Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kottayam and Mumbai (Bombay)

For one person, living is cheaper in Kottayam: $263 a month against $782 in Mumbai (Bombay), rent and utilities included – about $6,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Kottayam
🇮🇳 India
$263
/mo nomad
Mumbai (Bombay)
🇮🇳 India
$782
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Kottayam 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 Kottayam and in Mumbai (Bombay) actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $263 per month in Kottayam vs $782 in Mumbai (Bombay), rent included.

  • Kottayam $263
  • Mumbai (Bombay) $782

A couple spends around $425 per month in Kottayam vs $1,299 in Mumbai (Bombay), rent included.

  • Kottayam $425
  • Mumbai (Bombay) $1,299

A family of three spends $587 per month in Kottayam vs $1,816 in Mumbai (Bombay), rent included.

  • Kottayam $587
  • Mumbai (Bombay) $1,816

Kottayam is about 66% cheaper than Mumbai (Bombay), and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Kottayam and Mumbai (Bombay) are more affordable than the global median – Kottayam 80% lower, Mumbai (Bombay) 42% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Kottayam
Mumbai (Bombay)
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$1.07 ₹101
$5.38 ₹511
-80.11%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$9.66 ₹917
$20.76 ₹1,971
-53.47%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$3.17 ₹301
$4.19 ₹398
-24.34%
Cappuccino
$0.81 ₹77.0
$2.74 ₹260
-70.44%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.30 ₹28.38
$0.41 ₹38.76
-26.83%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.14 ₹13.02
$0.16 ₹15.04
-12.50%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.22 ₹116
$2.59 ₹246
-52.90%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.88 ₹178
$4.17 ₹396
-54.92%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Kottayam
Mumbai (Bombay)
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.61 ₹57.8
$0.75 ₹71.2
-18.67%
White Bread (500g)
$0.48 ₹45.83
$0.53 ₹50.5
-9.43%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$0.52 ₹49.78
$0.73 ₹69.5
-28.77%
Eggs
$0.83 ₹79.1
$0.96 ₹91.4
-13.54%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$2.11 ₹200
$5.52 ₹524
-61.78%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.72 ₹353
$3.58 ₹340
3.91%
Apples (1kg)
$2.05 ₹195
$2.14 ₹203
-4.21%
Banana (1kg)
$0.59 ₹55.8
$0.69 ₹65.5
-14.49%
Oranges (1kg)
$0.89 ₹84.1
$1.23 ₹116
-27.64%
Tomato (1kg)
$0.49 ₹46.62
$0.46 ₹43.76
6.52%
Potato (1kg)
$0.34 ₹32.59
$0.36 ₹34.23
-5.56%
Onion (1kg)
$0.41 ₹38.60
$0.39 ₹37.12
5.13%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.59 ₹56.3
$0.40 ₹38.05
47.50%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.27 ₹25.87
$0.31 ₹29.46
-12.90%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.05 ₹480
$5.10 ₹485
-0.98%
Wine (Bottle)
$3.96 ₹376
$8.12 ₹771
-51.23%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.53 ₹145
$1.95 ₹185
-21.54%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.20 ₹209
$3.18 ₹302
-30.82%
Buffalo Round (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) (1kg)
$3.43 ₹326
$6.17 ₹586
-44.41%
🚌 Getting Around
Kottayam
Mumbai (Bombay)
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.29 ₹27.33
$0.20 ₹18.99
45.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$8.92 ₹847
$5.39 ₹512
65.49%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.82 ₹78.1
$0.31 ₹29.39
164.52%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.32 ₹30.51
$0.29 ₹28.01
10.34%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$2.04 ₹194
$1.59 ₹151
28.30%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.11 ₹106
$1.10 ₹104
0.91%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$9,250 ₹878.3K
$15.9K ₹1.5M
-41.65%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$14.8K ₹1.4M
$22.7K ₹2.2M
-34.81%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Kottayam
Mumbai (Bombay)
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$20.51 ₹1,947
$61.6 ₹5,845
-66.68%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$2.98 ₹283
$4.25 ₹404
-29.88%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$5.96 ₹566
$9.01 ₹855
-33.85%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Kottayam
Mumbai (Bombay)
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$6.09 ₹578
$27.24 ₹2,587
-77.64%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$9.19 ₹873
$13.31 ₹1,263
-30.95%
Cinema Ticket
$1.74 ₹165
$4.38 ₹415
-60.27%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Kottayam
Mumbai (Bombay)
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$10.63 ₹1,009
$116 ₹11.0K
-90.80%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$505 ₹47.9K
$4,968 ₹471.7K
-89.84%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Kottayam
Mumbai (Bombay)
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$18.53 ₹1,760
$37.16 ₹3,529
-50.13%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$15.72 ₹1,493
$39.88 ₹3,786
-60.58%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$20.96 ₹1,990
$55.9 ₹5,306
-62.49%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$12.10 ₹1,149
$48.19 ₹4,576
-74.89%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Kottayam
Mumbai (Bombay)
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$128 ₹12.2K
$611 ₹58.0K
-78.99%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$53.7 ₹5,102
$354 ₹33.6K
-84.83%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$261 ₹24.8K
$1,829 ₹173.6K
-85.73%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$116 ₹11.0K
$877 ₹83.3K
-86.77%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$947 ₹89.9K
$5,877 ₹558.0K
-83.88%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$550 ₹52.2K
$2,448 ₹232.4K
-77.54%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Kottayam
Mumbai (Bombay)
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$290 ₹27.5K
$758 ₹72.0K
-61.80%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
9
8.29
8.56%

