Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mumbai (Bombay) and Rishikesh

For one person, living is cheaper in Rishikesh: $390 a month against $782 in Mumbai (Bombay), rent and utilities included – about $4,700 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
19

Cost of Living Index in Rishikesh
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Rishikesh Living Index

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Mumbai (Bombay)

🇮🇳 India

$782

/mo nomad

Rishikesh

🇮🇳 India

$390

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $782 in Mumbai (Bombay) versus $390 in Rishikesh.

Mumbai (Bombay) $782
Rishikesh $390

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,299 in Mumbai (Bombay) versus $619 in Rishikesh.

Mumbai (Bombay) $1,299
Rishikesh $619

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,816 in Mumbai (Bombay) versus $848 in Rishikesh.

Mumbai (Bombay) $1,816
Rishikesh $848

Living in Mumbai (Bombay) is roughly 101% more expensive than in Rishikesh, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Mumbai (Bombay) 42% lower, Rishikesh 71% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.38 ₹511

$3.09 ₹293

74.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$20.76 ₹1,971

$8.73 ₹829

137.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.19 ₹398

$3.64 ₹345

15.11%

Cappuccino

$2.74 ₹260

$1.49 ₹142

83.89%

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

$0.41 ₹38.77

$0.37 ₹35.45

10.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.16 ₹15.04

$0.18 ₹16.98

-11.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.59 ₹246

$2.03 ₹193

27.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.17 ₹396

$3.05 ₹290

36.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.75 ₹71.2

$0.58 ₹55.4

29.31%

White Bread (500g)

$0.53 ₹50.5

$0.27 ₹25.88

96.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.73 ₹69.6

$0.81 ₹76.5

-9.88%

Eggs

$0.96 ₹91.4

$0.93 ₹88.3

3.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.52 ₹524

$4.46 ₹423

23.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.58 ₹340

$3.50 ₹332

2.29%

Apples (1kg)

$2.14 ₹203

$1.99 ₹189

7.54%

Banana (1kg)

$0.69 ₹65.5

$0.76 ₹72.1

-9.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.23 ₹116

$1.03 ₹98.1

19.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.46 ₹43.77

$0.49 ₹46.92

-6.12%

Potato (1kg)

$0.36 ₹34.24

$0.30 ₹28.84

20.00%

Onion (1kg)

$0.39 ₹37.12

$0.32 ₹30.82

21.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.40 ₹38.05

$0.41 ₹39.38

-2.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.31 ₹29.46

$0.31 ₹29.75

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.10 ₹485

$2.06 ₹196

147.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.12 ₹771

$8.26 ₹784

-1.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.95 ₹185

$1.60 ₹152

21.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 ₹302

$2.71 ₹257

17.34%

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

$6.17 ₹586

$6.28 ₹597

-1.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.20 ₹18.99

$0.28 ₹26.76

-28.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$5.39 ₹512

$7.60 ₹721

-29.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.31 ₹29.39

$1.03 ₹97.9

-69.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.29 ₹28.01

$0.27 ₹25.70

7.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.59 ₹151

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.10 ₹104

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

$15.9K ₹1.5M

$10.6K ₹1.0M

49.07%

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

$22.7K ₹2.2M

$18.4K ₹1.7M

23.47%

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

$61.6 ₹5,846

$42.49 ₹4,035

44.88%

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

$4.25 ₹404

$3.32 ₹316

28.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.01 ₹855

$6.86 ₹651

31.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$27.24 ₹2,587

$11.55 ₹1,096

135.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.31 ₹1,264

$7.23 ₹687

84.09%

Cinema Ticket

$4.38 ₹416

$5.18 ₹492

-15.44%

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

$116 ₹11.0K

$102 ₹9,665

13.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,968 ₹471.7K

$2,297 ₹218.1K

116.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$37.16 ₹3,529

$21.30 ₹2,022

74.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.88 ₹3,787

$20.93 ₹1,987

90.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$55.9 ₹5,307

$53.2 ₹5,052

5.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$48.19 ₹4,576

$43.99 ₹4,178

9.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$611 ₹58.0K

$106 ₹10.1K

474.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$354 ₹33.6K

$64.7 ₹6,147

447.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,829 ₹173.7K

$246 ₹23.3K

644.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$877 ₹83.3K

$169 ₹16.0K

418.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,877 ₹558.0K

$989 ₹93.9K

494.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,448 ₹232.4K

$524 ₹49.7K

367.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 ₹72.0K

$210 ₹20.0K

260.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.29

38.17%

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

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

Last update for Rishikesh: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mumbai (Bombay)

$354 45.3%

Rishikesh

$65 16.6% 81.7% $289

Groceries & Markets

Mumbai (Bombay)

$116 14.8%

Rishikesh

$104 26.8% 9.7% $11

Eating Out

Mumbai (Bombay)

$112 14.3%

Rishikesh

$72 18.5% 35.7% $40

Clothing & Footwear

Mumbai (Bombay)

$82 10.4%

Rishikesh

$63 16.1% 23% $19

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mumbai (Bombay)

$75 9.6%

Rishikesh

$53 13.5% 29.6% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Mumbai (Bombay)

$36 4.6%

Rishikesh

$22 5.6% 39.1% $14

Getting Around

Mumbai (Bombay)

$8 1%

Rishikesh

$11 2.9% 39.2% $3.1

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $611 in Mumbai (Bombay) and $106 in Rishikesh. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mumbai (Bombay) pays 260% 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 $9.00 in Rishikesh for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $116 vs $104 per month, with Rishikesh cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇳 Mumbai (Bombay)

🇮🇳 Rishikesh

🕒 Local time

22:02 10:02 PM

Same time as Mumbai (Bombay)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

12,442,373

66,390

💱 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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Mumbai (Bombay) Rishikesh 1,350 km ≈ 2 h 15 min 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)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

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

Mumbai (Bombay) and Rishikesh differ by about 101% in total monthly costs ($782 vs $390 including rent). Rishikesh is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 260% 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 $106 in Rishikesh. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 11% higher in Mumbai (Bombay). For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Rishikesh – a meal for two runs $9.00 versus $21.00 in Mumbai (Bombay). If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Either city works on $800 a month, though Rishikesh 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.

Safety-wise, Mumbai (Bombay) and Rishikesh are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Rishikesh gentler on the wallet – expenses run 101% less than in Mumbai (Bombay). Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.