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Bengaluru vs Mumbai cost of living 2026
Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money ยท Updated October 2026
๐ฎ๐ณ Bengaluru
๐ฎ๐ณ Mumbai
At a glance
- Where Mumbai is clearly cheaper: Street food (38%โ), Convenience store (25%โ), Transit (20%โ)
- Where Bengaluru is clearly cheaper: Entry ticket (50%โ), Studio rent (month) (37%โ), Scooter rental (36%โ)
By category
Salary equivalence
Travel difficulty
Both cities are about equally easy to travel. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
Item by item
| Item | Bengaluru | Mumbai | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | โน 250$2.98 | โน 250$2.98 | similar |
| Street food1 item | โน 80$0.95 | โน 50$0.6 | Mumbai โ38% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | โน 900$10.7 | โน 1,000$11.9 | Bengaluru โ10% |
| Coffeeone cup | โน 250$2.98 | โน 230$2.74 | Mumbai โ8% |
| Beerone bottle | โน 350$4.17 | โน 300$3.57 | Mumbai โ14% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | โน 650$7.74 | โน 800$9.52 | Bengaluru โ19% |
| Bottled water | โน 10$0.12 | โน 10$0.12 | similar |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | โน 30$0.36 | โน 22$0.27 | Mumbai โ25% |
| Taxi5 km in town | โน 180$2.14 | โน 170$2.02 | Mumbai โ6% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | โน 55$0.65 | โน 55$0.65 | similar |
| Transitone ride | โน 25$0.3 | โน 20$0.24 | Mumbai โ20% |
| Scooter rentalper day | โน 450$5.36 | โน 700$8.33 | Bengaluru โ36% |
| Hotel night3-star | โน 3,500$41.7 | โน 4,500$53.6 | Bengaluru โ22% |
| Studio rent (month) | โน 22,000$262 | โน 35,000$417 | Bengaluru โ37% |
| Laundry | โน 90$1.07 | โน 100$1.19 | Bengaluru โ10% |
| SIM card1 week data | โน 350$4.17 | โน 350$4.17 | similar |
| Haircutcut | โน 250$2.98 | โน 200$2.38 | Mumbai โ20% |
| Massage1 hour | โน 1,500$17.9 | โน 1,500$17.9 | similar |
| Half-day tourper person | โน 1,500$17.9 | โน 1,500$17.9 | similar |
| Entry ticketTourist town | โน 300$3.57 | โน 600$7.14 | Bengaluru โ50% |
Reference prices start as estimates from published price levels; items with 3+ traveler reports use the median of real reports. Hostels and local eateries cut both by 30%+.
FAQ
Which is cheaper, Bengaluru or Mumbai?
Bengaluru is 20% cheaper than Mumbai. Daily budget $73.7 vs $86.9; a month $1,122 vs $1,465.
Which is easier to travel, Bengaluru or Mumbai?
About the same: Bengaluru 2.4/5, Mumbai 2.4/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between Bengaluru and Mumbai?
With a short-term studio and living costs, Bengaluru is about $1,122 and Mumbai about $1,465 per month.
Where do the numbers come from?
They start as estimates informed by published price levels; any item with 3+ traveler reports switches to the median of real reports. Live reports are in the app.