Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shimla and Mumbai (Bombay)

For one person, living is cheaper in Shimla: $310 a month against $813 in Mumbai (Bombay), rent and utilities included – about $6,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

15

Cost of Living Index in Shimla
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Shimla Living Index
39

Cost of Living Index in Mumbai (Bombay)
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Mumbai (Bombay) Living Index

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Shimla

🇮🇳 India

$310

/mo nomad

Mumbai (Bombay)

🇮🇳 India

$813

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $310 in Shimla versus $813 in Mumbai (Bombay).

Shimla $310
Mumbai (Bombay) $813

Estimated couple costs with rent: $504 in Shimla versus $1,352 in Mumbai (Bombay).

Shimla $504
Mumbai (Bombay) $1,352

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $698 in Shimla versus $1,891 in Mumbai (Bombay).

Shimla $698
Mumbai (Bombay) $1,891

Living in Shimla costs roughly 62% less than in Mumbai (Bombay), and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Shimla 77% lower, Mumbai (Bombay) 40% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.56 ₹149

$5.35 ₹509

-70.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$10.47 ₹997

$20.87 ₹1,988

-49.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.09 ₹295

$4.08 ₹388

-24.26%

Cappuccino

$0.92 ₹87.3

$2.78 ₹264

-66.91%

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

$0.34 ₹32.20

$0.40 ₹38.34

-15.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.11 ₹10.42

$0.15 ₹14.46

-26.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.64 ₹156

$2.64 ₹252

-37.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.07 ₹197

$4.25 ₹405

-51.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.67 ₹64.2

$0.74 ₹70.7

-9.46%

White Bread (500g)

$0.42 ₹40.36

$0.54 ₹51.5

-22.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.63 ₹60.4

$0.78 ₹74.3

-19.23%

Eggs

$0.89 ₹85.1

$1.00 ₹95.3

-11.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.33 ₹412

$5.61 ₹534

-22.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.18 ₹303

$3.58 ₹341

-11.17%

Apples (1kg)

$1.87 ₹178

$2.17 ₹206

-13.82%

Banana (1kg)

$0.76 ₹72.1

$0.69 ₹66.0

10.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.63 ₹60.1

$1.21 ₹115

-47.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.48 ₹45.51

$0.49 ₹46.46

-2.04%

Potato (1kg)

$0.30 ₹28.72

$0.33 ₹31.80

-9.09%

Onion (1kg)

$0.36 ₹34.35

$0.37 ₹35.63

-2.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.22 ₹20.99

$0.44 ₹41.91

-50.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.27 ₹25.62

$0.31 ₹29.73

-12.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.38 ₹322

$5.00 ₹476

-32.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.57 ₹816

$8.34 ₹794

2.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 ₹147

$1.99 ₹190

-22.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 ₹194

$3.12 ₹297

-34.62%

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

$3.80 ₹362

$6.01 ₹572

-36.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.22 ₹20.98

$0.20 ₹19.01

10.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$7.84 ₹747

$6.90 ₹657

13.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.07 ₹102

$0.31 ₹29.93

245.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.34 ₹31.93

$0.31 ₹29.50

9.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.02 ₹97.4

$1.61 ₹154

-36.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.09 ₹104

$1.10 ₹105

-0.91%

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

$8,462 ₹805.8K

$15.6K ₹1.5M

-45.73%

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

$18.1K ₹1.7M

$22.4K ₹2.1M

-19.35%

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

$18.17 ₹1,730

$61.9 ₹5,889

-70.62%

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

$3.13 ₹298

$4.52 ₹430

-30.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$7.02 ₹669

$8.97 ₹854

-21.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$13.85 ₹1,319

$37.11 ₹3,534

-62.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.63 ₹1,012

$14.11 ₹1,344

-24.66%

Cinema Ticket

$3.07 ₹292

$5.01 ₹477

-38.72%

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

$42.11 ₹4,010

$119 ₹11.3K

-64.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,173 ₹206.9K

$4,948 ₹471.1K

-56.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$24.76 ₹2,357

$36.37 ₹3,463

-31.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$21.97 ₹2,092

$38.71 ₹3,686

-43.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$39.31 ₹3,744

$54.7 ₹5,211

-28.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$26.41 ₹2,515

$48.03 ₹4,574

-45.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$86.4 ₹8,222

$640 ₹60.9K

-86.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$53.3 ₹5,075

$372 ₹35.4K

-85.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$199 ₹18.9K

$2,093 ₹199.3K

-90.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$125 ₹11.9K

$925 ₹88.1K

-86.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$563 ₹53.6K

$5,706 ₹543.3K

-90.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$563 ₹53.6K

$2,560 ₹243.8K

-78.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$612 ₹58.3K

$757 ₹72.1K

-19.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.25

8.29

-0.48%

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

Last update for Shimla: October 24, 2026

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

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Shimla

$99 32.1%

Mumbai (Bombay)

$117 14.4% 17.7% $18

Accommodation & Living

Shimla

$53 17.2%

Mumbai (Bombay)

$372 45.7% 597% $318

Clothing & Footwear

Shimla

$51 16.3%

Mumbai (Bombay)

$80 9.8% 58.1% $29

Eating Out

Shimla

$47 15.1%

Mumbai (Bombay)

$112 13.8% 139% $65

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shimla

$28 9.1%

Mumbai (Bombay)

$75 9.3% 166% $47

Sport & Entertainment

Shimla

$20 6.5%

Mumbai (Bombay)

$47 5.8% 136% $27

Getting Around

Shimla

$11 3.7%

Mumbai (Bombay)

$9.6 1.2% 16.7% $1.9

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $86 in Shimla and $640 in Mumbai (Bombay). Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mumbai (Bombay) pays 24% 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: $10 in Shimla vs $21 in Mumbai (Bombay) for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $99 vs $117 per month, with Shimla cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇳 Shimla

🇮🇳 Mumbai (Bombay)

🕒 Local time

03:35 3:35 AM

Same time as Shimla

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

170,000

12,442,373

💱 Currency

Indian Rupee INR ₹

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 INR = 10.5 USD

1,000 INR = 9.43 EUR

1,000 INR = 10.5 USD

1,000 INR = 9.43 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Shimla Mumbai (Bombay) 1,410 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

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Shimla
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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

Shimla vs Mumbai (Bombay): Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $310 in Shimla and $813 in Mumbai (Bombay), so Shimla is about 62% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 19% lower in Shimla. 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: $86 in Shimla versus $640 in Mumbai (Bombay). Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 18% higher in Mumbai (Bombay). For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Shimla – a meal for two runs $10 versus $21 in Mumbai (Bombay). If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Shimla 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 – Shimla wins on affordability, Mumbai (Bombay) on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.