Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mumbai (Bombay) and Chandigarh

For one person, living is cheaper in Chandigarh: $488 a month against $813 in Mumbai (Bombay), rent and utilities included – about $3,900 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
24

Cost of Living Index in Chandigarh
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Chandigarh Living Index

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Mumbai (Bombay)

🇮🇳 India

$813

/mo nomad

Chandigarh

🇮🇳 India

$488

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $813 in Mumbai (Bombay) versus $488 in Chandigarh.

Mumbai (Bombay) $813
Chandigarh $488

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,352 in Mumbai (Bombay) versus $788 in Chandigarh.

Mumbai (Bombay) $1,352
Chandigarh $788

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,891 in Mumbai (Bombay) versus $1,088 in Chandigarh.

Mumbai (Bombay) $1,891
Chandigarh $1,088

Living in Mumbai (Bombay) is roughly 66% more expensive than in Chandigarh, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Mumbai (Bombay) 40% lower, Chandigarh 64% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.35 ₹508

$3.20 ₹304

67.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$20.87 ₹1,982

$13.68 ₹1,299

52.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.08 ₹387

$4.11 ₹390

-0.73%

Cappuccino

$2.78 ₹264

$2.69 ₹256

3.35%

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

$0.40 ₹38.24

$0.44 ₹41.50

-9.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.15 ₹14.42

$0.25 ₹23.78

-40.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.64 ₹251

$2.15 ₹204

22.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.25 ₹404

$3.17 ₹301

34.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.74 ₹70.5

$0.73 ₹69.4

1.37%

White Bread (500g)

$0.54 ₹51.3

$0.52 ₹49.17

3.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.78 ₹74.1

$0.81 ₹77.3

-3.70%

Eggs

$1.00 ₹95.1

$0.91 ₹86.3

9.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.61 ₹533

$4.93 ₹468

13.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.58 ₹340

$2.84 ₹270

26.06%

Apples (1kg)

$2.17 ₹206

$1.64 ₹156

32.32%

Banana (1kg)

$0.69 ₹65.8

$0.75 ₹70.9

-8.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.21 ₹114

$1.06 ₹101

14.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.49 ₹46.33

$0.67 ₹63.8

-26.87%

Potato (1kg)

$0.33 ₹31.71

$0.28 ₹26.54

17.86%

Onion (1kg)

$0.37 ₹35.53

$0.34 ₹32.38

8.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.44 ₹41.79

$0.67 ₹63.4

-34.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.31 ₹29.64

$0.30 ₹28.25

3.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.00 ₹475

$4.97 ₹472

0.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.34 ₹792

$11.43 ₹1,086

-27.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.99 ₹189

$1.67 ₹158

19.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.12 ₹296

$2.81 ₹266

11.03%

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

$6.01 ₹570

$6.55 ₹622

-8.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.20 ₹18.95

$0.25 ₹23.60

-20.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$6.90 ₹655

$4.58 ₹435

50.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.31 ₹29.84

$1.08 ₹102

-71.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.31 ₹29.41

$0.25 ₹23.90

24.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.61 ₹153

$1.66 ₹158

-3.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.10 ₹105

$1.09 ₹103

0.92%

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

$15.6K ₹1.5M

$11.2K ₹1.1M

39.12%

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

$22.4K ₹2.1M

$25.0K ₹2.4M

-10.35%

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

$61.9 ₹5,873

$38.21 ₹3,628

61.87%

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

$4.52 ₹429

$4.08 ₹388

10.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.97 ₹852

$6.52 ₹619

37.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.11 ₹3,524

$25.72 ₹2,443

44.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.11 ₹1,340

$8.08 ₹767

74.63%

Cinema Ticket

$5.01 ₹476

$3.13 ₹298

60.06%

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

$119 ₹11.3K

$57.7 ₹5,480

106.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,948 ₹469.8K

$2,480 ₹235.5K

99.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.37 ₹3,453

$26.87 ₹2,551

35.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.71 ₹3,675

$25.26 ₹2,398

53.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$54.7 ₹5,196

$57.6 ₹5,469

-4.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$48.03 ₹4,561

$44.40 ₹4,216

8.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$640 ₹60.7K

$171 ₹16.3K

273.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$372 ₹35.3K

$127 ₹12.1K

192.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,093 ₹198.7K

$482 ₹45.8K

333.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$925 ₹87.8K

$309 ₹29.3K

199.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,706 ₹541.8K

$1,868 ₹177.4K

205.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,560 ₹243.1K

$1,025 ₹97.4K

149.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$757 ₹71.9K

$437 ₹41.5K

73.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.29

3.62%

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

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

Last update for Chandigarh: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mumbai (Bombay)

$372 45.7%

Chandigarh

$127 26% 65.8% $245

Groceries & Markets

Mumbai (Bombay)

$117 14.4%

Chandigarh

$113 23.2% 3.3% $3.8

Eating Out

Mumbai (Bombay)

$112 13.8%

Chandigarh

$90 18.5% 19.7% $22

Clothing & Footwear

Mumbai (Bombay)

$80 9.8%

Chandigarh

$69 14.2% 13.3% $11

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mumbai (Bombay)

$75 9.3%

Chandigarh

$49 10% 35.2% $27

Sport & Entertainment

Mumbai (Bombay)

$47 5.8%

Chandigarh

$32 6.6% 32.1% $15

Getting Around

Mumbai (Bombay)

$9.6 1.2%

Chandigarh

$7.9 1.6% 17.3% $1.7

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $640 in Mumbai (Bombay) and $171 in Chandigarh. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mumbai (Bombay) pays 73% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $21 in Mumbai (Bombay) vs $14 in Chandigarh for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $117 vs $113 per month, with Chandigarh cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇳 Mumbai (Bombay)

🇮🇳 Chandigarh

🕒 Local time

19:00 7:00 PM

Same time as Mumbai (Bombay)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

12,442,373

1,028,667

💱 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

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Mumbai (Bombay) Chandigarh 1,360 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

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Mumbai (Bombay)
Chandigarh

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

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

Chandigarh wins on cost – living expenses run 40% lower than in Mumbai (Bombay). Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Chandigarh the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 73% higher in Mumbai (Bombay), which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $640 in Mumbai (Bombay) versus $171 in Chandigarh. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Chandigarh runs roughly 34% less than in Mumbai (Bombay). The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $119 in Mumbai (Bombay) versus $58 in Chandigarh. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $488 in Chandigarh versus $813 in Mumbai (Bombay), a $800 budget is realistic in Chandigarh but tight or insufficient in Mumbai (Bombay). The gap between the two cities makes Chandigarh the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Expats usually find Chandigarh gentler on the wallet – expenses run 40% less than in Mumbai (Bombay). Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.