Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kottayam and Malappuram

For one person, living costs are similar in Kottayam and in Malappuram: $284 and $289 a month, rent and utilities included.

14

Cost of Living Index in Kottayam
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Kottayam Living Index
14

Cost of Living Index in Malappuram
Learn more

Malappuram Living Index

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Kottayam

🇮🇳 India

$284

/mo nomad

Malappuram

🇮🇳 India

$289

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Kottayam and in Malappuram

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

A single person spends $284 per month in Kottayam vs $289 in Malappuram, rent included.

Kottayam $284
Malappuram $289

A couple spends around $465 per month in Kottayam vs $451 in Malappuram, rent included.

Kottayam $465
Malappuram $451

A family of three spends $646 per month in Kottayam vs $613 in Malappuram, rent included.

Kottayam $646
Malappuram $613

Kottayam and Malappuram have comparable living costs – the differences are in the details.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.07 ₹102

$1.17 ₹112

-8.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$9.67 ₹921

$7.44 ₹708

29.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.21 ₹305

$3.15 ₹300

1.90%

Cappuccino

$0.82 ₹78.5

$1.80 ₹171

-54.44%

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

$0.31 ₹29.07

$0.35 ₹33.53

-11.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.13 ₹11.95

$0.15 ₹13.99

-13.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.29 ₹123

$1.31 ₹124

-1.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.82 ₹174

$2.05 ₹195

-11.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.58 ₹54.9

$0.52 ₹49.87

11.54%

White Bread (500g)

$0.49 ₹46.83

$0.46 ₹44.08

6.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.53 ₹50.9

$0.45 ₹42.57

17.78%

Eggs

$0.85 ₹81.4

$0.80 ₹76.1

6.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$2.05 ₹195

$5.81 ₹553

-64.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.71 ₹353

$2.51 ₹239

47.81%

Apples (1kg)

$2.03 ₹194

$1.68 ₹160

20.83%

Banana (1kg)

$0.56 ₹53.3

$0.57 ₹54.5

-1.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.88 ₹83.7

$0.84 ₹79.7

4.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.50 ₹47.87

$0.29 ₹27.48

72.41%

Potato (1kg)

$0.37 ₹35.49

$0.39 ₹36.81

-5.13%

Onion (1kg)

$0.38 ₹36.29

$0.35 ₹32.89

8.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.63 ₹60.2

$0.78 ₹73.9

-19.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.27 ₹25.76

$0.31 ₹29.82

-12.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.00 ₹476

$4.52 ₹430

10.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.02 ₹382

$1.75 ₹166

129.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 ₹154

$1.55 ₹148

4.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 ₹210

$5.00 ₹476

-56.00%

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

$3.38 ₹322

$3.27 ₹312

3.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 ₹27.67

$0.18 ₹17.07

61.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$7.84 ₹746

$4.36 ₹415

79.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.83 ₹78.6

$0.40 ₹37.79

107.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 ₹29.01

$0.24 ₹22.90

25.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.12 ₹202

$0.50 ₹47.98

324.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.08 ₹102

$1.11 ₹106

-2.70%

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

$11.1K ₹1.1M

$10.4K ₹994.3K

6.49%

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

$14.6K ₹1.4M

$15.7K ₹1.5M

-6.75%

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

$20.71 ₹1,972

$21.58 ₹2,055

-4.03%

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

$2.96 ₹282

$2.60 ₹248

13.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$6.06 ₹577

$7.05 ₹671

-14.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$6.18 ₹589

$7.02 ₹668

-11.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.38 ₹893

$4.25 ₹405

120.71%

Cinema Ticket

$1.75 ₹167

$1.77 ₹169

-1.13%

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

$10.45 ₹995

$28.36 ₹2,700

-63.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$516 ₹49.2K

$831 ₹79.1K

-37.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$18.67 ₹1,778

$16.17 ₹1,540

15.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$15.82 ₹1,507

$18.78 ₹1,788

-15.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$21.28 ₹2,026

$23.04 ₹2,194

-7.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$12.19 ₹1,161

$13.78 ₹1,313

-11.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$115 ₹11.0K

$103 ₹9,820

11.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$74.5 ₹7,096

$63.3 ₹6,031

17.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$265 ₹25.2K

$176 ₹16.7K

50.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$175 ₹16.7K

$128 ₹12.2K

36.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$941 ₹89.6K

$6,340 ₹603.7K

-85.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$550 ₹52.4K

$371 ₹35.3K

48.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$292 ₹27.8K

$218 ₹20.7K

33.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

-10.00%

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

Last update for Kottayam: October 24, 2026

Last update for Malappuram: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Kottayam

$89 31.2%

Malappuram

$91 31.7% 3.1% $2.8

Accommodation & Living

Kottayam

$75 26.2%

Malappuram

$63 21.9% 15% $11

Eating Out

Kottayam

$40 14%

Malappuram

$53 18.4% 33.1% $13

Clothing & Footwear

Kottayam

$31 10.8%

Malappuram

$32 11.2% 5.6% $1.7

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kottayam

$30 10.5%

Malappuram

$31 10.8% 5% $1.5

Getting Around

Kottayam

$11 4%

Malappuram

$6.7 2.3% 41.2% $4.7

Sport & Entertainment

Kottayam

$9.7 3.4%

Malappuram

$11 3.7% 9.2% $0.9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $115 in Kottayam versus $103 in Malappuram. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 34% higher in Kottayam. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $10 in Kottayam versus $7 in Malappuram. Groceries tell a different story – $89 in Kottayam vs $91 in Malappuram – so Kottayam wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇮🇳 Kottayam

🇮🇳 Malappuram

🕒 Local time

03:33 3:33 AM

Same time as Kottayam

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

55,374

101,330

💱 Currency

Indian Rupee INR ₹

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 INR = 10.5 USD

1,000 INR = 9.43 EUR

1,000 INR = 10.5 USD

1,000 INR = 9.43 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

Kottayam vs Malappuram: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

For a comfortable life, plan on about $427 per month in Kottayam and $433 in Malappuram. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Malappuram, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $103 there versus $115 in Kottayam.

Groceries cost about 3% more in Malappuram, though the gap depends on what you buy.

Kindergarten costs $10.45 per month in Kottayam and $28 in Malappuram. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $284 in Kottayam and $289 in Malappuram, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.