Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mumbai (Bombay) and Dharamsala

For one person, living is cheaper in Dharamsala: $376 a month against $785 in Mumbai (Bombay), rent and utilities included – about $4,900 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
18

Cost of Living Index in Dharamsala
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Dharamsala Living Index

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Mumbai (Bombay)

🇮🇳 India

$785

/mo nomad

Dharamsala

🇮🇳 India

$376

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $785 per month in Mumbai (Bombay) vs $376 in Dharamsala, rent included.

Mumbai (Bombay) $785
Dharamsala $376

A couple spends around $1,308 per month in Mumbai (Bombay) vs $571 in Dharamsala, rent included.

Mumbai (Bombay) $1,308
Dharamsala $571

A family of three spends $1,831 per month in Mumbai (Bombay) vs $766 in Dharamsala, rent included.

Mumbai (Bombay) $1,831
Dharamsala $766

Mumbai (Bombay) costs about 109% more than Dharamsala, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Mumbai (Bombay) and Dharamsala are more affordable than the global median – Mumbai (Bombay) 42% lower, Dharamsala 72% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.18 ₹492

$2.60 ₹247

99.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$20.64 ₹1,960

$10.59 ₹1,006

94.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.11 ₹390

$3.08 ₹292

33.44%

Cappuccino

$2.68 ₹254

$1.42 ₹135

88.73%

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

$0.38 ₹35.88

$0.37 ₹35.05

2.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.13 ₹12.53

$0.13 ₹12.19

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ₹243

$1.59 ₹151

61.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.24 ₹403

$3.06 ₹290

38.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.72 ₹68.1

$0.57 ₹54.1

26.32%

White Bread (500g)

$0.51 ₹48.64

$0.52 ₹49.34

-1.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.78 ₹73.6

$0.85 ₹80.7

-8.24%

Eggs

$1.04 ₹98.7

$0.94 ₹89.1

10.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.41 ₹514

$5.14 ₹488

5.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.57 ₹339

$2.89 ₹274

23.53%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 ₹213

$1.43 ₹135

56.64%

Banana (1kg)

$0.74 ₹70.0

$0.70 ₹66.0

5.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.21 ₹115

$1.03 ₹97.9

17.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.48 ₹45.69

$0.56 ₹53.4

-14.29%

Potato (1kg)

$0.35 ₹33.12

$0.20 ₹18.97

75.00%

Onion (1kg)

$0.38 ₹35.70

$0.33 ₹31.64

15.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.40 ₹38.40

$0.38 ₹36.22

5.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.31 ₹29.77

$0.32 ₹30.61

-3.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.98 ₹473

$3.12 ₹296

59.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.46 ₹803

$3.12 ₹297

171.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 ₹188

$1.70 ₹161

16.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 ₹301

$2.70 ₹257

17.41%

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

$6.17 ₹586

$5.16 ₹490

19.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.22 ₹20.94

$0.25 ₹23.72

-12.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$5.64 ₹535

$7.56 ₹718

-25.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.35 ₹32.89

$1.04 ₹98.4

-66.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.31 ₹29.21

$0.23 ₹21.84

34.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.54 ₹146

$1.64 ₹156

-6.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 ₹105

$1.09 ₹103

1.83%

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

$16.0K ₹1.5M

$12.5K ₹1.2M

27.88%

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

$22.2K ₹2.1M

$25.3K ₹2.4M

-12.43%

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

$62.2 ₹5,905

$38.08 ₹3,616

63.31%

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

$4.58 ₹435

$2.33 ₹221

96.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.43 ₹895

$2.69 ₹255

250.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$27.93 ₹2,652

$14.18 ₹1,346

96.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.87 ₹1,317

$6.48 ₹615

114.04%

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 ₹472

$3.22 ₹306

54.35%

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

$118 ₹11.2K

$59.3 ₹5,635

99.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,844 ₹460.0K

$2,424 ₹230.2K

99.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.28 ₹3,351

$27.67 ₹2,628

27.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.79 ₹3,683

$20.50 ₹1,947

89.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$55.7 ₹5,291

$51.8 ₹4,915

7.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$46.65 ₹4,429

$41.26 ₹3,918

13.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$610 ₹57.9K

$96.2 ₹9,134

533.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$357 ₹33.9K

$81.8 ₹7,768

336.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,876 ₹178.1K

$171 ₹16.2K

996.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$894 ₹84.9K

$129 ₹12.2K

594.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,882 ₹558.6K

$955 ₹90.7K

516.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,403 ₹228.2K

$525 ₹49.9K

357.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$755 ₹71.7K

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 19, 2026

Last update for Dharamsala: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mumbai (Bombay)

$357 45.5%

Dharamsala

$82 21.8% 77.1% $276

Groceries & Markets

Mumbai (Bombay)

$117 14.9%

Dharamsala

$93 24.7% 20.5% $24

Eating Out

Mumbai (Bombay)

$109 13.9%

Dharamsala

$63 16.8% 42.2% $46

Clothing & Footwear

Mumbai (Bombay)

$79 10.1%

Dharamsala

$64 16.9% 20% $16

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mumbai (Bombay)

$76 9.7%

Dharamsala

$43 11.5% 43.4% $33

Sport & Entertainment

Mumbai (Bombay)

$38 4.8%

Dharamsala

$21 5.5% 45.6% $17

Getting Around

Mumbai (Bombay)

$8.4 1.1%

Dharamsala

$11 2.9% 28% $2.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $610 in Mumbai (Bombay) versus $96.2 in Dharamsala. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $21.00 in Mumbai (Bombay) versus $11.00 in Dharamsala. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $117 vs $93.0 – making Dharamsala the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇳 Mumbai (Bombay)

🇮🇳 Dharamsala

🕒 Local time

00:43 12:43 AM

Same time as Mumbai (Bombay)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

12,442,373

56,543

💱 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

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Mumbai (Bombay) Dharamsala 1,500 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

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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 Dharamsala: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Mumbai (Bombay) is pricier by about 109%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,178 per month in Mumbai (Bombay) and $564 in Dharamsala. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Dharamsala, 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 $785 in Mumbai (Bombay) and $376 in Dharamsala. That's a gap of about 109%.

Public transport costs about 34% less in Dharamsala. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$1,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $785 in Mumbai (Bombay) and $376 in Dharamsala, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Dharamsala – 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 Dharamsala. 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.