Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kottayam and Bhilai

For one person, living is cheaper in Kottayam: $284 a month against $328 in Bhilai, rent and utilities included – about $530 less a year. The total is higher in Bhilai despite lower rent and utilities.

14

Cost of Living Index in Kottayam
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Kottayam Living Index
16

Cost of Living Index in Bhilai
Learn more

Bhilai Living Index

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Kottayam

🇮🇳 India

$284

/mo nomad

Bhilai

🇮🇳 India

$328

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Kottayam and in Bhilai

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $284 in Kottayam versus $328 in Bhilai.

Kottayam $284
Bhilai $328

Estimated couple costs with rent: $465 in Kottayam versus $557 in Bhilai.

Kottayam $465
Bhilai $557

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $646 in Kottayam versus $786 in Bhilai.

Kottayam $646
Bhilai $786

Living in Kottayam costs roughly 13% less than in Bhilai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Kottayam 79% lower, Bhilai 76% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.07 ₹101

$2.67 ₹253

-59.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$9.67 ₹918

$8.83 ₹838

9.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.21 ₹304

$3.08 ₹292

4.22%

Cappuccino

$0.82 ₹78.3

$1.91 ₹181

-57.07%

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

$0.31 ₹28.99

$0.29 ₹27.06

6.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.13 ₹11.91

$0.22 ₹20.56

-40.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.29 ₹122

$1.59 ₹151

-18.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.82 ₹173

$2.81 ₹267

-35.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.58 ₹54.8

$0.56 ₹52.9

3.57%

White Bread (500g)

$0.49 ₹46.70

$0.39 ₹36.76

25.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.53 ₹50.7

$0.60 ₹56.8

-11.67%

Eggs

$0.85 ₹81.2

$1.01 ₹96.1

-15.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$2.05 ₹195

$4.09 ₹389

-49.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.71 ₹352

$2.82 ₹267

31.56%

Apples (1kg)

$2.03 ₹193

$2.36 ₹224

-13.98%

Banana (1kg)

$0.56 ₹53.1

$0.53 ₹50.6

5.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.88 ₹83.5

$0.89 ₹84.4

-1.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.50 ₹47.73

$0.48 ₹45.19

4.17%

Potato (1kg)

$0.37 ₹35.39

$0.35 ₹33.61

5.71%

Onion (1kg)

$0.38 ₹36.19

$0.45 ₹42.32

-15.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.63 ₹60.0

$0.27 ₹25.74

133.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.27 ₹25.68

$0.29 ₹27.22

-6.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.00 ₹475

$5.16 ₹490

-3.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.02 ₹381

$4.66 ₹442

-13.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 ₹153

$1.69 ₹160

-4.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 ₹209

$2.70 ₹257

-18.52%

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

$3.38 ₹321

$3.83 ₹363

-11.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 ₹27.60

$0.38 ₹36.46

-23.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$7.84 ₹744

$6.37 ₹605

23.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.83 ₹78.4

$1.02 ₹97.1

-18.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 ₹28.93

$0.22 ₹20.92

36.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.12 ₹201

$1.86 ₹177

13.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.08 ₹102

$1.12 ₹106

-3.57%

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

$11.1K ₹1.1M

$11.3K ₹1.1M

-1.67%

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

$14.6K ₹1.4M

$18.1K ₹1.7M

-19.32%

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

$20.71 ₹1,967

$31.61 ₹3,002

-34.48%

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

$2.96 ₹281

$3.21 ₹305

-7.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$6.06 ₹576

$4.79 ₹454

26.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$6.18 ₹587

$6.94 ₹659

-10.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.38 ₹891

$3.08 ₹292

204.55%

Cinema Ticket

$1.75 ₹166

$3.31 ₹314

-47.13%

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

$10.45 ₹992

$82.5 ₹7,832

-87.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$516 ₹49.0K

$1,042 ₹98.9K

-50.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$18.67 ₹1,773

$23.26 ₹2,208

-19.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$15.82 ₹1,502

$28.63 ₹2,718

-44.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$21.28 ₹2,020

$23.96 ₹2,275

-11.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$12.19 ₹1,157

$23.58 ₹2,239

-48.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$115 ₹10.9K

$73.8 ₹7,002

56.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$74.5 ₹7,076

$58.0 ₹5,508

28.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$265 ₹25.1K

$265 ₹25.2K

-0.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$175 ₹16.6K

$209 ₹19.8K

-16.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$941 ₹89.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$550 ₹52.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$292 ₹27.7K

$675 ₹64.1K

-56.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.82

2.04%

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

Last update for Kottayam: October 24, 2026

Last update for Bhilai: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Kottayam

$89 31.2%

Bhilai

$93 28.3% 4.6% $4.1

Accommodation & Living

Kottayam

$75 26.2%

Bhilai

$58 17.7% 22.2% $17

Eating Out

Kottayam

$40 14%

Bhilai

$69 21.1% 73.2% $29

Clothing & Footwear

Kottayam

$31 10.8%

Bhilai

$45 13.7% 46.3% $14

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kottayam

$30 10.5%

Bhilai

$40 12.1% 33.2% $9.9

Getting Around

Kottayam

$11 4%

Bhilai

$10 3.1% 11.6% $1.3

Sport & Entertainment

Kottayam

$9.7 3.4%

Bhilai

$14 4.1% 40.1% $3.9

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $115 in Kottayam and $74 in Bhilai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bhilai pays about 2.3 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $10 in Kottayam vs $9 in Bhilai. Groceries flip the comparison at $89 vs $93, with Kottayam cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇮🇳 Kottayam

🇮🇳 Bhilai

🕒 Local time

02:44 2:44 AM

Same time as Kottayam

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

55,374

627,734

💱 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

On the map

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Between locations

Kottayam Bhilai 1,390 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Kottayam
Bhilai

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 Bhilai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $284 in Kottayam and $328 in Bhilai, so Kottayam is about 13% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 57% lower in Kottayam. 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: $115 in Kottayam versus $74 in Bhilai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $10.45 in Kottayam versus $82 in Bhilai. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 5% higher in Bhilai. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Either city works on $800 a month, though Kottayam 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 – Kottayam wins on affordability, Bhilai on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.