Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ranchi and Kolkata (Calcutta)

For one person, living costs are similar in Ranchi and in Kolkata (Calcutta): $446 and $434 a month, rent and utilities included.

21

Cost of Living Index in Ranchi
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Ranchi Living Index
21

Cost of Living Index in Kolkata (Calcutta)
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Kolkata (Calcutta) Living Index

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Ranchi

🇮🇳 India

$446

/mo nomad

Kolkata (Calcutta)

🇮🇳 India

$434

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ranchi and in Kolkata (Calcutta)

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $446 in Ranchi versus $434 in Kolkata (Calcutta).

Ranchi $446
Kolkata (Calcutta) $434

Estimated couple costs with rent: $666 in Ranchi versus $691 in Kolkata (Calcutta).

Ranchi $666
Kolkata (Calcutta) $691

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $887 in Ranchi versus $948 in Kolkata (Calcutta).

Ranchi $887
Kolkata (Calcutta) $948

Living in Ranchi is roughly 3% more expensive than in Kolkata (Calcutta), and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities sit below the global median: Ranchi 67% lower, Kolkata (Calcutta) 68% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.13 ₹298

$2.08 ₹198

50.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$10.42 ₹992

$13.98 ₹1,331

-25.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.85 ₹462

$4.15 ₹396

16.87%

Cappuccino

$1.51 ₹143

$1.66 ₹158

-9.04%

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

$0.44 ₹41.44

$0.45 ₹42.81

-2.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.14 ₹13.40

$0.12 ₹11.15

16.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.76 ₹167

$1.95 ₹185

-9.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.86 ₹272

$3.01 ₹286

-4.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.63 ₹59.9

$0.67 ₹63.6

-5.97%

White Bread (500g)

$0.41 ₹39.48

$0.50 ₹47.66

-18.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.46 ₹43.96

$0.74 ₹70.4

-37.84%

Eggs

$1.01 ₹96.5

$1.08 ₹103

-6.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.73 ₹451

$5.20 ₹495

-9.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.22 ₹211

$3.00 ₹286

-26.00%

Apples (1kg)

$1.36 ₹130

$2.42 ₹230

-43.80%

Banana (1kg)

$0.63 ₹60.1

$0.81 ₹77.2

-22.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.68 ₹64.4

$1.36 ₹130

-50.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.48 ₹45.49

$0.66 ₹62.7

-27.27%

Potato (1kg)

$0.31 ₹29.18

$0.30 ₹28.74

3.33%

Onion (1kg)

$0.40 ₹38.52

$0.47 ₹44.96

-14.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.30 ₹28.69

$0.31 ₹29.09

-3.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.27 ₹25.52

$0.28 ₹26.90

-3.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ₹410

$5.10 ₹485

-15.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.67 ₹445

$10.36 ₹986

-54.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 ₹87.9

$1.76 ₹168

-47.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 ₹196

$2.82 ₹268

-26.95%

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

$4.07 ₹387

$7.01 ₹668

-41.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.20 ₹19.03

$0.18 ₹16.71

11.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.11 ₹2,010

$3.12 ₹297

576.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.60 ₹152

$0.81 ₹76.9

97.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.20 ₹19.03

$0.31 ₹29.28

-35.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$0.81 ₹77.5

$1.61 ₹153

-49.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.06 ₹101

$1.10 ₹105

-3.64%

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

$11.1K ₹1.1M

$13.1K ₹1.3M

-15.92%

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

$17.5K ₹1.7M

$23.3K ₹2.2M

-24.91%

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

$65.1 ₹6,199

$52.5 ₹5,001

23.95%

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

$3.37 ₹321

$5.16 ₹492

-34.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$6.88 ₹656

$7.36 ₹701

-6.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$22.01 ₹2,095

$15.76 ₹1,500

39.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.56 ₹1,291

$11.45 ₹1,091

18.43%

Cinema Ticket

$2.97 ₹283

$3.19 ₹304

-6.90%

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

$58.7 ₹5,585

$43.26 ₹4,119

35.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,312 ₹124.9K

$1,997 ₹190.2K

-34.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$22.88 ₹2,179

$27.19 ₹2,589

-15.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.84 ₹2,461

$26.01 ₹2,477

-0.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$42.96 ₹4,091

$35.95 ₹3,423

19.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$31.84 ₹3,032

$29.01 ₹2,762

9.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$139 ₹13.2K

$167 ₹15.9K

-16.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$106 ₹10.1K

$103 ₹9,830

2.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$255 ₹24.3K

$392 ₹37.3K

-34.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$187 ₹17.8K

$241 ₹22.9K

-22.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$789 ₹75.2K

$1,097 ₹104.5K

-28.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$543 ₹51.7K

$612 ₹58.2K

-11.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$568 ₹54.1K

$379 ₹36.1K

49.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

14.92

9.08

64.32%

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

Last update for Ranchi: October 26, 2026

Last update for Kolkata (Calcutta): October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ranchi

$106 23.8%

Kolkata (Calcutta)

$103 23.8% 2.7% $2.9

Groceries & Markets

Ranchi

$82 18.3%

Kolkata (Calcutta)

$117 27% 43.3% $35

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ranchi

$75 16.9%

Kolkata (Calcutta)

$65 15% 13.7% $10

Eating Out

Ranchi

$74 16.7%

Kolkata (Calcutta)

$67 15.5% 9.9% $7.4

Clothing & Footwear

Ranchi

$56 12.5%

Kolkata (Calcutta)

$53 12.3% 4.4% $2.4

Sport & Entertainment

Ranchi

$28 6.3%

Kolkata (Calcutta)

$22 5.1% 20.8% $5.8

Getting Around

Ranchi

$25 5.5%

Kolkata (Calcutta)

$6.2 1.4% 74.8% $18

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $139 in Ranchi and $167 in Kolkata (Calcutta). Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ranchi pays 50% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $10 in Ranchi vs $14 in Kolkata (Calcutta) for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $82 vs $117 per month, with Ranchi cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇳 Ranchi

🇮🇳 Kolkata (Calcutta)

🕒 Local time

22:16 10:16 PM

Same time as Ranchi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,074,000

4,486,679

💱 Currency

Indian Rupee INR ₹

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 INR = 10.5 USD

1,000 INR = 9.44 EUR

1,000 INR = 10.5 USD

1,000 INR = 9.44 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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

Ranchi vs Kolkata (Calcutta): Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kolkata (Calcutta) wins on cost – living expenses run 3% lower than in Ranchi. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Kolkata (Calcutta) the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 50% higher in Ranchi, 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: $139 in Ranchi versus $167 in Kolkata (Calcutta). Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $446 per month in Ranchi versus $434 in Kolkata (Calcutta) – a 3% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Kolkata (Calcutta) runs roughly 85% less than in Ranchi. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you’re watching your budget.

Either city works on $800 a month, though Kolkata (Calcutta) 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 – Kolkata (Calcutta) wins on affordability, Ranchi on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.