Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mumbai (Bombay) and Thanjavur

For one person, living is cheaper in Thanjavur: $369 a month against $813 in Mumbai (Bombay), rent and utilities included – about $5,300 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
18

Cost of Living Index in Thanjavur
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Thanjavur Living Index

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Mumbai (Bombay)

🇮🇳 India

$813

/mo nomad

Thanjavur

🇮🇳 India

$369

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $813 in Mumbai (Bombay) versus $369 in Thanjavur.

Mumbai (Bombay) $813
Thanjavur $369

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,352 in Mumbai (Bombay) versus $579 in Thanjavur.

Mumbai (Bombay) $1,352
Thanjavur $579

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,891 in Mumbai (Bombay) versus $789 in Thanjavur.

Mumbai (Bombay) $1,891
Thanjavur $789

Living in Mumbai (Bombay) is roughly 121% more expensive than in Thanjavur, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.35 ₹508

$1.88 ₹178

184.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$20.87 ₹1,982

$6.60 ₹627

216.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.08 ₹387

$4.15 ₹394

-1.69%

Cappuccino

$2.78 ₹264

$1.81 ₹171

53.59%

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

$0.40 ₹38.23

$0.37 ₹34.86

8.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.15 ₹14.42

$0.17 ₹16.06

-11.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.64 ₹251

$0.76 ₹72.5

247.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.25 ₹404

$3.08 ₹292

37.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.74 ₹70.5

$0.55 ₹52.6

34.55%

White Bread (500g)

$0.54 ₹51.3

$0.51 ₹48.82

5.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.78 ₹74.1

$0.60 ₹57.1

30.00%

Eggs

$1.00 ₹95.1

$0.60 ₹57.3

66.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.61 ₹533

$6.25 ₹593

-10.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.58 ₹340

$2.15 ₹204

66.51%

Apples (1kg)

$2.17 ₹206

$2.80 ₹265

-22.50%

Banana (1kg)

$0.69 ₹65.8

$0.82 ₹78.0

-15.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.21 ₹114

$1.45 ₹138

-16.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.49 ₹46.33

$0.42 ₹39.94

16.67%

Potato (1kg)

$0.33 ₹31.70

$0.44 ₹42.14

-25.00%

Onion (1kg)

$0.37 ₹35.53

$0.40 ₹37.80

-7.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.44 ₹41.78

$0.54 ₹50.9

-18.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.31 ₹29.64

$0.30 ₹28.62

3.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.00 ₹475

$3.39 ₹322

47.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.34 ₹792

$7.25 ₹689

15.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.99 ₹189

$1.32 ₹126

50.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.12 ₹296

$2.81 ₹267

11.03%

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

$6.01 ₹570

$6.52 ₹619

-7.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.20 ₹18.95

$0.20 ₹19.38

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$6.90 ₹655

$7.29 ₹692

-5.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.31 ₹29.84

$1.02 ₹96.8

-69.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.31 ₹29.41

$0.31 ₹29.30

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.61 ₹153

$2.11 ₹201

-23.70%

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

$11.4K ₹1.1M

36.86%

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

$22.4K ₹2.1M

$20.4K ₹1.9M

9.65%

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

$61.9 ₹5,872

$38.70 ₹3,675

59.82%

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

$4.52 ₹429

$3.93 ₹373

15.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.97 ₹852

$7.95 ₹755

12.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.11 ₹3,524

$14.45 ₹1,372

156.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.11 ₹1,340

$6.73 ₹639

109.66%

Cinema Ticket

$5.01 ₹475

$2.31 ₹220

116.88%

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

$119 ₹11.3K

$86.5 ₹8,208

37.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,948 ₹469.8K

$2,160 ₹205.1K

129.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.37 ₹3,453

$20.45 ₹1,942

77.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.71 ₹3,675

$16.83 ₹1,598

130.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$54.7 ₹5,196

$35.36 ₹3,357

54.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$48.03 ₹4,560

$26.20 ₹2,488

83.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$640 ₹60.7K

$122 ₹11.6K

423.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$372 ₹35.3K

$76.2 ₹7,233

387.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,093 ₹198.7K

$262 ₹24.9K

698.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$925 ₹87.8K

$184 ₹17.5K

402.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,706 ₹541.7K

$823 ₹78.2K

592.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,560 ₹243.0K

$605 ₹57.4K

323.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$757 ₹71.9K

$209 ₹19.8K

262.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.29

9.99

-17.02%

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

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

Last update for Thanjavur: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mumbai (Bombay)

$372 45.7%

Thanjavur

$76 20.7% 79.5% $295

Groceries & Markets

Mumbai (Bombay)

$117 14.4%

Thanjavur

$106 28.9% 9.1% $11

Eating Out

Mumbai (Bombay)

$112 13.8%

Thanjavur

$61 16.6% 45.4% $51

Clothing & Footwear

Mumbai (Bombay)

$80 9.8%

Thanjavur

$44 12.1% 44.4% $36

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mumbai (Bombay)

$75 9.3%

Thanjavur

$51 13.7% 32.9% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Mumbai (Bombay)

$47 5.8%

Thanjavur

$19 5.2% 59.5% $28

Getting Around

Mumbai (Bombay)

$9.6 1.2%

Thanjavur

$11 2.9% 11.6% $1.1

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $640 in Mumbai (Bombay) and $122 in Thanjavur. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mumbai (Bombay) pays about 3.6 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $21 in Mumbai (Bombay) vs $7 in Thanjavur for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $117 vs $106 per month, with Thanjavur cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇳 Mumbai (Bombay)

🇮🇳 Thanjavur

🕒 Local time

14:28 2:28 PM

Same time as Mumbai (Bombay)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

12,442,373

223,000

💱 Currency

Indian Rupee INR ₹

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 INR = 10.53 USD

1,000 INR = 9.44 EUR

1,000 INR = 10.53 USD

1,000 INR = 9.44 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Mumbai (Bombay) Thanjavur 1,140 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Mumbai (Bombay)
Thanjavur

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 Thanjavur: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $813 in Mumbai (Bombay) and $369 in Thanjavur, so Thanjavur is about 55% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay in Mumbai (Bombay) is about 3.6 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 $122 in Thanjavur. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 10% higher in Mumbai (Bombay). For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Thanjavur – a meal for two runs $7 versus $21 in Mumbai (Bombay). If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $369 in Thanjavur versus $813 in Mumbai (Bombay), a $800 budget is realistic in Thanjavur but tight or insufficient in Mumbai (Bombay). The gap between the two cities makes Thanjavur 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.

It comes down to priorities – Thanjavur wins on affordability, Mumbai (Bombay) on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.