Home Interior Cost in India: Per Sq Ft, Per Room, Kitchen, Wardrobes and GST
Home interiors in India cost roughly Rs 300 to Rs 1,500 per sq ft for a basic fit-out, Rs 800 to Rs 2,500 for mid-range and Rs 1,800 to Rs 5,000 or more for premium and luxury work, depending on which firm's bands you read. A full 2BHK usually lands between Rs 5 lakh and Rs 15 lakh, and GST at 18% often sits on top of the quote.
Key takeaways
- Published per sq ft bands overlap heavily, so compare line items, not headline rates.
- The modular kitchen and wardrobes typically take 60% to 70% of the whole interior budget.
- Interior works contracts and design fees attract 18% GST since the rate changes of 22 September 2025, and many quotes exclude it.
- Designer fees usually run 8% to 15% of project value, or a per sq ft charge, when they are billed separately.
- Never pay more than about 30% upfront, and tie every later payment to work you can inspect.
Cost per sq ft by finish level
Three published guides put basic interiors at Rs 300 to Rs 800, Rs 800 to Rs 1,200 and Rs 900 to Rs 1,500 per sq ft. The gap is mostly scope: some rates cover only carpentry, others include ceilings, lighting, paint and furniture. Treat the table as a spread across sources.
| Finish level | Published range per sq ft | What it usually buys |
|---|---|---|
| Basic | Rs 300 to Rs 1,500 | Laminate kitchen and wardrobes, simple ceiling in the living room, economy emulsion paint |
| Mid-range | Rs 800 to Rs 2,500 | Better board and hardware, acrylic or membrane shutters, layered lighting, premium emulsion |
| Premium | Rs 1,800 to Rs 3,500 | Veneer, lacquer or PU finishes, soft-close fittings throughout, custom furniture |
| Luxury | Rs 3,500 to Rs 6,000 and above | Imported fittings, stone, bespoke joinery, automation |
Before comparing two rates, ask whether each is per sq ft of carpet or built-up area. Metro projects in Mumbai, Bengaluru and Delhi also usually cost more than tier-2 homes.
What a full home costs by size
Firms quote whole-flat packages more often than per sq ft rates. Published figures put a 1BHK at about Rs 5 lakh to Rs 7 lakh and a 3BHK at about Rs 10 lakh to Rs 15 lakh. For a 2BHK, one Delhi pricing guide gives Rs 4.5 lakh to Rs 6.5 lakh for budget work, Rs 8.5 lakh to Rs 11.5 lakh for standard, and luxury from about Rs 11.5 lakh. Other guides put a typical 2BHK at Rs 5 lakh to Rs 15 lakh.
Room by room
| Room or item | Typical published range |
|---|---|
| Modular kitchen | Rs 1.5 lakh to Rs 5 lakh for most homes; Rs 12 lakh and above for luxury |
| Wardrobes (2BHK) | Rs 80,000 to Rs 3 lakh |
| Living room | Rs 1.2 lakh to Rs 3 lakh |
| Each bedroom (bed, side tables, study, lighting) | Rs 70,000 to Rs 1.5 lakh |
| False ceiling and lighting (2BHK) | Rs 80,000 to Rs 1.5 lakh |
Modular kitchen and wardrobe costs
The kitchen
Kitchens are priced per running foot (rft), the length of the counter run. A 10 x 8 ft kitchen with cabinets along two walls in an L comes to about 12 to 14 rft. One pricing guide puts an all-in laminate kitchen, with base and wall units, shutters and standard hardware, at Rs 9,500 to Rs 14,000 per rft, and acrylic high-gloss at Rs 15,000 to Rs 22,000. For a 10 to 12 rft L-shaped kitchen, that guide's bands run Rs 1.8 lakh to Rs 2.5 lakh at entry level, Rs 2.8 lakh to Rs 4.5 lakh mid-range, and Rs 5 lakh to Rs 10 lakh premium.
The large firms are in the same zone: Livspace says its kitchens start from about Rs 1.7 lakh to Rs 2 lakh, and HomeLane puts a basic kitchen at Rs 2.5 lakh to Rs 4 lakh.
Where the money goes: laminate costs roughly 40% to 50% less than acrylic on the same carcass and handles heat better. Spend instead on the carcass. BWP (boiling water proof) plywood to IS 710 is the grade to insist on under the sink, where water damage starts.
Wardrobes
Wardrobes are priced per sq ft of front area, so a 7 ft wide by 7 ft high unit is 49 sq ft. Published rates run from about Rs 750 to Rs 2,500 per sq ft depending on the board and finish. One Bengaluru maker quotes Rs 1,300 per sq ft for a hinged laminate wardrobe and Rs 1,500 for sliding, a Rs 200 premium for the track hardware. Acrylic and veneer push the rate towards Rs 1,500 to Rs 1,700, and lacquer or PU to about Rs 1,800.
Ceilings and paint
Gypsum false ceilings are quoted at roughly Rs 75 to Rs 180 per sq ft in one set of sources, excluding GST, and Rs 103 to Rs 265 in another, with curved and multi-level designs at the top.
