Cost Of Living For a Student in Bihar 2024

Average monthly spending for students in Bihar

How much money does a student need in a month to survive in Bihar?

Students in Bihar spend around 39,000 INR per month on average. Depending on the lifestyle, a student can survive with a monthly budget as low as 5,900 INR or as high as 260,000 INR. Location is a very important factor and has a huge influence on expenditure and budget.

How do students spend their money in Bihar?

We asked thousands of students about their spending habits and expenditure break down.

Housing and accomodation expenditure for students

Students in Bihar typically spend from 12% to 23% of their total monthly expenditure on housing with 17% being the average. The average monthly spend on housing is 9,500 INR with expenditure ranging from 1,400 INR to 63,000 INR. This cost mainly goes for rent but it also includes other accommodation-related expenses.

Electricity, utilities, energy, water, internet, and mobile expenditure for students

Utility expenditure like electricity, water, and gas in Bihar ranges from 5% to 11% of total expenses with 7% being the average for most students. The average monthly cost of utilities is 1,600 INR with 240 INR and 11,000 INR being the upper and lower limits for a student of four.

Transport, fuel, and commute expenditure for students

Fuel consumption and cost of transport depend heavily on whether a student resides near school and work, but roughly speaking a student would expect to spend from 410 INR to 18,000 INR in a month on commuting with 2,800 INR being the norm for most students. This means that money spent on transport constitutes about 3% of total spending on average but can go as low as 4% or as high as 9%.

Food, groceries, and basic shopping expenditure for students

The average outlay on groceries and basic houshold items for a typical student in a month in Bihar is 7,900 INR. The cost of groceries can range between 1,200 INR to 53,000 INR. Students spend on average about 24% on food and groceries with upper and lower bounds of 18% and 28% respectively.

Healthcare and medical services expenditure for students

Students in Bihar allocate 7% to 13% of their total monthly expenditure to healthcare including health insurance and out-of-pocket medical expenses. The average spending on medical services and clinic visits is around 10%. The range of medical expenses range from 360 INR to 16,000 INR with 2,400 INR being the norm for most students.

Leisure and shopping expenditure for students

This category mostly contains discretionary or non-essential expenses but also some non-discretionary spending like furniture for example. The monthly expenses range from 300 INR to 13,000 INR with 2,000 INR being the average. Speaking of percentages, that equates to 2% to 6% of total expenses with an average of 2% for most students.

Education and schooling expenditure for students

Spending on education can vary drastically between different students. On average, education constitutes 18% of the monthly expenditure of students with 11% and 23% being the lower and upper bounds respectively. The average reported education cost is 7,500 INR per month with 1,100 INR being the minimum spent amount and 50,000 INR being the maximum.

A typical and healthy budgeting structure

The 50/30/20 rule

Spending among different people can vary significantly based on factors such as their income, lifestyle, location, and personal preferences. A commonly used guideline for budgeting is the 50/30/20 rule, which suggests allocating your income into three main categories in the following percentages.

• 50% for needs and financial obligations

  This category includes essential expenses like housing, utilities, groceries, transportation, and healthcare.

• 30% for wants and discretionary spending

  This category covers discretionary spending on non-essential items, such as dining out, entertainment, travel, and other lifestyle choices.

• 20% for savings and emergency fund

  This is the percentage that must be allocated to savings, emergency funds, and retirement accounts.

About financial planning, money management, and household budgeting

Affordable living in Bihar

Income and cost of living compatibility

We asked students one simple question and recorded their answers.

Is it affordable or economical to live in Bihar?

Around 56% of surveyed students think that living in Bihar is affordable with proper budgeting while 44% reported that it is just too expensive and not affordable even with frugality and thriftness.

Low-cost alternatives in Bihar

People are always looking for ways to cut down expenses and reduce expenditures. The hallmark of any affordable place is the availability of discount stores, bargain deals, smart or secondhand shopping, refurbished items, and couponing. We asked students how easily cost-cutting is and the answers were distributed as follows:

Plenty of low-cost options64%

Few low-cost options36%

Based on the survey, 64% of the students living in Bihar have no problem finding low-cost alternatives to support a frugal lifestyle while 36% think that thriftness is difficult due to scarcity in discount markets and secondhand outlets.

Emergency Funds For Students

An emergency fund is a financial safety net comprised of easily accessible savings set aside to cover unexpected expenses or financial emergencies, typically amounting to three to six months' worth of living expenses. We asked students of Bihar whether they have an emergency fund and the answers were as follows.

Yes56%

No44%

Based on the survey, 44% of the students living in Bihar said that they don't have an emergency fund while 56% said that they do.

Financial Literacy in India

Financial literacy is the knowledge of concepts and principles related to personal finance that allow individuals to make informed decisions regarding their money such as budgeting, saving, investing, borrowing, managing debt, financial risk management, and planning.

