Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mumbai (Bombay) and Kota

For one person, living is cheaper in Kota: $341 a month against $782 in Mumbai (Bombay), rent and utilities included – about $5,300 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
16

Cost of Living Index in Kota
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Kota Living Index

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Mumbai (Bombay)

🇮🇳 India

$782

/mo nomad

Kota

🇮🇳 India

$341

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $782 in Mumbai (Bombay) versus $341 in Kota.

Mumbai (Bombay) $782
Kota $341

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,299 in Mumbai (Bombay) versus $540 in Kota.

Mumbai (Bombay) $1,299
Kota $540

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,816 in Mumbai (Bombay) versus $739 in Kota.

Mumbai (Bombay) $1,816
Kota $739

Living in Mumbai (Bombay) is roughly 129% more expensive than in Kota, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Mumbai (Bombay) 42% lower, Kota 75% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.38 ₹511

$2.12 ₹202

153.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$20.76 ₹1,971

$8.17 ₹776

154.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.19 ₹398

$2.59 ₹246

61.78%

Cappuccino

$2.74 ₹260

$0.63 ₹60.2

334.92%

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

$0.41 ₹38.77

$0.35 ₹33.56

17.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.16 ₹15.04

$0.16 ₹15.55

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.59 ₹246

$1.59 ₹151

62.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.17 ₹396

$3.15 ₹300

32.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.75 ₹71.2

$0.62 ₹58.8

20.97%

White Bread (500g)

$0.53 ₹50.5

$0.44 ₹41.74

20.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.73 ₹69.6

$0.67 ₹63.2

8.96%

Eggs

$0.96 ₹91.4

$0.88 ₹83.9

9.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.52 ₹524

$4.55 ₹432

21.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.58 ₹340

$2.55 ₹242

40.39%

Apples (1kg)

$2.14 ₹203

$1.55 ₹147

38.06%

Banana (1kg)

$0.69 ₹65.5

$0.52 ₹49.04

32.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.23 ₹116

$0.66 ₹63.2

86.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.46 ₹43.77

$0.43 ₹41.16

6.98%

Potato (1kg)

$0.36 ₹34.24

$0.32 ₹30.36

12.50%

Onion (1kg)

$0.39 ₹37.12

$0.37 ₹35.44

5.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.40 ₹38.05

$0.32 ₹30.79

25.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.31 ₹29.46

$0.28 ₹26.21

10.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.10 ₹485

$4.33 ₹411

17.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.12 ₹771

$7.84 ₹744

3.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.95 ₹185

$1.56 ₹148

25.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 ₹302

$1.85 ₹176

71.89%

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

$6.17 ₹586

$4.67 ₹444

32.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.20 ₹18.99

$0.50 ₹47.54

-60.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$5.39 ₹512

$26.53 ₹2,519

-79.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.31 ₹29.39

$0.32 ₹30.43

-3.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.29 ₹28.01

$0.22 ₹20.92

31.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.59 ₹151

$1.08 ₹102

47.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.10 ₹104

$1.11 ₹106

-0.90%

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

$15.9K ₹1.5M

$15.6K ₹1.5M

1.73%

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

$22.7K ₹2.2M

$17.0K ₹1.6M

33.75%

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

$61.6 ₹5,846

$13.09 ₹1,243

370.28%

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

$4.25 ₹404

$2.53 ₹240

67.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.01 ₹855

$6.40 ₹608

40.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$27.24 ₹2,587

$10.62 ₹1,008

156.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.31 ₹1,264

$4.11 ₹391

223.84%

Cinema Ticket

$4.38 ₹416

$3.17 ₹301

38.17%

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

$116 ₹11.0K

$33.56 ₹3,187

244.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,968 ₹471.7K

$662 ₹62.9K

650.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$37.16 ₹3,529

$21.88 ₹2,077

69.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.88 ₹3,787

$33.09 ₹3,143

20.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$55.9 ₹5,307

$34.79 ₹3,304

60.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$48.19 ₹4,576

$21.28 ₹2,021

126.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$611 ₹58.0K

$138 ₹13.1K

342.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$354 ₹33.6K

$81.0 ₹7,695

337.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,829 ₹173.7K

$273 ₹25.9K

569.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$877 ₹83.3K

$172 ₹16.4K

409.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,877 ₹558.0K

$565 ₹53.6K

940.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,448 ₹232.4K

$334 ₹31.8K

631.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 ₹72.0K

$432 ₹41.0K

75.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.29

7.5

10.53%

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

Last update for Mumbai (Bombay): October 12, 2026

Last update for Kota: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mumbai (Bombay)

$354 45.3%

Kota

$81 23.8% 77.1% $273

Groceries & Markets

Mumbai (Bombay)

$116 14.8%

Kota

$92 27.1% 20.2% $23

Eating Out

Mumbai (Bombay)

$112 14.3%

Kota

$49 14.3% 56.5% $63

Clothing & Footwear

Mumbai (Bombay)

$82 10.4%

Kota

$50 14.7% 38.7% $32

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mumbai (Bombay)

$75 9.6%

Kota

$22 6.5% 70.6% $53

Sport & Entertainment

Mumbai (Bombay)

$36 4.6%

Kota

$17 5% 52.9% $19

Getting Around

Mumbai (Bombay)

$8 1%

Kota

$30 8.8% 275% $22

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $611 in Mumbai (Bombay) and $138 in Kota. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mumbai (Bombay) pays 76% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $21.00 in Mumbai (Bombay) vs $8.00 in Kota for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $116 vs $92.0 per month, with Kota cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇳 Mumbai (Bombay)

🇮🇳 Kota

🕒 Local time

04:40 4:40 AM

Same time as Mumbai (Bombay)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

12,442,373

1,001,400

💱 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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Between locations

Mumbai (Bombay) Kota 750 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Mumbai (Bombay)
Kota

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 Kota: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mumbai (Bombay) and Kota differ by about 129% in total monthly costs ($782 vs $341 including rent). Kota is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 76% higher in Mumbai (Bombay), which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $611 in Mumbai (Bombay) versus $138 in Kota. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 25% higher in Mumbai (Bombay). For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Kota – a meal for two runs $8.00 versus $21.00 in Mumbai (Bombay). If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Kota gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Kota gentler on the wallet – expenses run 129% less than in Mumbai (Bombay). Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.