Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mumbai (Bombay) and Palakkad

For one person, living is cheaper in Palakkad: $244 a month against $813 in Mumbai (Bombay), rent and utilities included – about $6,800 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
12

Cost of Living Index in Palakkad
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Palakkad Living Index

Jump to prices

Mumbai (Bombay)

🇮🇳 India

$813

/mo nomad

Palakkad

🇮🇳 India

$244

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $813 in Mumbai (Bombay) versus $244 in Palakkad.

Mumbai (Bombay) $813
Palakkad $244

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,352 in Mumbai (Bombay) versus $454 in Palakkad.

Mumbai (Bombay) $1,352
Palakkad $454

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,891 in Mumbai (Bombay) versus $665 in Palakkad.

Mumbai (Bombay) $1,891
Palakkad $665

Living in Mumbai (Bombay) is roughly 234% more expensive than in Palakkad, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Mumbai (Bombay) 40% lower, Palakkad 82% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.35 ₹508

$1.15 ₹109

365.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$20.87 ₹1,982

$9.64 ₹915

116.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.08 ₹387

$2.56 ₹243

59.38%

Cappuccino

$2.78 ₹264

$0.75 ₹70.8

270.67%

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

$0.40 ₹38.23

$0.37 ₹34.77

8.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.15 ₹14.42

$0.20 ₹18.65

-25.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.64 ₹251

$1.41 ₹134

87.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.25 ₹404

$1.60 ₹152

165.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.74 ₹70.5

$0.47 ₹44.74

57.45%

White Bread (500g)

$0.54 ₹51.3

$0.45 ₹43.09

20.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.78 ₹74.1

$0.48 ₹45.41

62.50%

Eggs

$1.00 ₹95.1

$0.87 ₹82.6

14.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.61 ₹533

$4.27 ₹406

31.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.58 ₹340

$1.89 ₹179

89.42%

Apples (1kg)

$2.17 ₹206

$1.29 ₹123

68.22%

Banana (1kg)

$0.69 ₹65.8

$0.43 ₹40.92

60.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.21 ₹114

$0.73 ₹69.7

65.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.49 ₹46.33

$0.41 ₹39.36

19.51%

Potato (1kg)

$0.33 ₹31.70

$0.35 ₹33.60

-5.71%

Onion (1kg)

$0.37 ₹35.53

$0.44 ₹41.54

-15.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.44 ₹41.78

$0.52 ₹49.07

-15.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.31 ₹29.64

$0.29 ₹27.29

6.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.00 ₹475

$3.12 ₹296

60.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.34 ₹792

$3.33 ₹316

150.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.99 ₹189

$1.33 ₹127

49.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.12 ₹296

$3.75 ₹356

-16.80%

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

$6.01 ₹570

$4.04 ₹384

48.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.20 ₹18.95

$0.16 ₹15.63

25.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$6.90 ₹655

$3.62 ₹344

90.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.31 ₹29.84

$0.44 ₹41.87

-29.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.31 ₹29.41

$0.25 ₹23.68

24.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.61 ₹153

$2.12 ₹201

-24.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.10 ₹105

$1.06 ₹101

3.77%

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

$15.6K ₹1.5M

$11.3K ₹1.1M

38.60%

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

$22.4K ₹2.1M

$19.7K ₹1.9M

13.82%

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

$61.9 ₹5,872

$25.97 ₹2,465

138.16%

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

$4.52 ₹429

$2.48 ₹235

82.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.97 ₹852

$9.72 ₹923

-7.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.11 ₹3,524

$12.93 ₹1,228

187.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.11 ₹1,340

$6.56 ₹623

115.09%

Cinema Ticket

$5.01 ₹475

$2.83 ₹268

77.03%

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

$119 ₹11.3K

$10.71 ₹1,017

1011.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,948 ₹469.8K

$1,156 ₹109.7K

328.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.37 ₹3,453

$18.41 ₹1,748

97.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.71 ₹3,675

$13.52 ₹1,284

186.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$54.7 ₹5,196

$29.46 ₹2,797

85.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$48.03 ₹4,560

$27.75 ₹2,634

73.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$640 ₹60.7K

$120 ₹11.4K

432.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$372 ₹35.3K

$23.39 ₹2,221

1489.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,093 ₹198.7K

$268 ₹25.5K

680.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$925 ₹87.8K

$186 ₹17.7K

396.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,706 ₹541.7K

$936 ₹88.9K

509.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,560 ₹243.0K

$524 ₹49.8K

388.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$757 ₹71.9K

$368 ₹35.0K

105.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.29

3.62%

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

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

Last update for Palakkad: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mumbai (Bombay)

$372 45.7%

Palakkad

$23 9.6% 93.7% $348

Groceries & Markets

Mumbai (Bombay)

$117 14.4%

Palakkad

$79 32.5% 32.3% $38

Eating Out

Mumbai (Bombay)

$112 13.8%

Palakkad

$38 15.7% 65.9% $74

Clothing & Footwear

Mumbai (Bombay)

$80 9.8%

Palakkad

$40 16.5% 49.9% $40

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mumbai (Bombay)

$75 9.3%

Palakkad

$38 15.7% 49.3% $37

Sport & Entertainment

Mumbai (Bombay)

$47 5.8%

Palakkad

$19 7.6% 60.6% $29

Getting Around

Mumbai (Bombay)

$9.6 1.2%

Palakkad

$6 2.5% 37.6% $3.6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $640 in Mumbai (Bombay) and $120 in Palakkad. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mumbai (Bombay) pays about 2.1 times 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 in Mumbai (Bombay) vs $10 in Palakkad for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $117 vs $79 per month, with Palakkad cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇳 Mumbai (Bombay)

🇮🇳 Palakkad

🕒 Local time

11:02 11:02 AM

Same time as Mumbai (Bombay)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

12,442,373

131,000

💱 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

On the map

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Between locations

Mumbai (Bombay) Palakkad 1,010 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Mumbai (Bombay)
Palakkad

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 Palakkad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $813 in Mumbai (Bombay) and $244 in Palakkad, so Palakkad is about 70% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay in Mumbai (Bombay) is about 2.1 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 $120 in Palakkad. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 48% higher in Mumbai (Bombay). For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Palakkad – a meal for two runs $10 versus $21 in Mumbai (Bombay). If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $244 in Palakkad versus $813 in Mumbai (Bombay), a $800 budget is realistic in Palakkad but tight or insufficient in Mumbai (Bombay). The gap between the two cities makes Palakkad 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 Palakkad gentler on the wallet – expenses run 70% less than in Mumbai (Bombay). Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.