Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mumbai (Bombay) and Cherthala

For one person, living is cheaper in Cherthala: $290 a month against $811 in Mumbai (Bombay), rent and utilities included – about $6,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

38

Cost of Living Index in Mumbai (Bombay)
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Mumbai (Bombay) Living Index
14

Cost of Living Index in Cherthala
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Cherthala Living Index

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Mumbai (Bombay)

🇮🇳 India

$811

/mo nomad

Cherthala

🇮🇳 India

$290

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $811 per month in Mumbai (Bombay) vs $290 in Cherthala, rent included.

Mumbai (Bombay) $811
Cherthala $290

A couple spends around $1,402 per month in Mumbai (Bombay) vs $472 in Cherthala, rent included.

Mumbai (Bombay) $1,402
Cherthala $472

A family of three spends $1,992 per month in Mumbai (Bombay) vs $654 in Cherthala, rent included.

Mumbai (Bombay) $1,992
Cherthala $654

Mumbai (Bombay) costs about 180% more than Cherthala, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Mumbai (Bombay) and Cherthala are more affordable than the global median – Mumbai (Bombay) 40% lower, Cherthala 79% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.12 ₹485

$0.76 ₹72.4

573.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.54 ₹2,515

$6.19 ₹586

328.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.92 ₹371

$2.31 ₹219

69.70%

Cappuccino

$2.86 ₹271

$1.03 ₹97.5

177.67%

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

$0.40 ₹38.24

$0.33 ₹31.50

21.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.14 ₹13.72

$0.12 ₹11.79

16.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.71 ₹257

$1.46 ₹138

85.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.32 ₹409

$1.89 ₹179

128.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.74 ₹70.2

$0.60 ₹57.0

23.33%

White Bread (500g)

$0.52 ₹49.07

$0.36 ₹33.75

44.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.75 ₹71.5

$0.51 ₹48.29

47.06%

Eggs

$1.02 ₹96.4

$0.85 ₹80.8

20.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.73 ₹543

$3.77 ₹357

51.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.64 ₹345

$2.30 ₹218

58.26%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 ₹225

$2.14 ₹203

10.75%

Banana (1kg)

$0.69 ₹65.6

$0.50 ₹47.81

38.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.25 ₹118

$0.88 ₹83.5

42.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.47 ₹44.95

$0.47 ₹44.43

Potato (1kg)

$0.34 ₹32.44

$0.34 ₹32.67

Onion (1kg)

$0.37 ₹35.49

$0.38 ₹36.42

-2.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.43 ₹40.57

$0.41 ₹38.58

4.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.31 ₹29.80

$0.27 ₹25.79

14.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.95 ₹469

$1.93 ₹182

156.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.43 ₹798

$1.86 ₹176

353.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.99 ₹188

$1.06 ₹101

87.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 ₹301

$1.55 ₹147

105.16%

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

$6.04 ₹572

$3.48 ₹330

73.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.22 ₹20.86

$0.21 ₹19.90

4.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$5.63 ₹533

$6.93 ₹657

-18.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.37 ₹34.76

$0.86 ₹81.7

-56.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.33 ₹31.49

$0.49 ₹46.01

-32.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.37 ₹130

$1.62 ₹153

-15.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.12 ₹106

$1.09 ₹103

2.75%

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

$15.7K ₹1.5M

$11.3K ₹1.1M

38.99%

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

$22.8K ₹2.2M

$19.7K ₹1.9M

15.76%

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

$69.6 ₹6,591

$20.89 ₹1,979

233.03%

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

$4.35 ₹412

$3.06 ₹290

42.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.11 ₹863

$4.32 ₹409

110.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.44 ₹3,546

$10.33 ₹978

262.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.26 ₹1,351

$5.94 ₹562

140.07%

Cinema Ticket

$4.40 ₹417

$1.62 ₹154

171.60%

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

$118 ₹11.2K

$45.84 ₹4,343

158.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,043 ₹572.5K

$515 ₹48.8K

1072.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$34.60 ₹3,278

$7.53 ₹713

359.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.28 ₹3,816

$8.31 ₹787

384.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$52.2 ₹4,948

$70.9 ₹6,720

-26.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$46.71 ₹4,425

$14.44 ₹1,368

223.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$609 ₹57.7K

$122 ₹11.5K

401.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$364 ₹34.5K

$76.8 ₹7,280

374.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,169 ₹205.5K

$264 ₹25.0K

721.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$995 ₹94.3K

$190 ₹18.0K

425.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,687 ₹538.7K

$919 ₹87.1K

518.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,662 ₹252.1K

$540 ₹51.2K

392.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$717 ₹68.0K

$232 ₹22.0K

208.62%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.26

9.37

-11.85%

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

Last update for Mumbai (Bombay): November 2, 2026

Last update for Cherthala: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mumbai (Bombay)

$364 45%

Cherthala

$77 26.5% 78.9% $288

Groceries & Markets

Mumbai (Bombay)

$119 14.7%

Cherthala

$76 26.3% 35.8% $43

Eating Out

Mumbai (Bombay)

$111 13.8%

Cherthala

$38 13.2% 65.7% $73

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mumbai (Bombay)

$83 10.2%

Cherthala

$28 9.8% 65.9% $55

Clothing & Footwear

Mumbai (Bombay)

$78 9.7%

Cherthala

$46 15.7% 41.8% $33

Sport & Entertainment

Mumbai (Bombay)

$46 5.7%

Cherthala

$14 4.7% 70.6% $33

Getting Around

Mumbai (Bombay)

$8.5 1.1%

Cherthala

$11 3.8% 29.5% $2.5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $609 in Mumbai (Bombay) versus $122 in Cherthala. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Mumbai (Bombay) are about 3.1 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $27 in Mumbai (Bombay) versus $6 in Cherthala. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $119 vs $76 – making Cherthala the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇳 Mumbai (Bombay)

🇮🇳 Cherthala

🕒 Local time

10:39 10:39 AM

Same time as Mumbai (Bombay)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

12,442,373

45,827

💱 Currency

Indian Rupee INR ₹

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 INR = 10.56 USD

1,000 INR = 9.44 EUR

1,000 INR = 10.56 USD

1,000 INR = 9.44 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Mumbai (Bombay) Cherthala 1,110 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Mumbai (Bombay)
Cherthala

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 Cherthala: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mumbai (Bombay) costs about 180% more than Cherthala, 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 $1,216 per month in Mumbai (Bombay) and $435 in Cherthala. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Cherthala, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $122 there versus $609 in Mumbai (Bombay).

A mid-range dinner for two costs $27 in Mumbai (Bombay) and $6 in Cherthala. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $811 in Mumbai (Bombay) and $290 in Cherthala. That makes Cherthala about 64% cheaper.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in Cherthala, where all-in costs run around $290, than in Mumbai (Bombay) at $811. In Cherthala it covers expenses comfortably, while in Mumbai (Bombay) it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Cherthala – 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 Cherthala. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Mumbai (Bombay) makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.