Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mumbai (Bombay) and Kollam

For one person, living is cheaper in Kollam: $284 a month against $813 in Mumbai (Bombay), rent and utilities included – about $6,300 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
14

Cost of Living Index in Kollam
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Kollam Living Index

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Mumbai (Bombay)

🇮🇳 India

$813

/mo nomad

Kollam

🇮🇳 India

$284

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $813 per month in Mumbai (Bombay) vs $284 in Kollam, rent included.

Mumbai (Bombay) $813
Kollam $284

A couple spends around $1,352 per month in Mumbai (Bombay) vs $446 in Kollam, rent included.

Mumbai (Bombay) $1,352
Kollam $446

A family of three spends $1,891 per month in Mumbai (Bombay) vs $609 in Kollam, rent included.

Mumbai (Bombay) $1,891
Kollam $609

Mumbai (Bombay) costs about 186% more than Kollam, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.35 ₹508

$1.03 ₹97.5

419.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$20.87 ₹1,982

$6.14 ₹583

239.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.08 ₹387

$3.23 ₹307

26.32%

Cappuccino

$2.78 ₹264

$1.37 ₹130

102.92%

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

$0.40 ₹38.23

$0.34 ₹31.98

17.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.15 ₹14.42

$0.12 ₹11.54

25.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.64 ₹251

$1.33 ₹126

98.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.25 ₹404

$1.86 ₹177

128.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.74 ₹70.5

$0.60 ₹57.4

23.33%

White Bread (500g)

$0.54 ₹51.3

$0.48 ₹45.65

12.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.78 ₹74.1

$0.51 ₹47.98

52.94%

Eggs

$1.00 ₹95.1

$0.78 ₹74.1

28.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.61 ₹533

$3.59 ₹341

56.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.58 ₹340

$2.13 ₹202

68.08%

Apples (1kg)

$2.17 ₹206

$1.57 ₹149

38.22%

Banana (1kg)

$0.69 ₹65.8

$0.59 ₹56.2

16.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.21 ₹114

$0.70 ₹66.1

72.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.49 ₹46.33

$0.41 ₹38.63

19.51%

Potato (1kg)

$0.33 ₹31.70

$0.35 ₹32.95

-5.71%

Onion (1kg)

$0.37 ₹35.53

$0.35 ₹33.53

5.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.44 ₹41.78

$0.61 ₹57.8

-27.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.31 ₹29.64

$0.27 ₹25.68

14.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.00 ₹475

$5.17 ₹491

-3.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.34 ₹792

$2.70 ₹256

208.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.99 ₹189

$2.05 ₹195

-2.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.12 ₹296

$2.72 ₹258

14.71%

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

$6.01 ₹570

$3.35 ₹318

79.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.20 ₹18.95

$0.17 ₹15.88

17.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$6.90 ₹655

$7.20 ₹684

-4.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.31 ₹29.84

$0.81 ₹76.8

-61.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.31 ₹29.41

$0.33 ₹31.55

-6.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.61 ₹153

$2.05 ₹195

-21.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.10 ₹105

$1.11 ₹106

-0.90%

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

$15.6K ₹1.5M

$9,035 ₹857.7K

72.59%

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

$22.4K ₹2.1M

$16.6K ₹1.6M

34.92%

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

$61.9 ₹5,872

$32.12 ₹3,050

92.56%

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

$4.52 ₹429

$2.97 ₹282

52.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.97 ₹852

$5.04 ₹479

77.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.11 ₹3,524

$13.44 ₹1,276

176.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.11 ₹1,340

$10.44 ₹991

35.15%

Cinema Ticket

$5.01 ₹475

$1.54 ₹146

225.32%

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

$119 ₹11.3K

$21.19 ₹2,012

461.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,948 ₹469.8K

$2,630 ₹249.7K

88.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.37 ₹3,453

$16.30 ₹1,548

123.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.71 ₹3,675

$23.34 ₹2,215

65.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$54.7 ₹5,196

$25.49 ₹2,420

114.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$48.03 ₹4,560

$24.42 ₹2,318

96.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$640 ₹60.7K

$82.2 ₹7,800

678.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$372 ₹35.3K

$47.79 ₹4,537

677.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,093 ₹198.7K

$182 ₹17.3K

1048.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$925 ₹87.8K

$115 ₹10.9K

704.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,706 ₹541.7K

$834 ₹79.2K

583.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,560 ₹243.0K

$449 ₹42.6K

470.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$757 ₹71.9K

$525 ₹49.9K

44.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.29

9.13

-9.20%

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

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

Last update for Kollam: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mumbai (Bombay)

$372 45.7%

Kollam

$48 16.8% 87.1% $324

Groceries & Markets

Mumbai (Bombay)

$117 14.4%

Kollam

$82 28.9% 29.8% $35

Eating Out

Mumbai (Bombay)

$112 13.8%

Kollam

$47 16.4% 58.5% $66

Clothing & Footwear

Mumbai (Bombay)

$80 9.8%

Kollam

$40 14.2% 49.6% $40

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mumbai (Bombay)

$75 9.3%

Kollam

$40 14.1% 46.7% $35

Sport & Entertainment

Mumbai (Bombay)

$47 5.8%

Kollam

$17 5.8% 64.9% $31

Getting Around

Mumbai (Bombay)

$9.6 1.2%

Kollam

$10 3.6% 8.2% $0.8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $640 in Mumbai (Bombay) versus $82 in Kollam. 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 44% 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 $6 in Kollam. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $117 vs $82 – making Kollam the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇳 Mumbai (Bombay)

🇮🇳 Kollam

🕒 Local time

07:12 7:12 AM

Same time as Mumbai (Bombay)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

12,442,373

367,107

💱 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) Kollam 1,200 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

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Mumbai (Bombay)
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Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

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

Mumbai (Bombay) costs about 186% more than Kollam, 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 $426 in Kollam. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Kollam, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $82 there versus $640 in Mumbai (Bombay).

Groceries cost about 43% more in Mumbai (Bombay), though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $21 in Mumbai (Bombay) and $6 in Kollam. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in Kollam, where all-in costs run around $284, than in Mumbai (Bombay) at $813. In Kollam it covers expenses comfortably, while in Mumbai (Bombay) it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Kollam – 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 Kollam. 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.