Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shillong and Bangalore

For one person, living is cheaper in Shillong: $402 a month against $552 in Bangalore, rent and utilities included – about $1,800 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

20

Cost of Living Index in Shillong
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Shillong Living Index
27

Cost of Living Index in Bangalore
Learn more

Bangalore Living Index

Jump to prices

Shillong

🇮🇳 India

$402

/mo nomad

Bangalore

🇮🇳 India

$552

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Shillong and in Bangalore

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $402 in Shillong versus $552 in Bangalore.

Shillong $402
Bangalore $552

Estimated couple costs with rent: $638 in Shillong versus $936 in Bangalore.

Shillong $638
Bangalore $936

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $874 in Shillong versus $1,320 in Bangalore.

Shillong $874
Bangalore $1,320

Living in Shillong costs roughly 27% less than in Bangalore, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Shillong 70% lower, Bangalore 59% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.35 ₹318

$3.20 ₹304

4.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$11.44 ₹1,086

$17.72 ₹1,683

-35.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.81 ₹457

$4.74 ₹450

1.48%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ₹157

$2.24 ₹213

-25.89%

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

$0.41 ₹38.88

$0.38 ₹36.15

7.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.15 ₹13.94

$0.13 ₹11.88

15.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.22 ₹116

$2.29 ₹217

-46.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.49 ₹331

$3.69 ₹351

-5.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.61 ₹57.9

$0.63 ₹60.1

-3.17%

White Bread (500g)

$0.31 ₹29.06

$0.59 ₹55.6

-47.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.58 ₹55.4

$0.81 ₹77.1

-28.40%

Eggs

$0.92 ₹86.9

$1.12 ₹106

-17.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.86 ₹366

$5.97 ₹567

-35.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.43 ₹231

$3.75 ₹356

-35.20%

Apples (1kg)

$2.16 ₹205

$2.80 ₹266

-22.86%

Banana (1kg)

$0.68 ₹64.4

$0.76 ₹72.6

-10.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.93 ₹88.4

$1.18 ₹112

-21.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.52 ₹49.21

$0.38 ₹36.11

36.84%

Potato (1kg)

$0.31 ₹29.25

$0.38 ₹35.71

-18.42%

Onion (1kg)

$0.35 ₹32.78

$0.36 ₹34.07

-2.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.22 ₹20.90

$0.42 ₹40.05

-47.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.25 ₹23.68

$0.32 ₹30.81

-21.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.11 ₹485

$4.80 ₹456

6.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.83 ₹458

$9.31 ₹884

-48.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 ₹121

$1.95 ₹185

-34.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 ₹187

$3.00 ₹284

-34.33%

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

$4.78 ₹453

$6.37 ₹605

-24.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 ₹50.9

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.55 ₹1,477

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.74 ₹70.3

$1.02 ₹97.2

-27.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 ₹26.52

$0.30 ₹28.63

-6.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.29 ₹123

$2.04 ₹194

-36.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.09 ₹104

$1.10 ₹105

-0.91%

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

$12.6K ₹1.2M

$12.5K ₹1.2M

0.73%

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

$16.0K ₹1.5M

$18.7K ₹1.8M

-14.29%

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

$34.74 ₹3,298

$30.94 ₹2,937

12.28%

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

$3.29 ₹313

$4.10 ₹389

-19.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$6.12 ₹581

$10.39 ₹987

-41.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$9.99 ₹948

$18.87 ₹1,792

-47.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.11 ₹486

$5.79 ₹550

-11.74%

Cinema Ticket

$3.10 ₹294

$4.82 ₹457

-35.68%

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

$27.65 ₹2,626

$102 ₹9,657

-72.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,164 ₹110.5K

$3,257 ₹309.3K

-64.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$17.41 ₹1,653

$33.54 ₹3,185

-48.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$22.11 ₹2,100

$30.76 ₹2,921

-28.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$36.74 ₹3,489

$52.7 ₹5,002

-30.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$27.45 ₹2,606

$40.37 ₹3,834

-32.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$210 ₹19.9K

$307 ₹29.1K

-31.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$131 ₹12.4K

$176 ₹16.7K

-25.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$727 ₹69.0K

$782 ₹74.2K

-7.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$284 ₹26.9K

$482 ₹45.8K

-41.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,857 ₹176.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,074 ₹102.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$442 ₹41.9K

$940 ₹89.2K

-53.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.38

8.46

-12.77%

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

Last update for Shillong: October 11, 2026

Last update for Bangalore: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Shillong

$131 32.5%

Bangalore

$176 31.9% 34.7% $45

Groceries & Markets

Shillong

$86 21.3%

Bangalore

$124 22.4% 44.5% $38

Eating Out

Shillong

$76 19%

Bangalore

$88 15.9% 14.7% $11

Clothing & Footwear

Shillong

$47 11.6%

Bangalore

$71 12.8% 51.7% $24

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shillong

$44 11%

Bangalore

$45 8.2% 2.9% $1.3

Sport & Entertainment

Shillong

$16 4%

Bangalore

$29 5.2% 76.1% $12

Getting Around

Shillong

$2.1 * 0.5%

Bangalore

$20 3.7% 845% $18

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $210 in Shillong and $307 in Bangalore. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bangalore pays 113% 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: $11.00 in Shillong vs $18.00 in Bangalore for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $86.0 vs $124 per month, with Shillong cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇳 Shillong

🇮🇳 Bangalore

🕒 Local time

19:19 7:19 PM

Same time as Shillong

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

143,000

8,495,492

💱 Currency

Indian Rupee INR ₹

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 INR = 10.53 USD

1,000 INR = 9.37 EUR

1,000 INR = 10.53 USD

1,000 INR = 9.37 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Shillong Bangalore 2,050 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Shillong
Bangalore

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

Shillong vs Bangalore: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Shillong wins on cost – living expenses run 37% lower than in Bangalore. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Shillong the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 113% lower in Bangalore. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $210 in Shillong versus $307 in Bangalore. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 44% higher in Bangalore. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $402 per month in Shillong versus $552 in Bangalore – a 37% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Either city works on $800 a month, though Shillong gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Both work as nomad bases, but Shillong delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $402 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Shillong hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Shillong gentler on the wallet – expenses run 37% less than in Bangalore. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.