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

Last update for Kottayam: October 10, 2026

Last update for Mumbai (Bombay): October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Groceries & Markets
Kottayam
$89
Mumbai (Bombay)
$116 30.7% $27
Accommodation & Living
Kottayam
$54
Mumbai (Bombay)
$354 559% $300
Eating Out
Kottayam
$39
Mumbai (Bombay)
$112 184% $73
Clothing & Footwear
Kottayam
$30
Mumbai (Bombay)
$82 169% $51
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Kottayam
$29
Mumbai (Bombay)
$75 154% $45
Getting Around
Kottayam
$13
Mumbai (Bombay)
$8 36.2% $4.5
Sport & Entertainment
Kottayam
$9.6
Mumbai (Bombay)
$36 276% $26

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $128 in Kottayam versus $611 in Mumbai (Bombay). 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 162% higher in Mumbai (Bombay), which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $10.00 in Kottayam versus $21.00 in Mumbai (Bombay). Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $89.0 vs $116 – making Kottayam the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇮🇳 Kottayam
🇮🇳 Mumbai (Bombay)
🕒 Local time
15:01 3:01 PM
15:01 3:01 PM
Same time as Kottayam
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
55,374
12,442,373
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to INR – Indian Rupee Converter

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 94.95 INR (100 INR = 1.05 USD). 1 EUR = 107 INR (1,000 INR = 9.37 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Kottayam Mumbai (Bombay) 1,120 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Kottayam
  • 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
Kottayam vs Mumbai (Bombay): Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Kottayam or Mumbai (Bombay)?
Mumbai (Bombay) costs about 197% more than Kottayam, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Kottayam and in Mumbai (Bombay)?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $395 per month in Kottayam and $1,173 in Mumbai (Bombay). That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Kottayam or Mumbai (Bombay)?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Kottayam, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
How much does it cost to live in Kottayam compared to Mumbai (Bombay)?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $263 in Kottayam and $782 in Mumbai (Bombay). That's a gap of about 197%.
How expensive is transport in Kottayam compared to Mumbai (Bombay)?
Public transport costs about 65% less in Kottayam. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Can you live on $800/month in Kottayam or in Mumbai (Bombay)?
$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $263 in Kottayam and $782 in Mumbai (Bombay), leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Kottayam or Mumbai (Bombay)?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Kottayam costs $263 versus $782 in Mumbai (Bombay). Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.
Should I move to Kottayam or to Mumbai (Bombay)?
If budget matters most, go with Kottayam. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Mumbai (Bombay) makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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