Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Quetta and Kota

For one person, living is cheaper in Kota: $338 a month against $415 in Quetta, rent and utilities included – about $920 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Quetta, Pakistan
Kota, India
Quetta
🇵🇰 Pakistan
$415
/mo nomad
Kota
🇮🇳 India
$338
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Quetta and in Kota

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Quetta and in Kota actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $415 in Quetta versus $338 in Kota.

  • Quetta $415
  • Kota $338

Estimated couple costs with rent: $620 in Quetta versus $539 in Kota.

  • Quetta $620
  • Kota $539

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $826 in Quetta versus $739 in Kota.

  • Quetta $826
  • Kota $739

Living in Quetta is roughly 23% more expensive than in Kota, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities sit below the global median: Quetta 70% lower, Kota 75% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Quetta
Kota
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.51 PKR 971
$2.05 ₹195
71.22%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$10.77 PKR 2,980
$7.94 ₹754
35.64%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$4.59 PKR 1,270
$2.69 ₹255
70.63%
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.86 PKR 515
-
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.17 PKR 1,431
-
-
Cappuccino
$1.65 PKR 456
$0.70 ₹66.6
135.71%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.41 PKR 114
$0.36 ₹33.93
13.89%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.17 PKR 48.34
$0.19 ₹17.71
-10.53%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
-
$1.61 ₹153
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$3.23 ₹307
-
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Quetta
Kota
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.75 PKR 206
$0.61 ₹57.5
22.95%
White Bread (500g)
$0.55 PKR 153
$0.44 ₹42.20
25.00%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.28 PKR 353
$0.68 ₹64.8
88.24%
Eggs
$1.18 PKR 327
$0.83 ₹78.9
42.17%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$5.02 PKR 1,388
$4.41 ₹418
13.83%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$2.95 PKR 816
$2.66 ₹253
10.90%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$5.18 PKR 1,434
-
-
Apples (1kg)
$0.99 PKR 275
$1.55 ₹147
-36.13%
Banana (1kg)
$0.56 PKR 155
$0.49 ₹46.13
14.29%
Oranges (1kg)
$0.69 PKR 190
$0.67 ₹63.9
2.99%
Tomato (1kg)
$0.55 PKR 152
$0.41 ₹38.58
34.15%
Potato (1kg)
$0.32 PKR 88.7
$0.35 ₹33.55
-8.57%
Onion (1kg)
$0.52 PKR 143
$0.40 ₹38.24
30.00%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.42 PKR 117
$0.31 ₹29.06
35.48%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.40 PKR 110
$0.28 ₹26.29
42.86%
Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)
$1.83 PKR 507
-
-
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.20 PKR 332
-
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.41 PKR 667
-
-
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.04 PKR 563
$4.21 ₹399
-51.54%
Wine (Bottle)
-
$7.66 ₹728
-
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
-
$1.54 ₹146
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$1.86 ₹177
-
Buffalo Round (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) (1kg)
-
$4.82 ₹458
-
🚌 Getting Around
Quetta
Kota
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.14 PKR 37.88
$0.51 ₹48.25
-72.55%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$9.01 PKR 2,493
$25.77 ₹2,447
-65.04%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.04 PKR 289
$0.33 ₹31.39
215.15%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.47 PKR 129
$0.22 ₹20.92
113.64%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$1.53 PKR 424
$1.06 ₹101
44.34%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.15 PKR 317
$1.12 ₹106
2.68%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$19.9K PKR 5.5M
$11.3K ₹1.1M
76.22%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.5K PKR 6.5M
$17.2K ₹1.6M
36.53%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Quetta
Kota
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$100 PKR 27.7K
$13.27 ₹1,260
655.01%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$7.95 PKR 2,200
$2.58 ₹245
208.14%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$16.48 PKR 4,561
$6.15 ₹584
167.97%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Quetta
Kota
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$5.81 PKR 1,608
$10.33 ₹981
-43.76%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$7.46 PKR 2,063
$4.26 ₹404
75.12%
Cinema Ticket
$3.23 PKR 894
$3.18 ₹302
1.57%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Quetta
Kota
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$35.14 PKR 9,724
$34.18 ₹3,246
2.81%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$1,039 PKR 287.4K
$655 ₹62.2K
58.53%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Quetta
Kota
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$8.05 PKR 2,228
$22.28 ₹2,116
-63.87%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$22.10 PKR 6,114
$33.09 ₹3,142
-33.21%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$68.8 PKR 19.0K
$34.97 ₹3,320
96.77%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$33.98 PKR 9,402
$20.80 ₹1,975
63.37%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Quetta
Kota
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$71.3 PKR 19.7K
$135 ₹12.8K
-47.20%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$50.7 PKR 14.0K
$79.1 ₹7,507
-35.88%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$164 PKR 45.4K
$248 ₹23.6K
-33.95%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$101 PKR 27.8K
$175 ₹16.6K
-42.53%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$386 PKR 106.9K
$558 ₹52.9K
-30.73%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$222 PKR 61.5K
$344 ₹32.7K
-35.39%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Quetta
Kota
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$274 PKR 75.8K
$422 ₹40.1K
-35.06%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
13
7.5
73.33%

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

Last update for Quetta: October 26, 2026

Last update for Kota: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Quetta
$125
Kota
$22 82.3% $103
Groceries & Markets
Quetta
$90
Kota
$92 1.3% $1.1
Eating Out
Quetta
$64
Kota
$50 22.5% $14
Clothing & Footwear
Quetta
$60
Kota
$50 16.4% $9.8
Accommodation & Living
Quetta
$51
Kota
$79 56% $28
Getting Around
Quetta
$13
Kota
$29 126% $16
Sport & Entertainment
Quetta
$12
Kota
$17 36% $4.4

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $71 in Quetta and $135 in Kota. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kota pays 54% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $11 in Quetta vs $8 in Kota. Groceries flip the comparison at $90 vs $92, with Quetta cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇵🇰 Quetta
🇮🇳 Kota
🕒 Local time
19:33 7:33 PM
20:03 8:03 PM
30 min ahead of Quetta
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,001,205
1,001,400
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

INR, USD, EUR to PKR – Pakistani Rupee Converter

Pakistani Rupee exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 277 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD). 1 EUR = 309 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.24 EUR).

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 94.95 INR (100 INR = 1.05 USD). 1 EUR = 106 INR (1,000 INR = 9.43 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Quetta Kota 1,030 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Quetta
  • Kota

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
Quetta vs Kota: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Quetta and in Kota?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $415 in Quetta and $338 in Kota, so Kota is about 18% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city has better-paying jobs?
On paper, salaries run 35% lower in Quetta. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How do apartment prices compare in Quetta and in Kota?
Rent for a central apartment: $71 in Quetta versus $135 in Kota. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do commuting costs compare in Quetta and in Kota?
A monthly transit pass in Quetta runs roughly 65% less than in Kota. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.
Which city is more expensive overall: Quetta or Kota?
All in, you’ll spend $415 per month in Quetta versus $338 in Kota – Kota is about 18% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.
How far does $1,200 go in Quetta compared to Kota?
Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Kota gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.
How does quality of life compare between Quetta and Kota?
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.

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