Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mangalore and Chennai (Madras)

For one person, living is cheaper in Chennai (Madras): $414 a month against $457 in Mangalore, rent and utilities included – about $520 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

22

Cost of Living Index in Mangalore
Learn more

Mangalore Living Index
20

Cost of Living Index in Chennai (Madras)
Learn more

Chennai (Madras) Living Index

Jump to prices

Mangalore

🇮🇳 India

$457

/mo nomad

Chennai (Madras)

🇮🇳 India

$414

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mangalore and in Chennai (Madras)

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

A single person spends $457 per month in Mangalore vs $414 in Chennai (Madras), rent included.

Mangalore $457
Chennai (Madras) $414

A couple spends around $687 per month in Mangalore vs $693 in Chennai (Madras), rent included.

Mangalore $687
Chennai (Madras) $693

A family of three spends $917 per month in Mangalore vs $973 in Chennai (Madras), rent included.

Mangalore $917
Chennai (Madras) $973

Mangalore costs about 11% more than Chennai (Madras), and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Mangalore and Chennai (Madras) are more affordable than the global median – Mangalore 66% lower, Chennai (Madras) 69% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.22 ₹306

$2.06 ₹196

56.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$11.69 ₹1,111

$12.41 ₹1,179

-5.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.23 ₹401

$4.25 ₹404

-0.47%

Cappuccino

$1.95 ₹185

$1.81 ₹172

7.73%

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

$0.39 ₹37.50

$0.36 ₹34.57

8.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.16 ₹14.81

$0.18 ₹16.64

-11.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.04 ₹193

$1.56 ₹148

30.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₹228

$3.05 ₹289

-21.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.54 ₹51.3

$0.56 ₹53.4

-3.57%

White Bread (500g)

$0.43 ₹41.21

$0.54 ₹51.6

-20.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.57 ₹54.2

$0.74 ₹70.2

-22.97%

Eggs

$0.89 ₹84.7

$0.82 ₹77.9

8.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.45 ₹328

$6.06 ₹575

-43.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.49 ₹236

$3.23 ₹307

-22.91%

Apples (1kg)

$1.61 ₹153

$2.89 ₹275

-44.29%

Banana (1kg)

$0.85 ₹80.8

$0.80 ₹76.2

6.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.87 ₹82.4

$1.40 ₹133

-37.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.36 ₹34.20

$0.43 ₹40.70

-16.28%

Potato (1kg)

$0.43 ₹40.52

$0.45 ₹42.42

-4.44%

Onion (1kg)

$0.39 ₹36.66

$0.43 ₹40.45

-9.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.60 ₹57.2

$0.52 ₹49.61

15.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.31 ₹29.48

$0.28 ₹26.44

10.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.10 ₹484

$5.14 ₹488

-0.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.21 ₹400

$7.52 ₹714

-44.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.41 ₹134

$1.85 ₹176

-23.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.51 ₹239

$2.68 ₹254

-6.34%

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

$5.15 ₹489

$6.78 ₹644

-24.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 ₹25.73

$0.30 ₹28.41

-10.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$31.56 ₹2,997

$10.31 ₹979

206.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.93 ₹88.0

$1.07 ₹102

-13.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 ₹28.38

$0.32 ₹30.55

-6.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.24 ₹117

$2.14 ₹204

-42.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 ₹106

$1.09 ₹104

1.83%

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

$10.7K ₹1.0M

$15.5K ₹1.5M

-31.18%

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

$18.8K ₹1.8M

$19.7K ₹1.9M

-4.35%

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

$28.72 ₹2,728

$38.87 ₹3,691

-26.11%

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

$4.86 ₹462

$4.07 ₹387

19.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$6.98 ₹662

$7.93 ₹753

-11.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$16.09 ₹1,528

$12.80 ₹1,216

25.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.56 ₹338

$6.83 ₹648

-47.88%

Cinema Ticket

$2.58 ₹245

$2.56 ₹243

0.78%

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

$54.7 ₹5,194

$86.7 ₹8,229

-36.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$851 ₹80.8K

$2,119 ₹201.2K

-59.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$29.60 ₹2,811

$20.39 ₹1,936

45.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.51 ₹2,612

$16.65 ₹1,581

65.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$49.16 ₹4,668

$35.60 ₹3,381

38.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$34.58 ₹3,283

$30.60 ₹2,906

13.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$174 ₹16.5K

$181 ₹17.2K

-4.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$132 ₹12.6K

$101 ₹9,611

30.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$337 ₹32.0K

$506 ₹48.0K

-33.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$214 ₹20.3K

$300 ₹28.5K

-28.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$571 ₹54.2K

$2,083 ₹197.8K

-72.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$385 ₹36.5K

$797 ₹75.6K

-51.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$394 ₹37.4K

$654 ₹62.1K

-39.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.9

9.99

-20.92%

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

Last update for Mangalore: October 12, 2026

Last update for Chennai (Madras): October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mangalore

$132 29%

Chennai (Madras)

$101 24.5% 23.6% $31

Groceries & Markets

Mangalore

$85 18.7%

Chennai (Madras)

$116 28% 35.6% $30

Eating Out

Mangalore

$79 17.3%

Chennai (Madras)

$67 16.2% 15.3% $12

Clothing & Footwear

Mangalore

$63 13.9%

Chennai (Madras)

$46 11.2% 26.7% $17

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mangalore

$41 8.9%

Chennai (Madras)

$51 12.3% 25.4% $10

Getting Around

Mangalore

$35 7.7%

Chennai (Madras)

$14 3.4% 59.5% $21

Sport & Entertainment

Mangalore

$21 4.7%

Chennai (Madras)

$18 4.3% 15.7% $3.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $174 in Mangalore versus $181 in Chennai (Madras). 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 66% higher in Chennai (Madras), which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $12.00 in Mangalore versus $12.00 in Chennai (Madras). Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $85.0 vs $116 – making Mangalore the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇳 Mangalore

🇮🇳 Chennai (Madras)

🕒 Local time

09:49 9:49 AM

Same time as Mangalore

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

500,000

4,681,087

💱 Currency

Indian Rupee INR ₹

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 INR = 10.53 USD

1,000 INR = 9.37 EUR

1,000 INR = 10.53 USD

1,000 INR = 9.37 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Mangalore Chennai (Madras) 590 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Mangalore
Chennai (Madras)

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

Mangalore vs Chennai (Madras): Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mangalore costs about 11% more than Chennai (Madras), and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $686 per month in Mangalore and $620 in Chennai (Madras). That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Chennai (Madras), especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $457 in Mangalore and $414 in Chennai (Madras). That's a gap of about 11%.

Public transport costs about 206% less in Chennai (Madras). For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $457 in Mangalore and $414 in Chennai (Madras), leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chennai (Madras) costs $414 versus $457 in Mangalore. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Chennai (Madras). If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Mangalore makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.