Financial Leteracy44%

We asked student guardians and parents in Bihar whether they acquired any adequate personal financial training in their lives. Approximately 56% of the people who participated in the survey said that they are not well informed about the topics of budgeting, saving, etc., and just manage things based on their own experience, while 44% said that they know about the general principles of personal finance from sources other than their own experience.

Difficulty in Budgeting and Financial Planning

We wanted to understand whether students of India have problems or difficulties in managing their expenditures and savings so we asked people one simple question: do you struggle with your personal finances? 46% of the participants reported that they indeed struggle in creating budgets and in organizing their finances while 54% said that they have everything under control.

Struggles with finance46%

Easily manages finances54%

Housing costs, accommodation, and housing affordability in Bihar

Rent Cost in Bihar

Monthly Rent Prices

Studio apartment monthly rent cost

6,400 INR

9,600 INR

26,000 INR

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$77

$120

$310

1-bedroom apartment monthly rent cost

9,600 INR

15,000 INR

38,000 INR

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$120

$180

$460

2-bedroom apartment monthly rent cost

13,000 INR

19,000 INR

51,000 INR

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$150

$230

$620

3-bedroom apartment monthly rent cost

15,000 INR

26,000 INR

70,000 INR

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$180

$310

$840

Furnished apartment monthly rent cost

31,000 INR

77,000 INR

150,000 INR

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$370

$920

$1,800

Townhouse monthly rent cost

26,000 INR

38,000 INR

110,000 INR

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$310

$460

$1,300

House monthly rent cost

31,000 INR

77,000 INR

150,000 INR

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$370

$920

$1,800

Villa monthly rent cost

38,000 INR

96,000 INR

150,000 INR

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$460

$1,200

$1,800

The monthly rental cost of a studio apartment in Bihar ranges between 6,400 INR and 26,000 INR, meanwhile the cost of monthly rental of a one-bedroom apartment can be anywhere from 9,600 INR to 38,000 INR. Two-bedroom rentals rate ranges between 13,000 INR and 51,000 INR per month. The monthly rental for a three-bedroom apartment ranges from 15,000 INR to 70,000 INR. The average rent of a townhouse in Bihar is around 38,000 INR while house rental costs can be as high as 77,000 INR per month. Finally, if you want to rent a villa, expect to pay anywhere from 38,000 INR to 150,000 INR per month.

Apartment and house prices in Bihar

Cost of buying a property

Studio apartment price

1.3M INR

1.9M INR

3.8M INR

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$15,000

$23,000

$46,000

1-bedroom apartment price

1.5M INR

2.6M INR

9.6M INR

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$18,000

$31,000

$120,000

2-bedroom apartment price

2.6M INR

7.7M INR

15M INR

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$31,000

$92,000

$180,000

3-bedroom apartment price

8.5M INR

13M INR

38M INR

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$100,000

$150,000

$460,000

Townhouse price

11M INR

26M INR

96M INR

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$130,000

$310,000

$1.2M

House price

13M INR

77M INR

110M INR

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$150,000

$920,000

$1.3M

Villa price

15M INR

85M INR

130M INR

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$180,000

$1M

$1.5M

The average price of a studio apartment in Bihar can range from 1.3M INR to 3.8M INR depending on location. One bedroom cost can be anywhere from 1.5M INR to 9.6M INR. A villa can cost you 85M INR on average with prices ranging from 15M INR to 130M INR.

House / apartment prices to income ratio

Property prices in Bihar can be x107 to x224 multiples of the monthly income depending on the property and the income of the person. On average, property prices are approximately x107 multiples of the average monthly salary in Bihar.

Rent to income ratio

The average rent-to-income ratio in Bihar is around 33%. This means that people pay 33% of their income for rent. Those figures can range from 22% to 44% depending on the salary, location, and type of property.

Housing affordability index

The housing affordability index measures how affordable accommodation is in a particular place. This can measured in multiple ways, the most common being housing expenditure to total expenditure ratio and the rent to income ratio. The housing expenditure ratio is a figure reported by individuals on the percentage they allocate for housing. Rent to income ratio is calculated by dividing the average monthly rent by the average income. Because these values are both percentages, we can find their average and get the best of the two worlds.

Property Taxes

Real estate owners pay property taxes to local tax authorities, which are determined by the assessed value of their property. Typically, these taxes are paid once a year. Property tax funds contribute to community development, financing infrastructure improvements, public services, and local education initiatives.

Home Maintenance Costs

Home maintenance costs encompass various expenses associated with the upkeep and repair of a residence. These expenditures include regular tasks such as lawn care, pest control, and HVAC system servicing, as well as occasional repairs and renovations like fixing leaks, painting, or replacing appliances.

