Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kottayam and Arusha

For one person, living is cheaper in Kottayam: $284 a month against $546 in Arusha, rent and utilities included – about $3,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

14

Cost of Living Index in Kottayam
Learn more

Kottayam Living Index

Jump to prices

Kottayam

🇮🇳 India

$284

/mo nomad

Arusha

🇹🇿 Tanzania

$546

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Kottayam and in Arusha

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

A single person spends $284 per month in Kottayam vs $546 in Arusha, rent included.

Kottayam $284
Arusha $546

A couple spends around $465 per month in Kottayam vs $882 in Arusha, rent included.

Kottayam $465
Arusha $882

A family of three spends $646 per month in Kottayam vs $1,218 in Arusha, rent included.

Kottayam $646
Arusha $1,218

Kottayam is about 48% cheaper than Arusha, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Kottayam and Arusha are more affordable than the global median – Kottayam 79% lower, Arusha 60% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.07 ₹102

$3.32 TZS 8,674

-67.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$9.67 ₹921

$27.18 TZS 71.0K

-64.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.21 ₹305

$8.89 TZS 23.2K

-63.89%

Cappuccino

$0.82 ₹78.5

$1.64 TZS 4,290

-50.00%

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

$0.31 ₹29.07

$0.92 TZS 2,402

-66.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.13 ₹11.95

$0.30 TZS 779

-56.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.29 ₹123

$1.05 TZS 2,744

22.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.82 ₹174

$2.87 TZS 7,496

-36.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.58 ₹54.9

$0.96 TZS 2,511

-39.58%

White Bread (500g)

$0.49 ₹46.83

$0.67 TZS 1,761

-26.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.53 ₹50.9

$1.66 TZS 4,332

-68.07%

Eggs

$0.85 ₹81.4

$1.74 TZS 4,546

-51.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$2.05 ₹195

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.71 ₹353

Apples (1kg)

$2.03 ₹194

$2.25 TZS 5,865

-9.78%

Banana (1kg)

$0.56 ₹53.3

Oranges (1kg)

$0.88 ₹83.7

Tomato (1kg)

$0.50 ₹47.87

$0.79 TZS 2,069

-36.71%

Potato (1kg)

$0.37 ₹35.49

$0.46 TZS 1,191

-19.57%

Onion (1kg)

$0.38 ₹36.29

$1.02 TZS 2,668

-62.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.63 ₹60.2

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.27 ₹25.76

$0.83 TZS 2,177

-67.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.00 ₹476

$1.50 TZS 3,907

233.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.02 ₹382

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 ₹154

$0.96 TZS 2,507

68.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 ₹210

$0.97 TZS 2,521

126.80%

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

$3.38 ₹322

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 ₹27.67

$0.19 TZS 497

52.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$7.84 ₹746

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.83 ₹78.6

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 ₹29.01

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.12 ₹202

$7.57 TZS 19.8K

-71.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.08 ₹102

$1.30 TZS 3,404

-16.92%

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

$11.1K ₹1.1M

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

$14.6K ₹1.4M

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

$20.71 ₹1,972

$28.47 TZS 74.3K

-27.26%

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

$2.96 ₹282

$8.27 TZS 21.6K

-64.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$6.06 ₹577

$48.04 TZS 125.4K

-87.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$6.18 ₹589

$63.9 TZS 166.7K

-90.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.38 ₹893

Cinema Ticket

$1.75 ₹167

$4.67 TZS 12.2K

-62.53%

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

$10.45 ₹995

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$516 ₹49.2K

$7,612 TZS 19.9M

-93.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$18.67 ₹1,778

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$15.82 ₹1,507

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$21.28 ₹2,026

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$12.19 ₹1,161

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$115 ₹11.0K

$281 TZS 732.9K

-58.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$74.5 ₹7,096

$234 TZS 609.7K

-68.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$265 ₹25.2K

$495 TZS 1.3M

-46.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$175 ₹16.7K

$522 TZS 1.4M

-66.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$941 ₹89.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$550 ₹52.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$292 ₹27.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

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

Last update for Kottayam: October 24, 2026

Last update for Arusha: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Kottayam

$89 31.2%

Arusha

–

Accommodation & Living

Kottayam

$75 26.2%

Arusha

–

Eating Out

Kottayam

$40 14%

Arusha

–

Clothing & Footwear

Kottayam

$31 10.8%

Arusha

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kottayam

$30 10.5%

Arusha

–

Getting Around

Kottayam

$11 4%

Arusha

–

Sport & Entertainment

Kottayam

$9.7 3.4%

Arusha

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $115 in Kottayam versus $281 in Arusha. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $10 in Kottayam versus $27 in Arusha. Groceries tell a different story – $89 in Kottayam vs $65 in Arusha – so Arusha wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇮🇳 Kottayam

🇹🇿 Arusha

🕒 Local time

05:15 5:15 AM

02:45 2:45 AM

2 h 30 min behind Kottayam

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

55,374

617,631

💱 Currency

Indian Rupee INR ₹

Tanzanian Shilling TZS Sh

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 INR = 10.5 USD

1,000 INR = 9.43 EUR

10,000 TZS = 3.83 USD

10,000 TZS = 3.44 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

TZS, USD, EUR to INR – Indian Rupee Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇳 Indian Rupee (₹)

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 95.22 INR (100 INR = 1.05 USD). 1 EUR = 106 INR (1,000 INR = 9.43 EUR).

Tanzanian Shilling exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 2,611 TZS (10,000 TZS = 3.83 USD). 1 EUR = 2,907 TZS (10,000 TZS = 3.44 EUR).

USD to INR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Kottayam Arusha 4,640 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Kottayam
Arusha

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

Kottayam vs Arusha: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $284 in Kottayam, $546 in Arusha – Kottayam comes out roughly 48% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in leisure.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $427 per month in Kottayam and $820 in Arusha. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Kottayam, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $115 there versus $281 in Arusha.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $10 in Kottayam and $27 in Arusha. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $284 in Kottayam and $546 in Arusha. That makes Kottayam about 48% cheaper.

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $284 in Kottayam and $546 in Arusha, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Arusha has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $284 in Kottayam to $546 in Arusha. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.