Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mumbai (Bombay) and Ambala

For one person, living is cheaper in Ambala: $356 a month against $813 in Mumbai (Bombay), rent and utilities included – about $5,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

39

Cost of Living Index in Mumbai (Bombay)
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Mumbai (Bombay) Living Index
17

Cost of Living Index in Ambala
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Ambala Living Index

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Mumbai (Bombay)

🇮🇳 India

$813

/mo nomad

Ambala

🇮🇳 India

$356

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mumbai (Bombay) and in Ambala

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

A single person spends $813 per month in Mumbai (Bombay) vs $356 in Ambala, rent included.

Mumbai (Bombay) $813
Ambala $356

A couple spends around $1,352 per month in Mumbai (Bombay) vs $556 in Ambala, rent included.

Mumbai (Bombay) $1,352
Ambala $556

A family of three spends $1,891 per month in Mumbai (Bombay) vs $757 in Ambala, rent included.

Mumbai (Bombay) $1,891
Ambala $757

Mumbai (Bombay) costs about 128% more than Ambala, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Mumbai (Bombay) and Ambala are more affordable than the global median – Mumbai (Bombay) 40% lower, Ambala 74% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.35 ₹508

$3.06 ₹291

74.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$20.87 ₹1,985

$10.60 ₹1,008

96.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.08 ₹388

$2.97 ₹282

37.37%

Cappuccino

$2.78 ₹264

$1.72 ₹163

61.63%

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

$0.40 ₹38.30

$0.38 ₹36.18

5.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.15 ₹14.44

$0.19 ₹18.32

-21.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.64 ₹251

$1.66 ₹158

59.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.25 ₹404

$3.21 ₹305

32.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.74 ₹70.7

$0.68 ₹64.3

8.82%

White Bread (500g)

$0.54 ₹51.4

$0.41 ₹38.54

31.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.78 ₹74.2

$0.82 ₹78.0

-4.88%

Eggs

$1.00 ₹95.2

$1.07 ₹101

-6.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.61 ₹534

$1.79 ₹171

213.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.58 ₹340

$3.41 ₹324

4.99%

Apples (1kg)

$2.17 ₹206

$2.03 ₹193

6.90%

Banana (1kg)

$0.69 ₹65.9

$0.71 ₹67.8

-2.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.21 ₹115

$1.02 ₹97.2

18.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.49 ₹46.41

$0.43 ₹40.99

13.95%

Potato (1kg)

$0.33 ₹31.76

$0.29 ₹27.17

13.79%

Onion (1kg)

$0.37 ₹35.59

$0.20 ₹19.01

85.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.44 ₹41.85

$0.37 ₹35.57

18.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.31 ₹29.69

$0.31 ₹29.67

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.00 ₹476

$4.20 ₹400

19.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.34 ₹793

$6.67 ₹634

25.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.99 ₹190

$1.60 ₹152

24.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.12 ₹297

$2.82 ₹268

10.64%

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

$6.01 ₹571

$6.48 ₹616

-7.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.20 ₹18.98

$0.20 ₹18.99

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$6.90 ₹656

$6.99 ₹665

-1.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.31 ₹29.89

$1.02 ₹97.2

-69.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.31 ₹29.46

$0.27 ₹25.80

14.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.61 ₹153

$1.59 ₹151

1.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.10 ₹105

$0.94 ₹89.5

17.02%

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

$15.6K ₹1.5M

$9,023 ₹858.2K

72.81%

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

$22.4K ₹2.1M

$19.0K ₹1.8M

17.97%

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

$61.9 ₹5,882

$42.78 ₹4,069

44.58%

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

$4.52 ₹430

$3.66 ₹348

23.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.97 ₹853

$6.76 ₹643

32.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.11 ₹3,530

$14.09 ₹1,340

163.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.11 ₹1,342

$6.62 ₹630

113.14%

Cinema Ticket

$5.01 ₹476

$2.85 ₹271

75.79%

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

$119 ₹11.3K

$41.75 ₹3,971

185.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,948 ₹470.6K

$1,569 ₹149.2K

215.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.37 ₹3,459

$21.75 ₹2,068

67.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.71 ₹3,681

$23.89 ₹2,272

62.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$54.7 ₹5,205

$41.63 ₹3,960

31.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$48.03 ₹4,568

$23.49 ₹2,234

104.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$640 ₹60.8K

$77.7 ₹7,391

723.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$372 ₹35.3K

$57.0 ₹5,421

552.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,093 ₹199.0K

$209 ₹19.8K

903.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$925 ₹87.9K

$124 ₹11.8K

646.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,706 ₹542.6K

$935 ₹88.9K

510.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,560 ₹243.5K

$575 ₹54.7K

345.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$757 ₹72.0K

$476 ₹45.3K

58.93%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.29

8.25

0.48%

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

Last update for Mumbai (Bombay): October 26, 2026

Last update for Ambala: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mumbai (Bombay)

$372 45.7%

Ambala

$57 16% 84.7% $315

Groceries & Markets

Mumbai (Bombay)

$117 14.4%

Ambala

$95 26.7% 18.9% $22

Eating Out

Mumbai (Bombay)

$112 13.8%

Ambala

$71 19.9% 36.8% $41

Clothing & Footwear

Mumbai (Bombay)

$80 9.8%

Ambala

$50 14% 37.7% $30

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mumbai (Bombay)

$75 9.3%

Ambala

$53 15% 29.4% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Mumbai (Bombay)

$47 5.8%

Ambala

$20 5.6% 58% $27

Getting Around

Mumbai (Bombay)

$9.6 1.2%

Ambala

$10 2.9% 6.3% $0.6

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $640 in Mumbai (Bombay) versus $78 in Ambala. 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 59% 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 $21 in Mumbai (Bombay) versus $11 in Ambala. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $117 vs $95 – making Ambala the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇳 Mumbai (Bombay)

🇮🇳 Ambala

🕒 Local time

16:47 4:47 PM

Same time as Mumbai (Bombay)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

12,442,373

196,000

💱 Currency

Indian Rupee INR ₹

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 INR = 10.51 USD

1,000 INR = 9.45 EUR

1,000 INR = 10.51 USD

1,000 INR = 9.45 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Mumbai (Bombay) Ambala 1,320 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Mumbai (Bombay)
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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

Mumbai (Bombay) vs Ambala: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Mumbai (Bombay) is pricier by about 128%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,220 per month in Mumbai (Bombay) and $534 in Ambala. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Ambala, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $78 there versus $640 in Mumbai (Bombay).

Monthly expenses with rent come to $813 in Mumbai (Bombay) and $356 in Ambala. That’s a gap of about 128%.

Kindergarten costs $119 per month in Mumbai (Bombay) and $42 in Ambala. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$1,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $813 in Mumbai (Bombay) and $356 in Ambala, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Ambala – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Ambala. 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.