Interior painting, including putty, primer, two coats and labour, runs about Rs 12 to Rs 45 per sq ft of wall area. By tier, economy emulsion is about Rs 12 to Rs 18, premium emulsion Rs 18 to Rs 28 and luxury emulsion Rs 28 to Rs 45.
GST and designer fees
GST on interior work
Since the GST rate changes that took effect on 22 September 2025, the old 12% slab has largely gone, and interior works contracts (carpentry, ceilings, flooring, electrical, painting and modular kitchen installation) are taxed at 18%. Pure design services are also at 18%. As a homeowner you cannot claim input tax credit, so the 18% is a real cost. This is separate from the GST on the flat itself, which our guide to the residential property GST rate covers.
What designers charge
Designers bill in three ways: a percentage of project cost, a per sq ft fee, or a flat consultation charge. Percentage fees are most often 8% to 15%, though sources quote anything from 5% to 20%. Design-only per sq ft fees start at around Rs 50 to Rs 100. Turnkey firms usually fold it into the product price.
Worked example: a mid-market 2BHK
Take a 2BHK of about 1,000 sq ft carpet area. The line items below use figures from the ranges above. The wall and ceiling paint area of 3,200 sq ft is an assumption for the arithmetic.
| Item | Basis | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| L-shaped laminate kitchen | Entry-to-mid band | Rs 2,50,000 |
| Two hinged laminate wardrobes, 7 x 7 ft | 98 sq ft at Rs 1,300 | Rs 1,27,400 |
| False ceiling and lighting | Low-mid of the 2BHK range | Rs 90,000 |
| Painting, premium emulsion | 3,200 sq ft at Rs 22 | Rs 70,400 |
| Living room units | Bottom of the range | Rs 1,20,000 |
| Two bedrooms, excluding wardrobes | Rs 60,000 each | Rs 1,20,000 |
| Subtotal | Rs 7,77,800 | |
| Design fee at 10%, if billed separately | Rs 77,780 | |
| GST at 18% on Rs 8,55,580 | Rs 1,54,004 | |
| Total | Rs 10,09,584 |
Before fees and tax, this works out to about Rs 778 per sq ft, which is basic-to-mid by the published bands. Yet the final bill is over Rs 10 lakh once the design fee and GST are added. A quote read without its tax line is what catches most buyers.
If you plan to fund this with a loan against the flat, see how a top-up home loan works, since a personal loan will usually cost more.
Contract tips that save money
- Get a line-item BOQ. Every unit with dimensions, board grade, shutter finish, hardware brand and the rate. A lump sum hides where the money goes.
- Name the brands. Write the plywood brand and grade (BWP to IS 710 for wet areas) and the hardware maker into the contract, not just the conversation.
- Cap the advance. Common schedules take 5% to 15% at booking and the rest at design sign-off, production and installation. Keep 10% to 20% until the final handover and snag list are done.
- Fix the completion date and the penalty. A delay clause gives you something to point to when the site stalls.
- Read the warranty. Ask what it covers and for how long.
Where interior budgets go wrong
Doing the whole flat at once is not always right. If your down payment has left little cash, finish the kitchen and wardrobes and add the rest over a year. Heavy interiors in a rented-out flat rarely earn back their cost in higher rent. And in an under-construction flat, don't commit to a design before you have the handover and actual measurements; see our note on under-construction vs ready-to-move homes. Building from scratch instead? Our guide to house construction cost per sq ft covers the shell.
Frequently asked questions
How much does full interior work for a 2BHK cost in India?
Most published guides put a 2BHK between Rs 5 lakh and Rs 15 lakh. Budget work can come in around Rs 4.5 lakh to Rs 6.5 lakh, standard work around Rs 8.5 lakh to Rs 11.5 lakh, and luxury above that. Check whether the quote includes 18% GST and the design fee, which can add close to 30% between them.
Is GST on interior work 12% or 18%?
For contracts billed now, 18%. The GST rate changes effective 22 September 2025 removed most of the 12% slab, and interior works contracts and design services sit at 18%. Older articles online still mention 12% or 28%, so go by the rate on your invoice. A homeowner cannot claim input tax credit on it.
How is a modular kitchen priced?
By the running foot of counter length. A typical L-shaped kitchen is 10 to 14 running feet. One guide prices all-in laminate at Rs 9,500 to Rs 14,000 per running foot and acrylic at Rs 15,000 to Rs 22,000. Countertops, appliances and some accessories may be priced separately, so check what the rate covers.
How much do interior designers charge?
Usually 8% to 15% of the project cost, though quoted fees range from 5% to 20%. Some charge per sq ft, starting at around Rs 50 to Rs 100 for design only. Turnkey firms generally include design in their product rates. Whatever the model, 18% GST applies to the fee.
How much advance should I pay an interior firm?
Keep it low. Common schedules take 5% to 15% at booking, and a sensible ceiling is about 30% before any work you can see. Tie later payments to design approval, production and installation, and hold back 10% to 20% until the snag list is cleared and you have the warranty papers.
Planning interiors for a flat you are buying? Talk to Realty Hunting and we can help you budget the purchase and the fit-out together.
