Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kolkata (Calcutta) and Patna

For one person, living is cheaper in Patna: $368 a month against $434 in Kolkata (Calcutta), rent and utilities included – about $790 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
18

Cost of Living Index in Patna
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Patna Living Index

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Kolkata (Calcutta)

🇮🇳 India

$434

/mo nomad

Patna

🇮🇳 India

$368

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $434 in Kolkata (Calcutta) versus $368 in Patna.

Kolkata (Calcutta) $434
Patna $368

Estimated couple costs with rent: $691 in Kolkata (Calcutta) versus $605 in Patna.

Kolkata (Calcutta) $691
Patna $605

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $948 in Kolkata (Calcutta) versus $842 in Patna.

Kolkata (Calcutta) $948
Patna $842

Living in Kolkata (Calcutta) is roughly 18% more expensive than in Patna, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Kolkata (Calcutta) 68% lower, Patna 73% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.08 ₹198

$2.04 ₹194

1.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$13.98 ₹1,329

$9.33 ₹888

49.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.15 ₹395

$3.06 ₹291

35.62%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ₹158

$1.65 ₹157

0.61%

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

$0.45 ₹42.76

$0.35 ₹33.75

28.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.12 ₹11.13

$0.17 ₹16.23

-29.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.95 ₹185

$1.90 ₹181

2.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 ₹286

$6.00 ₹571

-49.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.67 ₹63.5

$0.60 ₹57.3

11.67%

White Bread (500g)

$0.50 ₹47.60

$0.43 ₹40.98

16.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.74 ₹70.4

$0.53 ₹50.1

39.62%

Eggs

$1.08 ₹103

$0.95 ₹90.5

13.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.20 ₹495

$6.73 ₹640

-22.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.00 ₹285

$2.17 ₹206

38.25%

Apples (1kg)

$2.42 ₹230

$1.35 ₹129

79.26%

Banana (1kg)

$0.81 ₹77.1

$0.68 ₹64.8

19.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.36 ₹129

$1.05 ₹99.9

29.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.66 ₹62.6

$0.45 ₹42.73

46.67%

Potato (1kg)

$0.30 ₹28.71

$0.33 ₹31.23

-9.09%

Onion (1kg)

$0.47 ₹44.90

$0.49 ₹46.73

-4.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.31 ₹29.05

$0.44 ₹41.76

-29.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.28 ₹26.86

$0.29 ₹27.60

-3.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.10 ₹485

Wine (Bottle)

$10.36 ₹985

$6.32 ₹601

63.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ₹168

$1.59 ₹151

10.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 ₹268

$2.08 ₹198

35.58%

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

$7.01 ₹667

$6.63 ₹630

5.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.18 ₹16.69

$0.33 ₹31.46

-45.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$3.12 ₹297

$4.82 ₹458

-35.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.81 ₹76.8

$1.28 ₹121

-36.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.31 ₹29.25

$0.16 ₹15.15

93.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.61 ₹153

$2.12 ₹202

-24.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.10 ₹105

$1.10 ₹104

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

$13.1K ₹1.3M

$11.1K ₹1.1M

17.88%

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

$23.3K ₹2.2M

$27.0K ₹2.6M

-13.96%

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

$52.5 ₹4,995

$44.79 ₹4,259

17.26%

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

$5.16 ₹491

$2.94 ₹279

75.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$7.36 ₹700

$6.46 ₹614

13.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$15.76 ₹1,498

$21.52 ₹2,046

-26.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.45 ₹1,089

$12.17 ₹1,158

-5.92%

Cinema Ticket

$3.19 ₹303

$3.38 ₹322

-5.62%

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

$43.26 ₹4,114

$54.5 ₹5,185

-20.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,997 ₹189.9K

$1,713 ₹162.9K

16.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$27.19 ₹2,586

$23.86 ₹2,269

13.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.01 ₹2,474

$29.25 ₹2,782

-11.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$35.95 ₹3,419

$37.98 ₹3,612

-5.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$29.01 ₹2,759

$34.04 ₹3,237

-14.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$167 ₹15.9K

$82.0 ₹7,794

104.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$103 ₹9,818

$56.1 ₹5,337

84.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$392 ₹37.3K

$280 ₹26.6K

39.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$241 ₹22.9K

$184 ₹17.5K

30.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,097 ₹104.3K

$1,195 ₹113.6K

-8.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$612 ₹58.2K

$564 ₹53.6K

8.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$379 ₹36.1K

$342 ₹32.5K

11.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.08

9.46

-4.02%

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

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

Last update for Patna: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Kolkata (Calcutta)

$117 27%

Patna

$97 26.2% 17.4% $20

Accommodation & Living

Kolkata (Calcutta)

$103 23.8%

Patna

$56 15.2% 45.7% $47

Eating Out

Kolkata (Calcutta)

$67 15.5%

Patna

$69 18.7% 2.6% $1.8

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kolkata (Calcutta)

$65 15%

Patna

$54 14.7% 16.7% $11

Clothing & Footwear

Kolkata (Calcutta)

$53 12.3%

Patna

$56 15.3% 5.9% $3.1

Sport & Entertainment

Kolkata (Calcutta)

$22 5.1%

Patna

$28 7.7% 27.7% $6.1

Getting Around

Kolkata (Calcutta)

$6.2 1.4%

Patna

$8.2 2.2% 33.1% $2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $167 in Kolkata (Calcutta) and $82 in Patna. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kolkata (Calcutta) pays 11% 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: $14 in Kolkata (Calcutta) vs $9 in Patna for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $117 vs $96 per month, with Patna cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇳 Kolkata (Calcutta)

🇮🇳 Patna

🕒 Local time

00:17 12:17 AM

Same time as Kolkata (Calcutta)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,486,679

500,000

💱 Currency

Indian Rupee INR ₹

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 INR = 10.51 USD

1,000 INR = 9.45 EUR

1,000 INR = 10.51 USD

1,000 INR = 9.45 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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 Patna: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Patna wins on cost – living expenses run 15% lower than in Kolkata (Calcutta). Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Patna the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 11% higher in Kolkata (Calcutta), which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $167 in Kolkata (Calcutta) versus $82 in Patna. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $434 per month in Kolkata (Calcutta) versus $368 in Patna – a 18% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Kolkata (Calcutta) runs roughly 35% less than in Patna. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you’re watching your budget.

Either city works on $1,000 a month, though Patna 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.

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