Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mumbai (Bombay) and Kochi

For one person, living is cheaper in Kochi: $412 a month against $813 in Mumbai (Bombay), rent and utilities included – about $4,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Mumbai (Bombay), India
Kochi, India
Mumbai (Bombay)
🇮🇳 India
$813
/mo nomad
Kochi
🇮🇳 India
$412
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $813 per month in Mumbai (Bombay) vs $412 in Kochi, rent included.

  • Mumbai (Bombay) $813
  • Kochi $412

A couple spends around $1,352 per month in Mumbai (Bombay) vs $626 in Kochi, rent included.

  • Mumbai (Bombay) $1,352
  • Kochi $626

A family of three spends $1,891 per month in Mumbai (Bombay) vs $840 in Kochi, rent included.

  • Mumbai (Bombay) $1,891
  • Kochi $840

Mumbai (Bombay) costs about 97% more than Kochi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Mumbai (Bombay) and Kochi are more affordable than the global median – Mumbai (Bombay) 40% lower, Kochi 70% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Mumbai (Bombay)
Kochi
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$5.35 ₹508
$1.62 ₹154
230.25%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$20.87 ₹1,982
$8.34 ₹792
150.24%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$4.08 ₹387
$3.71 ₹352
9.97%
Cappuccino
$2.78 ₹264
$1.35 ₹128
105.93%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.40 ₹38.23
$0.42 ₹40.00
-4.76%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.15 ₹14.42
$0.15 ₹14.04
-
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.64 ₹251
$1.62 ₹154
62.96%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.25 ₹404
$2.05 ₹195
107.32%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Mumbai (Bombay)
Kochi
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.74 ₹70.5
$0.60 ₹57.4
23.33%
White Bread (500g)
$0.54 ₹51.3
$0.50 ₹47.05
8.00%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$0.78 ₹74.1
$0.57 ₹54.5
36.84%
Eggs
$1.00 ₹95.1
$0.99 ₹94.2
1.01%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$5.61 ₹533
$7.00 ₹665
-19.86%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.58 ₹340
$3.69 ₹350
-2.98%
Apples (1kg)
$2.17 ₹206
$2.32 ₹220
-6.47%
Banana (1kg)
$0.69 ₹65.8
$0.69 ₹65.4
-
Oranges (1kg)
$1.21 ₹114
$1.07 ₹101
13.08%
Tomato (1kg)
$0.49 ₹46.33
$0.52 ₹48.91
-5.77%
Potato (1kg)
$0.33 ₹31.70
$0.40 ₹37.84
-17.50%
Onion (1kg)
$0.37 ₹35.53
$0.48 ₹45.17
-22.92%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.44 ₹41.78
$0.53 ₹49.86
-16.98%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.31 ₹29.64
$0.29 ₹27.23
6.90%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.00 ₹475
$5.11 ₹485
-2.15%
Wine (Bottle)
$8.34 ₹792
$8.09 ₹768
3.09%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.99 ₹189
$1.66 ₹158
19.88%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.12 ₹296
$2.43 ₹231
28.40%
Buffalo Round (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) (1kg)
$6.01 ₹570
$5.03 ₹477
19.48%
🚌 Getting Around
Mumbai (Bombay)
Kochi
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.20 ₹18.95
$0.20 ₹18.94
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$6.90 ₹655
$6.28 ₹597
9.87%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.31 ₹29.84
$0.75 ₹71.4
-58.67%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.31 ₹29.41
$0.31 ₹29.43
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$1.61 ₹153
$1.30 ₹123
23.85%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.10 ₹105
$1.09 ₹104
0.92%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$15.6K ₹1.5M
$11.3K ₹1.1M
37.54%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$22.4K ₹2.1M
$18.0K ₹1.7M
24.75%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mumbai (Bombay)
Kochi
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$61.9 ₹5,872
$32.93 ₹3,126
87.82%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$4.52 ₹429
$3.35 ₹318
34.93%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$8.97 ₹852
$6.98 ₹663
28.51%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Mumbai (Bombay)
Kochi
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$37.11 ₹3,524
$16.79 ₹1,594
121.02%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$14.11 ₹1,340
$9.25 ₹879
52.54%
Cinema Ticket
$5.01 ₹475
$1.94 ₹184
158.25%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Mumbai (Bombay)
Kochi
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$119 ₹11.3K
$55.4 ₹5,259
114.82%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$4,948 ₹469.8K
$1,859 ₹176.5K
166.22%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Mumbai (Bombay)
Kochi
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$36.37 ₹3,453
$25.95 ₹2,464
40.15%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$38.71 ₹3,675
$17.73 ₹1,683
118.33%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$54.7 ₹5,196
$36.07 ₹3,425
51.73%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$48.03 ₹4,560
$26.66 ₹2,531
80.16%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Mumbai (Bombay)
Kochi
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$640 ₹60.7K
$191 ₹18.1K
235.64%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$372 ₹35.3K
$120 ₹11.4K
209.65%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,093 ₹198.7K
$452 ₹42.9K
362.77%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$925 ₹87.8K
$217 ₹20.6K
325.97%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$5,706 ₹541.7K
$1,125 ₹106.8K
407.36%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,560 ₹243.0K
$676 ₹64.2K
278.42%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Mumbai (Bombay)
Kochi
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$757 ₹71.9K
$421 ₹40.0K
79.84%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
8.29
8.6
-3.60%

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

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

Last update for Kochi: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Mumbai (Bombay)
$372
Kochi
$120 67.7% $252
Groceries & Markets
Mumbai (Bombay)
$117
Kochi
$116 0.7% $0.8
Eating Out
Mumbai (Bombay)
$112
Kochi
$55 51.2% $57
Clothing & Footwear
Mumbai (Bombay)
$80
Kochi
$48 40.2% $32
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mumbai (Bombay)
$75
Kochi
$43 42.6% $32
Sport & Entertainment
Mumbai (Bombay)
$47
Kochi
$21 56.2% $26
Getting Around
Mumbai (Bombay)
$9.6
Kochi
$9.4 1.9% $0.2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $640 in Mumbai (Bombay) versus $191 in Kochi. 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 80% 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 $8 in Kochi. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $117 vs $116 – making Kochi the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇮🇳 Mumbai (Bombay)
🇮🇳 Kochi
🕒 Local time
19:14 7:14 PM
19:14 7:14 PM
Same time as Mumbai (Bombay)
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
12,442,373
677,381
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to INR – Indian Rupee Converter

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 94.94 INR (100 INR = 1.05 USD). 1 EUR = 106 INR (1,000 INR = 9.44 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Mumbai (Bombay) Kochi 1,070 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Mumbai (Bombay)
  • Kochi

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 Kochi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Kochi cheaper than Mumbai (Bombay)?
Yes – Mumbai (Bombay) is pricier by about 97%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,220 per month in Mumbai (Bombay) and $618 in Kochi. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Kochi, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $191 there versus $640 in Mumbai (Bombay).
What are total monthly expenses in Mumbai (Bombay) and in Kochi?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $813 in Mumbai (Bombay) and $412 in Kochi. That makes Kochi about 49% cheaper.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $119 per month in Mumbai (Bombay) and $55 in Kochi. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Is $1,000 enough for either Mumbai (Bombay) or Kochi?
$1,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $813 in Mumbai (Bombay) and $412 in Kochi, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
Is Mumbai (Bombay) or Kochi more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Kochi – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Kochi. 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.

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