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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $783 in Mumbai (Bombay) versus $823 in Surat.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,280 in Mumbai (Bombay) versus $851 in Surat.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,776 in Mumbai (Bombay) versus $879 in Surat.

Living in Mumbai (Bombay) costs roughly 5% less than in Surat, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Mumbai (Bombay) 43% lower, Surat 40% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.10 ₹489

$3.09 ₹296

65.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$20.90 ₹2,005

$10.42 ₹1,000

100.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.18 ₹401

$3.11 ₹298

34.41%

Cappuccino

$2.61 ₹251

$1.85 ₹178

41.08%

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

$0.38 ₹36.00

$0.37 ₹35.15

2.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.14 ₹13.11

$0.16 ₹15.30

-12.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.57 ₹247

$2.95 ₹283

-12.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.27 ₹410

$3.12 ₹299

36.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.70 ₹67.2

$0.70 ₹66.7

White Bread (500g)

$0.52 ₹50.2

$0.50 ₹47.92

4.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.78 ₹74.5

$0.67 ₹64.0

16.42%

Eggs

$0.96 ₹91.7

$0.97 ₹93.0

-1.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.52 ₹530

$4.39 ₹421

25.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.57 ₹343

$2.71 ₹260

31.73%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 ₹218

$1.67 ₹160

36.53%

Banana (1kg)

$0.74 ₹71.0

$0.58 ₹55.5

27.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.22 ₹117

$0.78 ₹74.7

56.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.47 ₹45.18

$0.58 ₹55.3

-18.97%

Potato (1kg)

$0.33 ₹31.97

$0.34 ₹33.07

-2.94%

Onion (1kg)

$0.37 ₹35.32

$0.40 ₹38.33

-7.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.43 ₹41.03

$0.45 ₹42.89

-4.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.31 ₹29.91

$0.32 ₹31.10

-3.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.03 ₹483

$4.99 ₹479

0.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.27 ₹794

$7.43 ₹712

11.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.03 ₹195

$1.83 ₹175

10.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.09 ₹296

$2.97 ₹285

4.04%

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

$5.81 ₹557

$6.01 ₹577

-3.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.20 ₹19.16

$0.22 ₹20.97

-9.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$5.57 ₹534

$5.25 ₹504

6.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.32 ₹30.87

$0.54 ₹52.1

-40.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.33 ₹31.21

$0.20 ₹19.14

65.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.59 ₹152

$1.07 ₹102

48.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.13 ₹109

$1.13 ₹108

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

$15.9K ₹1.5M

$11.9K ₹1.1M

33.85%

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

$22.2K ₹2.1M

$18.4K ₹1.8M

20.18%

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

$60.9 ₹5,839

$37.16 ₹3,566

63.78%

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

$4.28 ₹410

$3.67 ₹352

16.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.27 ₹890

$7.39 ₹709

25.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.11 ₹2,505

$18.59 ₹1,783

40.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.92 ₹1,240

$5.29 ₹507

144.23%

Cinema Ticket

$4.81 ₹462

$2.80 ₹269

71.79%

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

$118 ₹11.4K

$32.56 ₹3,124

263.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,909 ₹471.0K

$861 ₹82.6K

470.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.15 ₹3,373

$22.53 ₹2,162

56.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.23 ₹3,763

$24.73 ₹2,373

58.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$57.7 ₹5,540

$40.68 ₹3,903

41.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$48.14 ₹4,618

$33.29 ₹3,194

44.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$635 ₹60.9K

$221 ₹21.2K

187.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$355 ₹34.1K

$496 ₹47.6K

-28.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,933 ₹185.5K

$384 ₹36.8K

403.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$835 ₹80.1K

$199 ₹19.1K

319.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,093 ₹584.5K

$660 ₹63.3K

822.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,473 ₹237.2K

$307 ₹29.4K

705.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$754 ₹72.3K

$313 ₹30.1K

140.46%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.33

9.17

-9.16%

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

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

Last update for Surat: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $635 in Mumbai (Bombay) and $221 in Surat. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mumbai (Bombay) pays 140% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $21.00 in Mumbai (Bombay) vs $10.00 in Surat for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $117 vs $100 per month, with Surat cheaper across the board.

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 Surat: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mumbai (Bombay) and Surat differ by about 5% in total monthly costs ($783 vs $823 including rent). Mumbai (Bombay) is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 140% 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 $221 in Surat. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Surat pay roughly 16% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

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

At $783 in Mumbai (Bombay) versus $823 in Surat, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mumbai (Bombay) but tight or insufficient in Surat. The gap between the two cities makes Mumbai (Bombay) 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.

Safety-wise, Mumbai (Bombay) and Surat 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 Mumbai (Bombay) gentler on the wallet – expenses run 5% less than in Surat. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.