Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mumbai (Bombay) and Shimla

For one person, living is cheaper in Shimla: $310 a month against $813 in Mumbai (Bombay), rent and utilities included – about $6,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

39

Cost of Living Index in Mumbai (Bombay)
Learn more

Mumbai (Bombay) Living Index
15

Cost of Living Index in Shimla
Learn more

Shimla Living Index

Jump to prices

Mumbai (Bombay)

🇮🇳 India

$813

/mo nomad

Shimla

🇮🇳 India

$310

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $813 in Mumbai (Bombay) versus $310 in Shimla.

Mumbai (Bombay) $813
Shimla $310

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,352 in Mumbai (Bombay) versus $504 in Shimla.

Mumbai (Bombay) $1,352
Shimla $504

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,891 in Mumbai (Bombay) versus $698 in Shimla.

Mumbai (Bombay) $1,891
Shimla $698

Living in Mumbai (Bombay) is roughly 162% more expensive than in Shimla, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Mumbai (Bombay) 40% lower, Shimla 77% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.35 ₹509

$1.56 ₹149

242.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$20.87 ₹1,988

$10.47 ₹997

99.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.08 ₹388

$3.09 ₹295

32.04%

Cappuccino

$2.78 ₹264

$0.92 ₹87.3

202.17%

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

$0.40 ₹38.34

$0.34 ₹32.20

17.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.15 ₹14.46

$0.11 ₹10.42

36.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.64 ₹252

$1.64 ₹156

60.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.25 ₹405

$2.07 ₹197

105.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.74 ₹70.7

$0.67 ₹64.2

10.45%

White Bread (500g)

$0.54 ₹51.5

$0.42 ₹40.36

28.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.78 ₹74.3

$0.63 ₹60.4

23.81%

Eggs

$1.00 ₹95.3

$0.89 ₹85.1

12.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.61 ₹534

$4.33 ₹412

29.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.58 ₹341

$3.18 ₹303

12.58%

Apples (1kg)

$2.17 ₹206

$1.87 ₹178

16.04%

Banana (1kg)

$0.69 ₹66.0

$0.76 ₹72.1

-9.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.21 ₹115

$0.63 ₹60.1

92.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.49 ₹46.46

$0.48 ₹45.51

2.08%

Potato (1kg)

$0.33 ₹31.80

$0.30 ₹28.72

10.00%

Onion (1kg)

$0.37 ₹35.63

$0.36 ₹34.35

2.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.44 ₹41.91

$0.22 ₹20.99

100.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.31 ₹29.73

$0.27 ₹25.62

14.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.00 ₹476

$3.38 ₹322

47.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.34 ₹794

$8.57 ₹816

-2.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.99 ₹190

$1.54 ₹147

29.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.12 ₹297

$2.04 ₹194

52.94%

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

$6.01 ₹572

$3.80 ₹362

58.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.20 ₹19.01

$0.22 ₹20.98

-9.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$6.90 ₹657

$7.84 ₹747

-11.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.31 ₹29.93

$1.07 ₹102

-71.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.31 ₹29.50

$0.34 ₹31.93

-8.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.61 ₹154

$1.02 ₹97.4

57.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.10 ₹105

$1.09 ₹104

0.92%

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

$15.6K ₹1.5M

$8,462 ₹805.8K

84.27%

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

$22.4K ₹2.1M

$18.1K ₹1.7M

24.00%

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

$61.9 ₹5,889

$18.17 ₹1,730

240.40%

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

$4.52 ₹430

$3.13 ₹298

44.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.97 ₹854

$7.02 ₹669

27.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.11 ₹3,534

$13.85 ₹1,319

167.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.11 ₹1,344

$10.63 ₹1,012

32.74%

Cinema Ticket

$5.01 ₹477

$3.07 ₹292

63.19%

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

$119 ₹11.3K

$42.11 ₹4,010

182.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,948 ₹471.1K

$2,173 ₹206.9K

127.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.37 ₹3,463

$24.76 ₹2,357

46.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.71 ₹3,686

$21.97 ₹2,092

76.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$54.7 ₹5,211

$39.31 ₹3,744

39.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$48.03 ₹4,574

$26.41 ₹2,515

81.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$640 ₹60.9K

$86.4 ₹8,222

640.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$372 ₹35.4K

$53.3 ₹5,075

597.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,093 ₹199.3K

$199 ₹18.9K

952.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$925 ₹88.1K

$125 ₹11.9K

640.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,706 ₹543.3K

$563 ₹53.6K

914.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,560 ₹243.8K

$563 ₹53.6K

355.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$757 ₹72.1K

$612 ₹58.3K

23.66%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.29

8.25

0.48%

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

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

Last update for Shimla: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mumbai (Bombay)

$372 45.7%

Shimla

$53 17.2% 85.7% $318

Groceries & Markets

Mumbai (Bombay)

$117 14.4%

Shimla

$99 32.1% 15% $18

Eating Out

Mumbai (Bombay)

$112 13.8%

Shimla

$47 15.1% 58.2% $65

Clothing & Footwear

Mumbai (Bombay)

$80 9.8%

Shimla

$51 16.3% 36.8% $29

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mumbai (Bombay)

$75 9.3%

Shimla

$28 9.1% 62.4% $47

Sport & Entertainment

Mumbai (Bombay)

$47 5.8%

Shimla

$20 6.5% 57.6% $27

Getting Around

Mumbai (Bombay)

$9.6 1.2%

Shimla

$11 3.7% 20% $1.9

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $640 in Mumbai (Bombay) and $86 in Shimla. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mumbai (Bombay) pays 24% 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 Shimla for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $117 vs $99 per month, with Shimla cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇳 Mumbai (Bombay)

🇮🇳 Shimla

🕒 Local time

04:24 4:24 AM

Same time as Mumbai (Bombay)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

12,442,373

170,000

💱 Currency

Indian Rupee INR ₹

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 INR = 10.5 USD

1,000 INR = 9.43 EUR

1,000 INR = 10.5 USD

1,000 INR = 9.43 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Mumbai (Bombay) Shimla 1,410 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Mumbai (Bombay)
Shimla

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 Shimla: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $813 in Mumbai (Bombay) and $310 in Shimla, so Shimla is about 62% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 24% 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: $640 in Mumbai (Bombay) versus $86 in Shimla. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 18% higher in Mumbai (Bombay). For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Shimla – 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.

Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Shimla 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 – Shimla wins on affordability, Mumbai (Bombay) on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.