Cost of Living in Thiruvananthapuram, India

Updated On May 10, 2022

How Much Does It Cost to Live In Thiruvananthapuram?

Thiruvananthapuram also known by its former name Trivandrum, is the capital and the largest city of the Indian state of Kerala, and its most populous city.

Life in Trivandrum is mostly simple and peaceful, safe and relatively cheap.

The good thing about this city is that it’s a notable academic and research hub and home to the University of Kerala, Kerala Technological University and many other schools and colleges, so as a university city, it’s filled with young people and the prices are lower than in most cities.

Cost of Living Index:
19.26
* Based on Research & User Data
Restaurants

RESTAURANTS

If you’re one to dine out, there are plenty of cheap restaurants and food stalls that cost only about 4.50$ for a meal. In Thiruvananthapuram you will find all fast food brands like KFC, Dominos, Pizza Hut, Dosa Plaza, etc. where you can also have a cheap meal. If you really want to splurge, though, you can spend around 30$ per person for a meal with wine at a nice, fancy restaurant.

Markets

MARKETS

Groceries are best bought at any big supermarket where you’ll save plenty of money. The good news is you can always shop for fresh fruits and vegetables at street markets (and we mean the exotic, enticing fruit) that are sold for very low prices. Where to buy the freshest, most delicious pieces of fruit if not on the streets of India?

Transportation

TRANSPORTATION

Traffic can be pretty horrendous in Thiruvananthapuram during rush hour in and public transport can sometimes be unreliable, but at least it’s very cheap! You can buy a one-way ticket to anywhere for only 0.14$, while a monthly pass for public transport costs only 5$. Even taxi isn’t expensive with a starting tariff being only 0.70$.

Utilities

UTILITIES (MONTHLY)

Monthly utilities in Thiruvananthapuram are very cheap. Depending on the size of the apartment you want to rent and the place you’ll be located, utilities can move anywhere from 25$ to 70$. For an 85m2 apartment your rent will cost around 25$. Internet is relatively cheap as well, costing only about 13$.

Sports and leisure

SPORTS & LEISURE

Prices in Thiruvananthapuram when it comes to sports and pastime activities are low, too. If you want a gym or a fitness club membership, the price you’ll pay is only about 15$. This is very cheap compared to the prices around the world. If you want to go cinema, the prices of tickets aren’t high either – they only cost less than 4$.

Clothing and shoes

CLOTHING & SHOES

As for malls, there aren’t any in Thiruvananthapuram but Big Bazaars and Pothys and many “department” stores make up for the lack of the malls. There are many shops where you can buy quality jeans for around 25$, light pieces of clothing like shirts and dresses for less than 20$, and quality running sneakers of brands like Nike for 40$.

Rent per month

RENT PER MONTH

If you are renting a flat you will need to shell out about 120$ for a one bedroom flat. The rent will be more in prime locations of Thiruvananthapuram, and this is the most expensive aspect of living here. Apartment a bit further from the city center will cost significantly less – around 80$ a month.

Cost of Living Averages Table for Thiruvananthapuram

*Note: All prices are indicated in USD.
Average Restaurant Prices
Meal (Inexpensive Restaurant)$1.10
Domestic Beer (0.5 Liter)$1.27
Water (0.33 Liter)$0.19
Average Market Prices
Milk (1 Liter)$0.59
Loaf Bread (500g)$0.45
Eggs (12)$0.92
Average Transport Prices
One Way Ticket$0.14
Monthly Pass$5.08
Gasoline$1.09
Average Utilities Prices
Basic (Water, Electricity, Garbage, Heating, Cooling)$23.14
1 min. of Prepaid Mobile Tariff Local$0.01
Internet (Unlimited Data, Cable/ADSL)$13.37
Average Leisure Prices
Fitness Club, Monthly Fee for 1 Adult$15.19
Tennis Court Rent (1 Hour)$4.63
Cinema, 1 Seat, International Release$2.12
Average Clothing Prices
1 Pair of Jeans (Levis 501 Or Comparable)$26.41
1 Summer Dress in a Chain Store (Zara, etc...)$19.73
1 Pair of Adidas Walking Shoes (Mid-Range)$37.16
Average Rent Prices
Apartment (1 bedroom) in City Center$124.06
Apartment (1 bedroom) Outside of Center$83.97
Apartment (3 bedrooms) in City Center$277.17

How Does the Average Person Spend Their Money in Thiruvananthapuram?

A vast percentage of an average person’s salary gets spent on food in Thiruvananthapuram – as much as 42% of one’s entire salary.

Another quite big expense for the people of Thiruvananthapuram is the rent, even though the price of rent here isn’t high for the average salary in India.

Transportation is also quite an expense: even though it’s not too expensive, it is an everyday necessity and it basically sends money down the drain each day.

Restaurants are fourth on the list – many people eat in restaurants only, which builds up quite a percentage of money that gets spent on eating out.

Average Costs Breakdown

9.2%
42.7%
16.3%
4.2%
6.4%
4.2%
17.1%

Thiruvananthapuram: Average Salary, Minimum Wage & Mortgages

Considering their monthly salaries, people of Thiruvananthapuram might find it hard to make ends meet sometimes, though the situation is not dire.

Their minimum monthly wage is only about 150$, which is definitely a small amount of money.

With their average monthly net salaries being around 370$, most people of this city struggle to cover all their expenses and afford the things that aren’t necessities.

If you want to travel to Thiruvananthapuram, the optimal amount of money for you is around 700$ – and that’s if you’re really planning on splurging.

Average Salary$370.29
Minimum Wage$148.13
Mortgage Interest Rate9.12%

Thiruvananthapuram Safety Overview

READ THE FULL REPORT: Thiruvananthapuram Safety Review

Safety Index:
71
  • OVERALL RISK: LOW
  • TRANSPORT & TAXIS RISK: MEDIUM
  • PICKPOCKETS RISK: LOW
  • NATURAL DISASTERS RISK: MEDIUM
  • MUGGING RISK: LOW
  • TERRORISM RISK: LOW
  • SCAMS RISK: LOW
  • WOMEN TRAVELERS RISK: LOW

Cost of Living by City in Thiruvananthapuram

CityCost of Living Index
Ahmedabad24.24
Bangalore26.83
Bhopal22.37
Bhubaneswar22.4
Chandigarh26
Chennai25.2
Coimbatore22.38
Delhi28.67
Goa24.34
Gurgaon30.71
Guwahati22.68
Hyderabad23.59
Indore25.4
Jaipur25.46
Kochi21.73
Kolkata24.8
Lucknow (Lakhnau)24.75
Ludhiana27.17
Mangalore22.4
Mumbai29.03
Mysore22.4
Nagpur22.76
Navi Mumbai19.3
Noida28.55
Pune27.41
Surat23.77
Thane25.31
Vadodara22.28
Visakhapatnam21.52

Where to Next?

See these related locations:

Or, browse the country/city indexes:

Cost of Living - Country Index Cost of Living - City Index

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