hamburger
×
Digit General Insurance Logo
Powered By Digit
Switch to Digit Insurance

Quick Claim Process

Affordable Premium

What is the Cost of Living in Kolkata in 2025?

What is the Average Cost of Living in Kolkata?

The average cost of living in Kolkata usually varies across individuals based on factors like location, lifestyle choices, and personal expenses. It includes rent, groceries, transportation, utilities, entertainment and more.  

Find the key expenses that contribute to the cost of living in Kolkata:

Area of Expense Cost
Rent ₹8,000 - ₹30,000
Entertainment ₹200 - ₹ 1,000
Groceries ₹1,500 - ₹3,000
Transportation ₹500 - ₹2500
Utilities ₹1,500 - ₹7,000
Schooling of children ₹3,000 - ₹10,000

Cost of Living in Kolkata for Bachelors

The living expenses in Kolkata for bachelors range from ₹12,000 – ₹22,500. It includes components like accommodation, groceries, utilities, transportation, and other expenses. 

Following are the key expenses for bachelors living in Kolkata:

Area of Expense Price Range
Accommodation ₹4,000 - ₹8,000
Groceries ₹1,500 - ₹3,000
Transportation ₹500 - ₹1,500
Utilities ₹1,500 - ₹2,500
Entertainment and Shopping ₹4,500 - ₹7,500
Housemaid Starting ₹2,000
Wi-Fi Starting ₹399
Bus Pass/Metro Pass Starting ₹250
Miscellaneous ₹2,000 - ₹4,000

Cost of Living in Kolkata for Students

For students, the cost of living in Kolkata ranges from ₹12,000 to ₹22,000. This tends to differ based on factors like accommodation type, lifestyle choices, personal spending habits and more. 

The living cost in Kolkata for students comprises the following components: 

Area of Expense Price Range
Rent (shared apartment) ₹1,300 to ₹15,000
Rent (single room PG) ₹3,000 to ₹25,000
Food (monthly) ₹1,500 to ₹3,000
Transportation (monthly) ₹500 to ₹1,000
Utilities (monthly) ₹1,500 to ₹2,5000
Wi-Fi Starting ₹399
Miscellaneous ₹2,000 - ₹4,000
Bus Pass/Metro Pass Starting ₹250

Cost of Living in Kolkata for a Family

The cost of living in Kolkata for families usually depends upon the number of members, lifestyle choices, type of accommodation, location, personal expenses and more. 

Find the key expenses for families living in Kolkata mentioned below:

Area of Expense Price Range
Accommodation ₹12,000 - ₹25,000
Groceries & Food ₹6,000 - ₹24,000
Transportation ₹1,500 - ₹3,000
Utilities ₹2,200 - ₹3,000
Entertainment & Shopping ₹2,000 - ₹5000
Education & Daycare ₹3,000 - ₹10,000
Housemaid Starting ₹2,000
Wi-Fi Starting ₹399
Miscellaneous ₹6,000 - ₹10,000

Cost of Living in Kolkata for Couples

When it comes to couples, the cost of living in Kolkata includes components like rent, utilities, groceries, dining out costs, miscellaneous expenses and more. 

Listed below are the key expenses for couples living in Kolkata:

Area of Expense Price Range
1 BHK apartment for rent ₹8,000 onwards
2 BHK apartments for rent ₹2,000 onwards
Electricity bill ₹2,200 onwards
Bus pass Starting ₹250
Wi-Fi Starting ₹399
Groceries ₹3,000 onwards
Meal for two ₹1,250 onwards
Housemaid Starting ₹2,000
Miscellaneous ₹4,000 - ₹8,000

Factors That Determine the Cost of Living in Kolkata

The following are the major factors that determine the average cost of living in Kolkata:

1.  Accommodation

Rental living space in Kolkata is considerably pocket-friendly, unlike other major cities across the country. 

You can get affordable rental properties in areas such as Gariahat, New Town, Bhawanipur, Garia, Rajarhat, Howrah, Belghoria, Kalighat, Elgin Road and Barrackpore. Additionally, Kolkata offers a lot of paying guest accommodations that help in managing the cost of living in Kolkata for students.

Classification of Accommodation Approximate Rent per Month
1 BHK ₹8,000 - ₹12,000
2 BHK ₹12,000 - ₹30,000
3 BHK ₹12,000 - ₹60,000
Paying Guest ₹4,000 - ₹10,000

Best Areas to Live in Kolkata

The table below shows the top posh areas, affordable areas and areas with paying guest facilities in Kolkata –

Posh Areas Affordable Areas Areas With PG Accommodation
Alipore Rajarhat Karunamoyee
Bhawanipore Dum Dum Technopolis
Ballygunge Garia Kestopur
Park Street Ruby connector Newtown
Salt Lake Baguiati Ahalya Nagar

2. Transportation

The City of Joy is well connected with its extensive network of transportation that includes local trains, buses, metro and trams. While evaluating the cost of living in Kolkata, one must consider the money spent to travel around the city. 

