Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mumbai (Bombay) and Chennai (Madras)

For one person, living is cheaper in Chennai (Madras): $435 a month against $813 in Mumbai (Bombay), rent and utilities included – about $4,500 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
21

Cost of Living Index in Chennai (Madras)
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Chennai (Madras) Living Index

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Mumbai (Bombay)

🇮🇳 India

$813

/mo nomad

Chennai (Madras)

🇮🇳 India

$435

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $813 per month in Mumbai (Bombay) vs $435 in Chennai (Madras), rent included.

Mumbai (Bombay) $813
Chennai (Madras) $435

A couple spends around $1,352 per month in Mumbai (Bombay) vs $725 in Chennai (Madras), rent included.

Mumbai (Bombay) $1,352
Chennai (Madras) $725

A family of three spends $1,891 per month in Mumbai (Bombay) vs $1,016 in Chennai (Madras), rent included.

Mumbai (Bombay) $1,891
Chennai (Madras) $1,016

Mumbai (Bombay) costs about 87% more than Chennai (Madras), and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Mumbai (Bombay) and Chennai (Madras) are more affordable than the global median – Mumbai (Bombay) 40% lower, Chennai (Madras) 68% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.35 ₹508

$2.04 ₹194

162.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$20.87 ₹1,985

$12.50 ₹1,189

66.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.08 ₹388

$4.14 ₹394

-1.45%

Cappuccino

$2.78 ₹264

$1.82 ₹173

52.75%

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

$0.40 ₹38.30

$0.34 ₹31.92

17.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.15 ₹14.44

$0.17 ₹16.20

-11.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.64 ₹251

$1.55 ₹148

70.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.25 ₹404

$3.17 ₹301

34.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.74 ₹70.7

$0.59 ₹56.0

25.42%

White Bread (500g)

$0.54 ₹51.4

$0.51 ₹48.12

5.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.78 ₹74.2

$0.69 ₹65.4

13.04%

Eggs

$1.00 ₹95.2

$0.88 ₹84.0

13.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.61 ₹534

$6.25 ₹594

-10.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.58 ₹340

$3.12 ₹297

14.74%

Apples (1kg)

$2.17 ₹206

$2.78 ₹265

-21.94%

Banana (1kg)

$0.69 ₹65.9

$0.83 ₹78.5

-16.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.21 ₹115

$1.39 ₹132

-12.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.49 ₹46.41

$0.43 ₹40.72

13.95%

Potato (1kg)

$0.33 ₹31.76

$0.44 ₹42.27

-25.00%

Onion (1kg)

$0.37 ₹35.59

$0.42 ₹39.97

-11.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.44 ₹41.85

$0.54 ₹51.8

-18.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.31 ₹29.69

$0.28 ₹26.47

10.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.00 ₹476

$5.11 ₹486

-2.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.34 ₹793

$7.25 ₹690

15.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.99 ₹190

$1.86 ₹176

6.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.12 ₹297

$2.76 ₹263

13.04%

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

$6.01 ₹571

$6.71 ₹638

-10.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.20 ₹18.98

$0.33 ₹31.77

-39.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$6.90 ₹656

$10.67 ₹1,015

-35.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.31 ₹29.89

$1.03 ₹98.0

-69.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.31 ₹29.46

$0.30 ₹28.94

3.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.61 ₹153

$2.12 ₹202

-24.06%

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

$11.1K ₹1.1M

40.12%

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

$22.4K ₹2.1M

$20.1K ₹1.9M

11.47%

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

$61.9 ₹5,882

$38.28 ₹3,641

61.57%

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

$4.52 ₹430

$3.96 ₹376

14.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.97 ₹853

$7.75 ₹737

15.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.11 ₹3,530

$14.18 ₹1,349

161.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.11 ₹1,342

$6.64 ₹631

112.50%

Cinema Ticket

$5.01 ₹476

$2.28 ₹217

119.74%

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

$119 ₹11.3K

$87.7 ₹8,344

35.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,948 ₹470.6K

$2,110 ₹200.7K

134.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.37 ₹3,459

$19.99 ₹1,901

81.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.71 ₹3,681

$17.11 ₹1,627

126.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$54.7 ₹5,205

$35.44 ₹3,371

54.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$48.03 ₹4,568

$30.77 ₹2,927

56.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$640 ₹60.8K

$190 ₹18.1K

236.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$372 ₹35.3K

$123 ₹11.7K

202.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,093 ₹199.0K

$577 ₹54.8K

262.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$925 ₹87.9K

$343 ₹32.6K

169.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,706 ₹542.6K

$1,864 ₹177.3K

206.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,560 ₹243.5K

$798 ₹75.9K

220.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$757 ₹72.0K

$662 ₹63.0K

14.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.29

9.99

-17.02%

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

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

Last update for Chennai (Madras): October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mumbai (Bombay)

$372 45.7%

Chennai (Madras)

$123 28.3% 66.9% $249

Groceries & Markets

Mumbai (Bombay)

$117 14.4%

Chennai (Madras)

$115 26.5% 1.7% $2

Eating Out

Mumbai (Bombay)

$112 13.8%

Chennai (Madras)

$67 15.4% 40.6% $46

Clothing & Footwear

Mumbai (Bombay)

$80 9.8%

Chennai (Madras)

$46 10.7% 41.9% $34

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mumbai (Bombay)

$75 9.3%

Chennai (Madras)

$50 11.5% 33.6% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Mumbai (Bombay)

$47 5.8%

Chennai (Madras)

$19 4.3% 60.2% $28

Getting Around

Mumbai (Bombay)

$9.6 1.2%

Chennai (Madras)

$15 3.4% 52.3% $5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $640 in Mumbai (Bombay) versus $190 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 14% 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 $13 in Chennai (Madras). Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $117 vs $115 – making Chennai (Madras) the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇳 Mumbai (Bombay)

🇮🇳 Chennai (Madras)

🕒 Local time

11:32 11:32 AM

Same time as Mumbai (Bombay)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

12,442,373

4,681,087

💱 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

On the map

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Between locations

Mumbai (Bombay) Chennai (Madras) 1,030 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Mumbai (Bombay)
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

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

Mumbai (Bombay) costs about 87% more than Chennai (Madras), 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.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,220 per month in Mumbai (Bombay) and $652 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $190 there versus $640 in Mumbai (Bombay).

Monthly expenses with rent come to $813 in Mumbai (Bombay) and $435 in Chennai (Madras). That’s a gap of about 87%.

Kindergarten costs $119 per month in Mumbai (Bombay) and $88 in Chennai (Madras). For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in Chennai (Madras), where all-in costs run around $435, than in Mumbai (Bombay) at $813. In Chennai (Madras) it covers expenses comfortably, while in Mumbai (Bombay) it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chennai (Madras) costs $435 versus $813 in Mumbai (Bombay). Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Chennai (Madras). 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.