Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mumbai (Bombay) and Lucknow

For one person, living is cheaper in Lucknow: $396 a month against $813 in Mumbai (Bombay), rent and utilities included – about $5,000 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
19

Cost of Living Index in Lucknow
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Lucknow Living Index

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Mumbai (Bombay)

🇮🇳 India

$813

/mo nomad

Lucknow

🇮🇳 India

$396

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $813 in Mumbai (Bombay) versus $396 in Lucknow.

Mumbai (Bombay) $813
Lucknow $396

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,352 in Mumbai (Bombay) versus $621 in Lucknow.

Mumbai (Bombay) $1,352
Lucknow $621

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,891 in Mumbai (Bombay) versus $846 in Lucknow.

Mumbai (Bombay) $1,891
Lucknow $846

Living in Mumbai (Bombay) is roughly 105% more expensive than in Lucknow, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Mumbai (Bombay) 40% lower, Lucknow 71% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.35 ₹508

$1.86 ₹176

187.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$20.87 ₹1,982

$10.62 ₹1,009

96.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.08 ₹387

$3.23 ₹307

26.32%

Cappuccino

$2.78 ₹264

$1.57 ₹149

77.07%

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

$0.40 ₹38.24

$0.44 ₹41.97

-9.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.15 ₹14.42

$0.13 ₹12.29

15.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.64 ₹251

$1.56 ₹148

69.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.25 ₹404

$2.26 ₹214

88.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.74 ₹70.5

$0.70 ₹66.6

5.71%

White Bread (500g)

$0.54 ₹51.3

$0.47 ₹44.92

14.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.78 ₹74.1

$0.59 ₹55.9

32.20%

Eggs

$1.00 ₹95.1

$1.02 ₹96.4

-1.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.61 ₹533

$3.32 ₹315

68.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.58 ₹340

$2.51 ₹239

42.63%

Apples (1kg)

$2.17 ₹206

$1.79 ₹170

21.23%

Banana (1kg)

$0.69 ₹65.8

$0.66 ₹63.1

4.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.21 ₹114

$0.96 ₹91.0

26.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.49 ₹46.33

$0.47 ₹44.75

4.26%

Potato (1kg)

$0.33 ₹31.71

$0.30 ₹28.11

10.00%

Onion (1kg)

$0.37 ₹35.53

$0.42 ₹39.45

-11.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.44 ₹41.79

$0.42 ₹39.88

4.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.31 ₹29.64

$0.30 ₹28.36

3.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.00 ₹475

$4.90 ₹465

2.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.34 ₹792

$8.57 ₹814

-2.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.99 ₹189

$1.66 ₹158

19.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.12 ₹296

$2.63 ₹249

18.63%

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

$6.01 ₹570

$5.72 ₹543

5.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.20 ₹18.95

$0.43 ₹41.10

-53.49%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$6.90 ₹655

$9.07 ₹861

-23.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.31 ₹29.84

$0.98 ₹93.4

-68.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.31 ₹29.41

$0.20 ₹18.95

55.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.61 ₹153

$1.14 ₹108

41.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.10 ₹105

$1.14 ₹108

-3.51%

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

$15.6K ₹1.5M

$11.1K ₹1.1M

40.37%

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

$22.4K ₹2.1M

$22.0K ₹2.1M

1.90%

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

$61.9 ₹5,873

$54.2 ₹5,149

14.05%

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

$4.52 ₹429

$3.74 ₹356

20.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.97 ₹852

$8.66 ₹822

3.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.11 ₹3,524

$15.88 ₹1,508

133.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.11 ₹1,340

$6.69 ₹635

110.91%

Cinema Ticket

$5.01 ₹476

$3.20 ₹304

56.56%

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

$119 ₹11.3K

$38.90 ₹3,693

205.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,948 ₹469.8K

$979 ₹92.9K

405.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.37 ₹3,453

$23.41 ₹2,223

55.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.71 ₹3,675

$25.07 ₹2,381

54.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$54.7 ₹5,196

$38.75 ₹3,679

41.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$48.03 ₹4,561

$25.60 ₹2,431

87.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$640 ₹60.7K

$133 ₹12.6K

382.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$372 ₹35.3K

$87.7 ₹8,324

323.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,093 ₹198.7K

$356 ₹33.8K

487.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$925 ₹87.8K

$212 ₹20.1K

335.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,706 ₹541.8K

$1,124 ₹106.7K

407.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,560 ₹243.1K

$606 ₹57.5K

322.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$757 ₹71.9K

$331 ₹31.5K

128.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.29

8.53

-2.81%

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

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

Last update for Lucknow: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mumbai (Bombay)

$372 45.7%

Lucknow

$88 22.2% 76.4% $284

Groceries & Markets

Mumbai (Bombay)

$117 14.4%

Lucknow

$98 24.7% 16.7% $20

Eating Out

Mumbai (Bombay)

$112 13.8%

Lucknow

$58 14.7% 48.3% $54

Clothing & Footwear

Mumbai (Bombay)

$80 9.8%

Lucknow

$51 12.8% 36.5% $29

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mumbai (Bombay)

$75 9.3%

Lucknow

$67 16.8% 11.5% $8.7

Sport & Entertainment

Mumbai (Bombay)

$47 5.8%

Lucknow

$22 5.6% 52.7% $25

Getting Around

Mumbai (Bombay)

$9.6 1.2%

Lucknow

$13 3.2% 33.7% $3.2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $640 in Mumbai (Bombay) and $133 in Lucknow. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mumbai (Bombay) pays about 2.3 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $21 in Mumbai (Bombay) vs $11 in Lucknow for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $117 vs $98 per month, with Lucknow cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇳 Mumbai (Bombay)

🇮🇳 Lucknow

🕒 Local time

02:43 2:43 AM

Same time as Mumbai (Bombay)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

12,442,373

4,588,455

💱 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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Between locations

Mumbai (Bombay) Lucknow 1,200 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Mumbai (Bombay)
Lucknow

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 Lucknow: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lucknow is about 51% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, clothing, and leisure. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay in Mumbai (Bombay) is about 2.3 times higher, 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: $640 in Mumbai (Bombay) versus $133 in Lucknow. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Lucknow – a meal for two runs $11 versus $21 in Mumbai (Bombay). If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $813 per month in Mumbai (Bombay) versus $396 in Lucknow – Lucknow is about 51% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Either city works on $1,000 a month, though Lucknow 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.

It comes down to priorities – Lucknow wins on affordability, Mumbai (Bombay) on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.