Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mumbai (Bombay) and Sikkim

For one person, living is cheaper in Sikkim: $361 a month against $813 in Mumbai (Bombay), rent and utilities included – about $5,400 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
17

Cost of Living Index in Sikkim
Learn more

Sikkim Living Index

Jump to prices

Mumbai (Bombay)

🇮🇳 India

$813

/mo nomad

Sikkim

🇮🇳 India

$361

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $813 in Mumbai (Bombay) versus $361 in Sikkim.

Mumbai (Bombay) $813
Sikkim $361

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,352 in Mumbai (Bombay) versus $584 in Sikkim.

Mumbai (Bombay) $1,352
Sikkim $584

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,891 in Mumbai (Bombay) versus $808 in Sikkim.

Mumbai (Bombay) $1,891
Sikkim $808

Living in Mumbai (Bombay) is roughly 125% more expensive than in Sikkim, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Mumbai (Bombay) 40% lower, Sikkim 73% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.35 ₹508

$2.04 ₹194

162.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$20.87 ₹1,985

$10.53 ₹1,001

98.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.08 ₹388

$3.58 ₹341

13.97%

Cappuccino

$2.78 ₹264

$1.66 ₹158

67.47%

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

$0.40 ₹38.30

$0.38 ₹36.07

5.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.15 ₹14.44

$0.15 ₹13.97

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.64 ₹251

$1.87 ₹178

41.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.25 ₹404

$2.91 ₹277

46.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.74 ₹70.7

$0.70 ₹66.6

5.71%

White Bread (500g)

$0.54 ₹51.4

$0.52 ₹49.08

3.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.78 ₹74.2

$0.40 ₹38.03

95.00%

Eggs

$1.00 ₹95.2

$1.47 ₹140

-31.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.61 ₹534

$4.55 ₹432

23.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.58 ₹340

$2.71 ₹258

32.10%

Apples (1kg)

$2.17 ₹206

$2.42 ₹230

-10.33%

Banana (1kg)

$0.69 ₹65.9

$0.66 ₹63.0

4.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.21 ₹115

$0.90 ₹85.9

34.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.49 ₹46.41

$0.46 ₹43.99

6.52%

Potato (1kg)

$0.33 ₹31.76

$0.49 ₹46.38

-32.65%

Onion (1kg)

$0.37 ₹35.59

$0.54 ₹50.9

-31.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.44 ₹41.85

$0.43 ₹41.08

2.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.31 ₹29.69

$0.33 ₹31.84

-6.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.00 ₹476

$2.29 ₹218

118.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.34 ₹793

$4.24 ₹403

96.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.99 ₹190

$1.22 ₹116

63.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.12 ₹297

$2.67 ₹253

16.85%

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

$6.01 ₹571

$2.74 ₹261

119.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.20 ₹18.98

$0.25 ₹23.98

-20.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$6.90 ₹656

$8.02 ₹763

-13.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.31 ₹29.89

$0.76 ₹72.4

-59.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.31 ₹29.46

$0.25 ₹23.82

24.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.61 ₹153

$1.62 ₹154

-0.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.10 ₹105

$1.08 ₹102

1.85%

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

$15.6K ₹1.5M

$10.5K ₹998.7K

48.49%

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

$22.4K ₹2.1M

$21.0K ₹2.0M

6.84%

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

$61.9 ₹5,882

$30.15 ₹2,867

105.14%

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

$4.52 ₹430

$3.41 ₹324

32.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.97 ₹853

$6.52 ₹620

37.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.11 ₹3,530

$14.39 ₹1,369

157.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.11 ₹1,342

$6.74 ₹641

109.35%

Cinema Ticket

$5.01 ₹476

$2.98 ₹284

68.12%

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

$119 ₹11.3K

$46.08 ₹4,382

158.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,948 ₹470.6K

$1,403 ₹133.5K

252.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.37 ₹3,459

$21.78 ₹2,071

66.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.71 ₹3,681

$23.52 ₹2,237

64.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$54.7 ₹5,205

$38.03 ₹3,617

43.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$48.03 ₹4,568

$28.61 ₹2,721

67.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$640 ₹60.8K

$121 ₹11.5K

427.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$372 ₹35.3K

$78.1 ₹7,423

376.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,093 ₹199.0K

$272 ₹25.9K

669.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$925 ₹87.9K

$187 ₹17.8K

394.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,706 ₹542.6K

$819 ₹77.8K

597.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,560 ₹243.5K

$593 ₹56.4K

331.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$757 ₹72.0K

$467 ₹44.5K

61.93%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.29

8.86

-6.43%

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

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

Last update for Sikkim: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mumbai (Bombay)

$372 45.7%

Sikkim

$78 21.6% 79% $294

Groceries & Markets

Mumbai (Bombay)

$117 14.4%

Sikkim

$97 26.9% 17.2% $20

Eating Out

Mumbai (Bombay)

$112 13.8%

Sikkim

$64 17.8% 42.8% $48

Clothing & Footwear

Mumbai (Bombay)

$80 9.8%

Sikkim

$50 14% 37.1% $30

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mumbai (Bombay)

$75 9.3%

Sikkim

$40 11.1% 46.8% $35

Sport & Entertainment

Mumbai (Bombay)

$47 5.8%

Sikkim

$20 5.6% 56.8% $27

Getting Around

Mumbai (Bombay)

$9.6 1.2%

Sikkim

$11 3.1% 15.5% $1.5

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $640 in Mumbai (Bombay) and $121 in Sikkim. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mumbai (Bombay) pays 62% 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 $11 in Sikkim for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $117 vs $97 per month, with Sikkim cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇳 Mumbai (Bombay)

🇮🇳 Sikkim

🕒 Local time

17:26 5:26 PM

Same time as Mumbai (Bombay)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

12,442,373

610,577

💱 Currency

Indian Rupee INR ₹

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 INR = 10.51 USD

1,000 INR = 9.45 EUR

1,000 INR = 10.51 USD

1,000 INR = 9.45 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Mumbai (Bombay) Sikkim 1,850 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Mumbai (Bombay)
Sikkim

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 Sikkim: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mumbai (Bombay) and Sikkim differ by about 125% in total monthly costs ($813 vs $361 including rent). Sikkim is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 62% 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 $121 in Sikkim. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 21% higher in Mumbai (Bombay). For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Sikkim – 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.

Either city works on $1,000 a month, though Sikkim 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 – Sikkim wins on affordability, Mumbai (Bombay) on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.