The Real Cost of Living in Bangalore as a Student is INR 8000 per month.

 

The Real Cost of Living in Bangalore as a Student is INR 8000 per month.

Bangalore is a brand that has its problems. Talk to people who have lived here for several years and they'll tell you two stories: one that the city is India's most exciting, opportunity-rich metro; and another that every month is like a leak in your wallet. For students relocating to Bangalore, the reality is in the middle, and relies almost solely on the decisions that you make during the first month.

No, this is not a rant against the “Bangalore is so expensive” myth and no, it's not a fantasy about living on ₹8,000 a month. It is a realistic estimate of all the money that students spend, how it is lost and how to avoid overspending.

Accommodation can be a place that consumes a lot of your money.

Rent, by a long shot, is the largest expense you will have, and in many cases, it may be 40-50% of your total monthly expenses. The choices are typically broken down into three categories:

Paying Guest (PG): The most sought-after option for students, particularly in places such as Koramangala, Jayanagar, BTM Layout and near the major college campuses. A shared PG room typically costs ₹7,000–₹15,000 a month without food, or ₹10,000–₹20,000 with meals included.

If you are renting a 1BHK or 2BHK with roommates, then you should be prepared to pay ₹8,000–₹15,000 per person, along with utilities.

Hostel accommodation: This is the most convenient and least expensive choice if the college has hostels on the premises, but there are restrictions and the rules are quite strict.

Where it is plays more of a role than people think. You can notice the difference in the prices of a PG in Whitefield / Indiranagar as compared to Bannerghatta Road / Electronic City, it is just because of the fact that these areas are closer to tech parks and ‘cooler' areas. If your college is located a bit away from the trendy areas in the city center, then you can save a couple of thousand rupees per month without much of an impact on the commute time.

For those who do not want to go door to door, well managed PG and co-living operators like Zolo, Stanza Living, CoLive, Nestaway can be found in abundance in student-heavy urban areas like Koramangala, HSR Layout and BTM Layout. They're slightly more expensive than a standalone PG, but have various extra features such as Wi-Fi, housekeeping and food included, which can end up being cheaper than you'd pay each for an independent package.

The food category with the broadest range.

This is where students' budget comes into play or goes out of the window. For all Bangaloreans, eating out here is a delight but also a danger for frequent consumers of food outside the home.

Cooking at home or choosing a PG with meals included: ₹3,000 – ₹6,000 per month.

Regularly eating out at small local restaurants: This can easily cost ₹8000 – ₹10,000 per month.

The cost of a simple meal in a "mess" or darshini-style eatery is as low as ₹40-₹80, but even orders for food delivered daily via the app can rack up surprisingly high bills with the addition of convenience fees and tips.

The pattern that almost every senior student will tell you: Cook half of your meals at home or choose a PG with food for a small one-time cost of ₹2,000–₹4,000 per month, which will help you get a good weekend getaway every couple of months.

When a student wants to go out for dinner without spending a fortune, he or she should visit the "darshini" and tiffin joints that Bangalore has.When a student wants to go out for dinner without breaking his budget, then the "darshini" and tiffin joints in Bangalore are a student's best friend. Vidyarthi Bhavan, in Gandhi Bazaar, has a full breakfast for ₹ under 150 for two persons, as does CTR (Shri Sagar) in Malleshwaram, and MTR (Mavalli Tiffin Room) near Lalbagh. Near the college, self-service darshini chains such as Adigas, Empire, A2B (Adyar Ananda Bhavan) are a staple of the city and items are generally priced between ₹40 and ₹150.

The costs of transportation have a significant impact on your expenses each month.Transportation = small daily costs, big monthly total.

Bangalore's traffic is famous and it is important to think about how you are going to get about in order to save your wallet and your sanity.

BMTC buses continue to be the most affordable mode of transport and many colleges provide student tariffs that are discounted from regular fares.

Fast and well connected with the introduction of monthly passes, Metro (Namma Metro) is becoming more and more affordable to commute with regularly.

A ride from an autos/aggregator is convenient but will be costly if done every day – it is as costly as an entire day's food budget.

Renting a bike or buying a second-hand bike is cheaper per km compared to autos and cabs for day-to-day commuting, but it will cost you more for fuel, maintenance, and parking costs.

In reality, the range of transport expenditure for most students is between ₹1000 and ₹3000 per month, depending on the distance between their college/ PG and the city.

The utilities and Internet and the Little Things!

Here are some costs that aren't discussed in most "cost of living" debates but simply take effect:

●      Wi-Fi: cost will be from ₹500/month to ₹1000/month depending on whether it is included in your PG rent or not.

Electricity and water: Usually part of the rent in PGs, but may cost ₹1000–2000 in shared flats.

Limited laundry and toiletries, along with basic needs: ₹500-1500.

Mobile recharge: ₹200 to ₹400 for a good data plan.

Though they may be small individually, they can be worth an additional ₹2,000-₹4,000 per month for you.

The 'Bangalore Lifestyle' Tax and Entertainment.

There are plenty of cafes, breweries, malls and weekends getaways in Bangalore and it's easy to get carried away with the category. The cost of living for a student who engages in some social activity is around ₹1500 to ₹3000 a month. You need a café every weekend and maybe a concert or a visit to Coorg or Chikmagalur every now and then, so plan accordingly and put it in a savings bucket as opposed to a monthly expense.

Putting It All Together

Here's roughly what a month looks like for a student in Bangalore, based on lifestyle:

Lifestyle	Housing	Food	Transport	Utilities & Misc	Entertainment	Total
Frugal	₹10,000 (PG w/ food)	Included	₹1,000	₹1,500	₹1,000	₹13,500–₹15,000
Moderate	₹12,000–₹15,000	₹5,000	₹2,000	₹2,000	₹2,500	₹23,000–₹26,000
Comfortable	₹18,000+	₹8,000	₹3,000	₹3,000	₹4,000	₹36,000+

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