Cost of Living Comparison Between Mumbai (Bombay) and Madurai Cost of Living Comparison Between Mumbai (Bombay) and Madurai

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $783 in Mumbai (Bombay) versus $412 in Madurai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,280 in Mumbai (Bombay) versus $664 in Madurai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,776 in Mumbai (Bombay) versus $916 in Madurai.

Living in Mumbai (Bombay) is roughly 90% more expensive than in Madurai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Mumbai (Bombay) 43% lower, Madurai 70% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.10 ₹489

$1.71 ₹165

198.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$20.90 ₹2,005

$10.27 ₹985

103.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.18 ₹401

$4.09 ₹392

2.20%

Cappuccino

$2.61 ₹251

$2.33 ₹223

12.02%

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

$0.38 ₹36.00

$0.57 ₹54.8

-33.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.14 ₹13.11

$0.24 ₹23.04

-41.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.57 ₹247

$2.15 ₹206

19.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.27 ₹410

$3.88 ₹372

10.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.70 ₹67.2

$0.58 ₹55.6

20.69%

White Bread (500g)

$0.52 ₹50.2

$0.54 ₹51.7

-3.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.78 ₹74.5

$0.64 ₹61.4

21.88%

Eggs

$0.96 ₹91.7

$0.80 ₹76.5

20.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.52 ₹530

$5.79 ₹555

-4.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.57 ₹343

$2.98 ₹286

19.80%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 ₹218

$2.96 ₹284

-22.97%

Banana (1kg)

$0.74 ₹71.0

$0.69 ₹65.9

7.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.22 ₹117

$1.66 ₹160

-26.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.47 ₹45.18

$0.50 ₹47.79

-6.00%

Potato (1kg)

$0.33 ₹31.97

$0.60 ₹58.0

-45.00%

Onion (1kg)

$0.37 ₹35.32

$0.69 ₹66.6

-46.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.43 ₹41.03

$0.67 ₹64.2

-35.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.31 ₹29.91

$0.31 ₹29.89

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.03 ₹483

$5.09 ₹488

-1.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.27 ₹794

$10.51 ₹1,009

-21.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.03 ₹195

$2.07 ₹198

-1.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.09 ₹296

$4.44 ₹426

-30.41%

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

$5.81 ₹557

$9.67 ₹928

-39.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.20 ₹19.16

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$5.57 ₹534

$10.28 ₹986

-45.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.32 ₹30.87

$1.17 ₹113

-72.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.33 ₹31.21

$0.35 ₹33.76

-5.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.59 ₹152

$1.23 ₹118

29.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.13 ₹109

$1.04 ₹100

8.65%

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

$15.9K ₹1.5M

$18.7K ₹1.8M

-14.97%

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

$22.2K ₹2.1M

$24.2K ₹2.3M

-8.54%

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

$60.9 ₹5,839

$23.06 ₹2,212

163.92%

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

$4.28 ₹410

$4.79 ₹460

-10.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.27 ₹890

$7.54 ₹723

22.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.11 ₹2,505

$15.56 ₹1,493

67.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.92 ₹1,240

$6.59 ₹632

96.05%

Cinema Ticket

$4.81 ₹462

$2.58 ₹247

86.43%

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

$118 ₹11.4K

$41.57 ₹3,988

184.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,909 ₹471.0K

$1,536 ₹147.3K

219.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.15 ₹3,373

$25.43 ₹2,439

38.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.23 ₹3,763

$25.87 ₹2,482

51.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$57.7 ₹5,540

$53.5 ₹5,135

7.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$48.14 ₹4,618

$32.08 ₹3,077

50.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$635 ₹60.9K

$147 ₹14.1K

331.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$355 ₹34.1K

$81.8 ₹7,843

334.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,933 ₹185.5K

$304 ₹29.1K

536.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$835 ₹80.1K

$202 ₹19.4K

313.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,093 ₹584.5K

$1,132 ₹108.6K

438.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,473 ₹237.2K

$484 ₹46.4K

411.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$754 ₹72.3K

$355 ₹34.0K

112.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.33

9.59

-13.14%

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

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

Last update for Madurai: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $635 in Mumbai (Bombay) and $147 in Madurai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mumbai (Bombay) pays 112% 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 $10.00 in Madurai. Groceries flip the comparison at $117 vs $127, with Mumbai (Bombay) cheaper for home cooking.

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 Madurai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mumbai (Bombay) and Madurai differ by about 90% in total monthly costs ($783 vs $412 including rent). Madurai is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 112% 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: $635 in Mumbai (Bombay) versus $147 in Madurai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Mumbai (Bombay) pay roughly 9% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Madurai – a meal for two runs $10.00 versus $21.00 in Mumbai (Bombay). If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $412 in Madurai versus $783 in Mumbai (Bombay), a $2,000 budget is realistic in Madurai but tight or insufficient in Mumbai (Bombay). The gap between the two cities makes Madurai the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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 Madurai gentler on the wallet – expenses run 90% less than in Mumbai (Bombay). Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.