Rate bands and what each one buys
Rates below are on carpet area — the area inside your own walls. A developer's agreement quotes built-up or saleable area, which is 20–30% larger, so the same job looks a fifth cheaper per sq ft when measured that way. Ask which basis a quote used and get the number in writing. Every band on this page is drawn from two-bedroom flats Greenbox has built and invoiced, costed line by line and stated at October 2026 levels.
| Finish level | ₹ / sq ft (carpet) | Specification that rate delivers |
|---|---|---|
| Essential | ₹1,680 – 2,160 | MR ply above counter and BWP below, laminate shutters, peripheral gypsum cove in two rooms, Ebco hinges, granite counter, two-coat emulsion |
| Premium | ₹2,420 – 3,300 | BWP carcass throughout, membrane or acrylic shutters, Hettich or Hafele soft-close, profile and cove lighting in all rooms, quartz or premium granite, panelled TV wall |
| Luxury | ₹4,000 – 5,190+ | Natural veneer with PU, fluted and stone cladding, Blum tandem hardware, concealed automation, bespoke loose furniture, imported sanitaryware |
Ex-GST. Covers design, joinery, false ceiling, painting and electrical rework. Excludes civil work, flooring replacement and appliances.
Totals by carpet area
Each cell is carpet area multiplied by the rate band above — the same arithmetic your quote should show:
| Carpet area | Essential | Premium | Luxury |
|---|---|---|---|
| 600 sq ft (compact 2BHK) | ₹10.1 – 13.0 L | ₹14.5 – 19.8 L | ₹24.0 – 31.1 L |
| 700 sq ft (standard 2BHK) | ₹11.8 – 15.1 L | ₹16.9 – 23.1 L | ₹28.0 – 36.3 L |
| 800 sq ft (large 2BHK) | ₹13.4 – 17.3 L | ₹19.4 – 26.4 L | ₹32.0 – 41.5 L |
| 900 sq ft (2BHK + study) | ₹15.1 – 19.4 L | ₹21.8 – 29.7 L | ₹36.0 – 46.7 L |
Carpet area × rate band. Ex-GST.
Two bedrooms, priced on carpet area
Component breakdown of a ₹20 lakh 2BHK
An 800 sq ft 2BHK delivered at ₹2,500 per sq ft — the lower half of the premium band — costed the way a proper BOQ reads, with quantities rather than room names:
| Line item | Cost | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Modular kitchen — 14 running feet, BWP carcass, membrane shutters | ₹5,00,000 | 25% |
| Master bedroom — 8 rft × 8 ft wardrobe, bed back panel, side units | ₹4,00,000 | 20% |
| Living and dining — TV unit, crockery unit, shoe unit, wall panelling | ₹3,40,000 | 17% |
| Second bedroom — 6 rft wardrobe, study ledge, headboard | ₹2,60,000 | 13% |
| False ceiling and lighting — cove plus profile, three rooms | ₹1,80,000 | 9% |
| Painting — putty, primer and two coats emulsion, 800 sq ft | ₹1,20,000 | 6% |
| Electrical rework, new points and switch plates | ₹1,00,000 | 5% |
| Design, working drawings and project management | ₹1,00,000 | 5% |
| Total (ex-GST) | ₹20,00,000 | 100% |
Tier-1 against tier-2 rates
Specification held constant, geography moves a 2BHK rate by roughly a quarter. The difference is labour cost and freight on boards and stone, not workmanship.
| Market | Premium ₹ / sq ft | vs the national premium band |
|---|---|---|
| Mumbai | ₹2,750 – 3,670 | Highest in India |
| Delhi NCR / Bengaluru | ₹2,400 – 3,250 | −11 to −13% |
| Pune / Hyderabad / Chennai | ₹2,200 – 2,950 | −19 to −21% |
| Ahmedabad / Jaipur / Kochi | ₹1,950 – 2,570 | −28 to −30% |
| Tier-3 towns | ₹1,580 – 2,150 | −40 to −43% |
The decisions that actually move the number
Each delta below is measured against the ₹20 lakh premium baseline above, so they are additive rather than abstract percentages.