Urban vs. rural living costs

Urban living typically entails higher housing and transportation costs due to demand and limited space, while rural areas generally offer lower housing expenses but may have higher prices for goods and services. The differnce in rental rates between urban areas and rural areas can be as high as 300% in some cases.

Monthly costs and expenses of energy and basic utilities in Bihar

Energy, electricity, water, gas, internet, and mobile cost in Bihar

Utility Bill Cost / Electricity + Water + Gas / Student

240 INR

1,600 INR

11,000 INR

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$2.9

$19

$130

Internet and cable cost

330 INR

660 INR

890 INR

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$4

$8

$11

Mobile phone bill and charges

270 INR

440 INR

1,300 INR

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$3.2

$5.3

$16

The average monthly energy and water consumption of students is around 1,600 INR. The cost of internet and WiFi ranges from 330 INR to 890 INR with 660 INR being the average internet bill. Finally, the average monthly mobile charges is around 440 INR but can range between 270 INR and 1,300 INR depending on consumption. Mobile charges include both calling minutes as well as data packages.

Energy / Utility expense to income ratio

The average utility-to-income ratio in Bihar is around 6.8%. This means that people pay 6.8% of their income for energy, water, internet, and mobile charges. Those figures can range from 3.4% to 11% depending on salary and location.

Food Prices, Dining Expenses, and Grocery Costs in Bihar

Prices and cost of goods and services in Bihar

Dining out, food, and beverages costs. Price variations for common food items.

Fast food combo meal price

66 INR

130 INR

220 INR

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$0.80

$1.6

$2.7

The average price of a regular combo meal at a fast food outlet or chain like McDonald's, Pizzahut, or KFC in Bihar is approximatly 130 INR with meal cost ranging from 66 INR to 220 INR. The typical combo meal consists of a burger, french fries, and a drink.

Restaurant meal for one price

240 INR

360 INR

720 INR

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$2.9

$4.3

$8.6

If you are planning to have a nice meal at a mid-range restaurant, expect to pay anywhere between 240 INR and 720 INR with 360 INR being the average price of a plate for one person at a regular restaurant in Bihar.

Fine dining meal for one price

480 INR

720 INR

2,900 INR

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$5.8

$8.6

$35

The price range of a meal at fine-dining restaurant is 480 INR to 2,900 INR with the average cost being 720 INR for one person. This is what you would expect to pay a top-tier diner in Bihar.

Beverage prices, cappuccino, latte etc..

55 INR

89 INR

130 INR

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$0.67

$1.1

$1.6

The average price of a regular beverage like cappuccino or latte at Starbucks, Costa, or similar coffee shops and cafes in Bihar is around 89 INR. Price ranges between 55 INR and 130 INR depending on the type of beverage, the size, and optional add-ons.

Grocery and market costs

Large bottle of milk price

44 INR

53 INR

66 INR

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$0.53

$0.64

$0.80

The average price of a large bottle of milk in Bihar is 53 INR. The maximum what you would pay for milk is 66 INR and the minimum being 44 INR depending on the brand of milk and other properties.

12 eggs price

33 INR

44 INR

66 INR

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$0.40

$0.53

$0.80

A dozen eggs costs around 44 INR on average with 33 INR and 66 INR being the lower and upper limits respectively.

Fresh whole chicken price

76 INR

98 INR

140 INR

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$0.91

$1.2

$1.7

The price range of a fresh whole chicken in Bihar is between 76 INR and 140 INR depending on the size of the chicken and whether it is oraganic or not. The average price is approximatly 98 INR.

Pack of beef price

89 INR

130 INR

270 INR

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$1.1

$1.6

$3.2

The price of a regular pack of beef or meat is around 130 INR. A pack of beef contains around 1Kg or 1lb depending on packing.

Medium bag of rice price

36 INR

49 INR

69 INR

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$0.43

$0.59

$0.84

A bag of rice in Bihar costs around 49 INR on average with prices rangeing between 36 INR and 69 INR depending on the brand and quality.

Bag of tomatos price

13 INR

18 INR

33 INR

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$0.16

$0.21

$0.40

A bag of tomatoes costs anywhere from 13 INR to 33 INR. A bag of tomatoes denotes 1Kg or 1lb depending on location.

Bag of apples price

24 INR

31 INR

51 INR

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$0.29

$0.37

$0.62

A bag of apples costs 31 INR on average. A bag of apples denotes 1Kg or 1lb depending on location.

Grocery and food expenditure to income ratio

The average grocery-to-income ratio in Bihar is around 31%. This means that students spend 31% of their income on grocery and basic household items. The expenditure can range from 22% to 38% depending on salary and location.

Expenditure on food and grocery for students