Cost of living in Calcutta, prices and what it is like to live for an Expat, quality of life / hardship, and compare cost of living for Expatriates as at January 2021.

What is it like to live in Calcutta?

Calcutta: Calcutta (Kolkata) is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal.

Economy: Calcutta is the main business, commercial and financial hub of eastern India and the north-eastern states. It is home to the Calcutta Stock Exchange, India's second-largest bourse. It is also a major commercial and military port, and the only city in the region to have an international airport.

Inflation: 4.06% for India as at January 2021.

Calcutta Population: 14.6 Million (Extended Metro) (2020 est.)

Expat Life: The dress code is smart, conservative and discreet. Business is generally best conducted by maintaining an even conversational tone and to restrain any signs of impatience, frustration or anger. Indians prefer to be addressed by their professional titles or by Mr, Mrs, Miss. It is best not use their first names unless invited to do so. The safety risk for expatriates in India is generally medium to high, but varies across the country. Risks include petty crime, such as pickpocketing, mainly in crowded tourist areas, crime against women (including rape), risks associated with protest action (which can become violent), and terrorism by separatist groups and guerrillas, although the risk to expatriates is relatively low.

Health Care: Health care facilities are not generally comparable to those of Western Europe and North America, especially in rural areas. In major cities private health care care is available, but it is expensive. Dengue fever is common. The COVID-19 officially reported total deaths for India as at 4 March 2021 is 157,471, with 173,377 current active cases.

For other areas within the country see India.

Cost Of Living

What is the cost of living in Calcutta?

The cost of living for expatriates in Calcutta as at January 2021 is very low in comparison to other places in the world, with an overall Cost of Living Index (COLI), for all 13 basket groups, of 43.08 (New York =100). We have collected prices for the same items, world wide, based on Expat spending norms, in or closest to the location, and converted them to $USD so that we can compare the cost of 13 different baskets in 780 global locations. For each basket, compared to New York, the equivalent cost in Calcutta is as follows:

1) Alcohol and/or Tobacco: Cost is average for items such as beer, spirits, wine and tobacco related products such as cigarettes. A basket costing USD$1,000 in New York costs USD$750. Average price in a store for a midrange bottle of wine is USD$10.04, domestic/local beer (500ml) USD$2.13, imported/international beer (330ml) USD$3.59 and a pack of 20 cigarettes is USD$4.82.

2) Clothing: Cost is very low for items such as business, casual and children's clothing and footwear. A basket costing USD$1,000 in New York costs USD$540. Average price for an international brand of mens jeans is USD$30, a quality international brand of running shoes USD$44, mens leather shoes suitable for office wear USD$32 while a medium size international summer dress from a global chain store is USD$30.

3) Communication: Cost is very low for various communication costs such as home telephone rental, internet subscription, mobile service provider tariff and data costs. A basket costing USD$200 in New York costs USD$70. Average price for a monthly standard plan internet subscription is USD$9, while the benchmark mobile tariff is USD$0.01 per minute.

4) Education: Cost is very low for items such as creche / pre-school fees, primary school fees, high school fees and tertiary study fees. A basket costing USD$30,000 in New York costs USD$12300. Average annual private international school fee (excluding extras) USD$7,927 for Primary School, and USD$8,821 for High School.

5) Furniture & Appliances: Cost is low for items such as dining table and chairs, home entertainment, kitchen appliances, and sofas. A basket costing USD$2,500 in New York costs USD$1625. Average price for a 6kg front loader Washing Machine is USD$629, and USD$540 for a 46+'' LED UHD TV.

6) Groceries: Cost is low for items such as consumables, cleaning products, dairy, fresh fruit & vegetables, general food products, snacks, soft drinks. A basket costing USD$1,000 in New York costs USD$490. Average grocery prices in a major international retail store for 1 kg apples is USD$2.16, 1 kg oranges USD$1.27, 1 head lettuce USD$0.48, 1 kg potatos USD$0.40, 1 kg boneless, skinless, chicken breast USD$3.52, 1 kg cheddar cheese USD$5.99, 1 dozen large eggs USD$1.05, 500g loaf white bread USD$0.47, 1 L full cream milk USD$0.77, and 1.5 L water USD$0.44.

7) Healthcare: Cost is low for general heath care, doctor visits, hospital stays, non-prescription medicine, and medical insurance. A basket costing USD$1,000 in New York costs USD$490. Average healthcare cost for a private practice Doctor visit for an uninsured patient is USD$40, and a private hospital stay per day including nursing care, medications, diagnostic tests, food, and related costs is USD$1,231.

8) Household Accommodation: Cost is very low for items such as apartment rent, house rent, property purchase, mortgage rate, and utilities. A basket costing USD$5,000 in New York costs USD$1300. Average expatriate house / apartment rent for a secure upmarket unfurnished apartment (3 bedrooms) is USD$917 in a central location, and USD$583 in a suburban location, per month, excluding utilities.

9) Miscellaneous: Cost is average for items such as dry cleaning, linen, magazines, newspapers, office supplies, and postage stamps. A basket costing USD$500 in New York costs USD$320. Average price for dry cleaning (1 mens 2 pc suit) is USD$6.27, while an international newspaper is USD$1.93.

10) Personal Care: Cost is very low for items such as cosmetics, hair care, and toiletries. A basket costing USD$500 in New York costs USD$210. Average cost for a mens haircut and blow dry is USD$17, while a womens hair colour, cut and blow dry - medium length is USD$84.

11) Recreation & Culture: Cost is very low for items such as books, cinema, sport and theatre tickets. A basket costing USD$500 in New York costs USD$220. Average price for a latest release international cinema ticket (average of on and off peak where applicable) for one adult is USD$4.02, and an international fitness, recreation or sports club membership cost for one adult is USD$23 per month.

12) Restaurants Meals Out and Hotels: Cost is very low for items such as hotel daily room rates, meals and beverages in a restaurant, and take away food and beverages. A basket costing USD$1,000 in New York costs USD$350. Average cappuccino price (regular, medium) is USD$1.90, coke/pepsi (330ml) USD$0.49, burger meal (international franchise or similar) USD$4.58, and a mid-range international restaurant meal for 2 USD$13.66.

13) Transport: Cost is very low for items such as fuel (petrol/gasoline), car hire, public transport, vehicle purchase and maintenance. A basket costing USD$1,000 in New York costs USD$520. Average average price over the last year for highest available octane petrol / gasoline (1L) is USD$0.95, while the benchmark car sedan purchase price including taxes/duties for a compact / small / economy vehicle (1.4 L) is USD$10,815.

How does the cost of living in Calcutta compare?

Calcutta is -36% cheaper than Houston TX for groceries, -33.2% cheaper for household costs than Kuala Lumpur, and -17.8% cheaper for transport costs than Dubai.

What is the quality of life / hardship in Calcutta?

Calcutta is ranked as a high degree of hardship location.The hardship premium for Calcutta for an expat from Perth, is for example 20%, i.e. host location (Calcutta) premium of 30% minus home (Perth) location premium of 10%.

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