| Decision | Delta | Why it costs what it costs |
|---|---|---|
| Laminate to acrylic on every shutter | +16 – 22% | ₹6,000–9,000 a sheet against ₹1,800–2,500, across roughly 40 shutter faces |
| Wardrobes from 7 ft to full height with loft | +7 – 10% | Two extra feet of face area per running foot, plus loft carcass and shutters |
| MR-grade to BWP carcass throughout | +8 – 12% | ₹120–175 per sq ft against ₹85–110; the only line you cannot retrofit later |
| Unbranded to Hettich, Hafele or Blum hardware | +6 – 9% | Soft-close hinges, tandem channels, lift-ups and corner units |
| Full designed ceiling in place of a peripheral cove | +4 – 7% | Multi-level gypsum, more framing, more lighting circuits |
| Granite to quartz on the kitchen counter | +2 – 4% | ₹700–1,800 per sq ft against ₹250–600, over roughly 30 sq ft |
| Any wall demolition or plumbing relocation | +9 – 16% | Civil work, debris, waterproofing and two to three added weeks |
| Adding a foldable dining or convertible study | +3 – 5% | Custom mechanisms and reinforced framing |
Two 2BHK quotes for the same flat can be forty per cent apart and both honest. Open the carcass line and the hardware schedule and the gap explains itself in ten minutes.
Greenbox principal designer
How to compare two 2BHK quotes
- Fix the area basis first. Get both bidders to quote against the same carpet figure, in writing, before you compare anything else.
- Demand a running-foot schedule. Kitchen in running feet of counter, each wardrobe as width × height. A lump sum for ‘bedroom furniture’ hides the quantity, and quantity is the only thing genuinely comparable.
- Read the carcass line before the finish line. Board type, brand and thickness — 18mm for sides and shelves, 12mm for backs. A cheaper quote is usually a thinner box, not a smaller margin.
- Count the hardware. ‘Branded soft-close’ is not a specification; Hettich, the series and the piece count is.
- Check the ceiling in square feet, not rooms. A cove in two rooms and a designed ceiling in four are different jobs behind the same headline rate.
- Match the exclusions lists side by side. The cheaper quote very often excludes something the dearer one includes.
- Tie payments to milestones, not dates. Ten per cent on design sign-off, forty on material procurement, forty on installation, ten after snagging is the normal shape.
What the rate excludes
- 18% GST on the contract value — ₹3,60,000 on the ₹20 lakh example, taking it to ₹23,60,000. Check yours with the GST on interior work calculator.
- Civil work — demolition, new blockwork, plaster, waterproofing and floor levelling.
- Flooring replacement — ₹85–₹350 per sq ft supplied and laid, plus debris removal.
- Appliances — chimney, hob, oven, refrigerator and washing machine: ₹70,000–₹2.5 lakh.
- Loose furniture and soft goods — sofa, dining set, mattresses, curtains and rugs.
- Air conditioning — units, copper runs and drain routing, commonly ₹1.2–₹3 lakh for a 2BHK.
- Structural consultant's certificate wherever an opening in a wall is proposed.
Run your own carpet area through the 2BHK interior cost calculator, which uses the same bands as this page. Rates in Mumbai sit well above the national band, and the reasons are specific rather than general — see 2BHK interior design cost in Mumbai if that is where your flat is.
Selected work by Greenbox Design Studio. Tap any image to enlarge.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a 2BHK interior cost in India?+
₹1,680–₹2,160 per sq ft of carpet area for an essential finish, ₹2,420–₹3,300 premium and ₹4,000–₹5,190+ luxury, excluding 18% GST. A standard 700 sq ft 2BHK therefore comes to ₹11.8–15.1 lakh essential and ₹16.9–23.1 lakh premium.
What is the most expensive part of a 2BHK interior?+
The modular kitchen, at roughly 25% of the build cost, followed by the master bedroom at about 20%. Kitchen plus both wardrobes takes 52–58% of the total, which is why storage volume moves the number far more than finish selection does.
Can a 2BHK be done for ₹5 lakh?+
Not as a complete home, at these rates. ₹5 lakh covers an essential-specification laminate kitchen and one full-height wardrobe, or a part scope with no living-room joinery and no false ceiling. A complete 2BHK with kitchen, both wardrobes, living storage, ceiling, painting and electrical realistically starts near ₹10.1 lakh at 600 sq ft.
Is a 2BHK cheaper per sq ft than a 1BHK?+
Marginally, and only at the top of the range. One kitchen, one set of drawings and one mobilisation serve either home, so those fixed costs spread across more carpet area in a 2BHK. The saving is about 3–5% per sq ft, not the third that room count suggests.
How long does a 2BHK interior take?+
Ten to twelve weeks from design sign-off when no civil work is involved. Add two to four weeks for flooring replacement, plumbing relocation or any wall change. Carcass fabrication happens off-site in parallel, so most site time is installation, ceiling, painting and snagging.
Does the quoted rate include GST?+
Usually not. Interior work attracts 18% GST on the contract value and most quotes are presented excluding it. On a ₹20 lakh scope that is ₹3,60,000 — enough to make a costlier quote look like the cheaper one if you compare the wrong figures.