The table below provides the approximate cost of transportation in Kolkata –

Area of Expense Approximate Cost
One-way ticket (public transport) ₹ 15
Monthly pass (public transport) ₹ 250
Taxi 1 km normal tariff ₹ 25
Price of diesel (as of 7th July) ₹91.76 per litre
Price of petrol (as of 7th July) ₹104.95 per litre
Rental bikes and scooters ₹4 - ₹6 per km
Cabs (minimum cost) ₹ 150

3.  Groceries

The amount spent on buying the things of daily needs adds up a significant figure to an individual's monthly budget. 

The table below shows an approximate price spent on buying some basic grocery items such as mild, rich, eggs, cheese, etc. every month –

Grocery Price
Regular milk (1 litre) ₹ 55.74
White bread (1 loaf) ₹ 32.28
Rice (1 kg) ₹ 56.53
Regular eggs (1 dozen) ₹ 80.23
Local cheese (1 kg) ₹ 485.92
Chicken fillets (1 kg) ₹ 245.95
Apples (1 kg) ₹ 186.22
Bananas (1 kg) ₹ 60.32
Oranges (1 kg) ₹ 128.07
Tomato (1 kg) ₹ 57.64
Potato (1 kg) ₹ 25.30
Onion (1 kg) ₹ 37.37
Lettuce (1 head) ₹ 40.88

4. Utilities

Kolkata is one of those Indian cities that have a well-established telephone network. Several national service providers like BSNL and private companies operate telephones and mobile networks.

Utilities Approximate Cost
Electricity, cooling, heating, water, garbage ₹ 2,751.63
Local prepaid mobile tariff (1 min) ₹ 1.00
Unlimited internet package ₹ 601.91

5.  Entertainment and Leisure

Kolkata is a city with numerous mouth-watering street foods. Furthermore, this city has several restaurants and cafes with a history of its own. For recreational purposes, residents of Kolkata visit museums, theatres, libraries or go to play football.

Area of Expense Approximate Cost
1 month gym membership ₹ 1,504.14
1 hour rent for a tennis court ₹ 773.53
1 seat at a cinema hall ₹ 350
Meal in an affordable restaurant (1 person) ₹ 225
Three-course meal in a mid-range restaurant ₹ 1,250
McMeal at McDonald's ₹ 400

6.  Childcare and Schooling

The cost for childcare and schooling is comparatively more reasonable in Kolkata than in other big cities such as Gurgaon and Noida. However, keep in mind that the tuition fees vary due to school curriculum, popularity and convenience for parents and children.

Schools and Childcare Approximate Cost
Preschool, private, full-day for 1 child ₹4,119 per month
International primary school for 1 child ₹1,52,000 yearly

Tips on Reducing the Cost of Living in Kolkata

Cost of Living in Kolkata vs Other Metro Cities

The cost of living in Kolkata is one of the lowest among the major metropolitan cities in the country. Compared to Bangalore living expenses are 1.73% lower, while the rental rates are 58.1% less. 

Find more details in the table below:

Area of Expense Kolkata (₹) Bangalore (₹) Mumbai (₹) Delhi (₹)
Accommodation ₹12,000- ₹25,000 ₹15,000 - ₹40,000 ₹25,000 - ₹60,000 ₹15,000 - ₹45,000
Utilities ₹2,200 - ₹3,000 ₹3,000 - ₹5,000 ₹4,000 - ₹7,000 ₹3,500 - ₹6,000
Groceries ₹6,000 - ₹24,000 ₹5,000 - ₹10,000 ₹6,000 - ₹12,000 ₹5,500 - ₹11,000
Transportation ₹1,500 - ₹3,000 ₹1,500 - ₹3,000 ₹3,000 - ₹5,500 ₹2,000 - ₹4,000
Dining Out ₹1,250 onwards ₹3,000 - ₹6,000 ₹4,500 - ₹9,000 ₹4,000 - ₹8,000
Entertainment ₹2,000 - ₹5000 ₹2,000 - ₹5,000 ₹3,500 - ₹7,000 ₹3,000 - ₹6,000
Education ₹3,000 - ₹10,000 ₹5,000 - ₹15,000 ₹8,000 - ₹25,000 ₹6,000 - ₹20,000
Healthcare ₹900 - ₹7,700 ₹2,000 - ₹5,000 ₹4,000 - ₹8,000 ₹3,000 - ₹6,000
Overall Cost ₹29,000 - ₹78,000 ₹36,500 - ₹89,000 ₹58,000 - ₹1,34,500 ₹42,000 - ₹1,06,000
Overall Verdict Moderate High Very High High

Important Things to Know Before Moving to Kolkata

Frequently Asked Questions