₹570

16.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.16 ₹14.77

$0.22 ₹20.80

-27.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$3.21 ₹304

$5.63 ₹532

-42.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.59 ₹56.1

$0.37 ₹34.67

59.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.31 ₹29.20

$0.33 ₹31.41

-6.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.69 ₹159

$1.37 ₹129

23.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.12 ₹106

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

$13.4K ₹1.3M

$15.7K ₹1.5M

-14.53%

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

$22.7K ₹2.1M

$22.8K ₹2.2M

-0.60%

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

$51.1 ₹4,830

$69.6 ₹6,573

-26.52%

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

$4.70 ₹444

$4.35 ₹411

8.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$7.51 ₹710

$9.11 ₹860

-17.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$14.88 ₹1,406

$37.44 ₹3,537

-60.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.41 ₹1,173

$14.26 ₹1,347

-12.97%

Cinema Ticket

$3.10 ₹293

$4.40 ₹416

-29.55%

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

$42.62 ₹4,026

$118 ₹11.2K

-64.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,792 ₹358.3K

$6,043 ₹570.9K

-37.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$24.85 ₹2,348

$34.60 ₹3,269

-28.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.78 ₹2,435

$40.28 ₹3,806

-36.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$33.96 ₹3,208

$52.2 ₹4,934

-34.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$27.91 ₹2,637

$46.71 ₹4,413

-40.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$174 ₹16.4K

$609 ₹57.5K

-71.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$107 ₹10.1K

$364 ₹34.4K

-70.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$416 ₹39.3K

$2,169 ₹204.9K

-80.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$241 ₹22.8K

$995 ₹94.0K

-75.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,072 ₹101.3K

$5,687 ₹537.3K

-81.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$623 ₹58.9K

$2,662 ₹251.4K

-76.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$365 ₹34.5K

$717 ₹67.8K

-49.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.26

8.96%

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

Last update for Kolkata (Calcutta): November 1, 2026

Last update for Mumbai (Bombay): November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Kolkata (Calcutta)

$120 27.6%

Mumbai (Bombay)

$119 14.7% 1.2% $1.4

Accommodation & Living

Kolkata (Calcutta)

$107 24.6%

Mumbai (Bombay)

$364 45% 240% $257

Eating Out

Kolkata (Calcutta)

$68 15.5%

Mumbai (Bombay)

$111 13.8% 65.1% $44

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kolkata (Calcutta)

$63 14.5%

Mumbai (Bombay)

$83 10.2% 31.1% $20

Clothing & Footwear

Kolkata (Calcutta)

$51 11.6%

Mumbai (Bombay)

$78 9.7% 54.5% $28

Sport & Entertainment

Kolkata (Calcutta)

$21 4.8%

Mumbai (Bombay)

$46 5.7% 119% $25

Getting Around

Kolkata (Calcutta)

$6 1.4%

Mumbai (Bombay)

$8.5 1.1% 42.8% $2.6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $174 in Kolkata (Calcutta) and $609 in Mumbai (Bombay). Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mumbai (Bombay) pays 96% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $14 in Kolkata (Calcutta) vs $27 in Mumbai (Bombay). Groceries flip the comparison at $120 vs $119, with Mumbai (Bombay) cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇮🇳 Kolkata (Calcutta)

🇮🇳 Mumbai (Bombay)

🕒 Local time

01:02 1:02 AM

Same time as Kolkata (Calcutta)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,486,679

12,442,373

💱 Currency

Indian Rupee INR ₹

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 INR = 10.59 USD

1,000 INR = 9.43 EUR

1,000 INR = 10.59 USD

1,000 INR = 9.43 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Kolkata (Calcutta) Mumbai (Bombay) 1,660 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Kolkata (Calcutta)
Mumbai (Bombay)

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 Mumbai (Bombay): Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kolkata (Calcutta) wins on cost – living expenses run 46% lower than in Mumbai (Bombay). 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 49% 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: $174 in Kolkata (Calcutta) versus $609 in Mumbai (Bombay). Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Kolkata (Calcutta) runs roughly 43% less than in Mumbai (Bombay). The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

All in, you’ll spend $436 per month in Kolkata (Calcutta) versus $811 in Mumbai (Bombay) – Kolkata (Calcutta) is about 46% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $436 in Kolkata (Calcutta) versus $811 in Mumbai (Bombay), a $800 budget is realistic in Kolkata (Calcutta) but tight or insufficient in Mumbai (Bombay). 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.

It comes down to priorities – Kolkata (Calcutta) wins on affordability, Mumbai (Bombay) on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.