Marble vs Granite: Prices, Uses and Care

For a kitchen counter, stairs or a busy entrance, granite is usually the better stone: it is harder than marble and stands up to most kitchen acids. Marble scratches and etches more easily but suits living rooms, bedrooms and bathrooms, and it is not always the dearer stone: on our price list, Rajasthan White marble is ₹50–₹150 per sq ft and Black Galaxy granite is ₹200–₹300.

Marble and granite at a glance

	Marble	Granite
What it is	A metamorphic rock, mostly calcite or dolomite	An igneous rock, mostly quartz and feldspar
Hardness of the main minerals (Mohs scale, 1 to 10)	Calcite: 3	Feldspar: 6, quartz: 7
Lemon juice, vinegar	Can dull or etch the polish	Generally resistant
Look	Veins and swirls, or plain white	Visible grains and flecks
Typical price on our list, per sq ft	₹300–₹600	₹145–₹250

What each stone is

Marble is a metamorphic rock made mostly of calcite or dolomite, both carbonate minerals. Pure white marble forms from very pure limestone or dolomite, and the veins and swirls in other marbles come from impurities such as clay, sand and iron oxides (Wikipedia: Marble). The stone trade uses the name more widely, for any crystalline calcite rock used as building stone and for a few rocks that are not calcite at all. Banded calcite, for example, is sold as onyx marble.

Granite is a coarse-grained igneous rock made mostly of quartz and feldspar, with some mica (Wikipedia: Granite). The grains are big enough to see, which gives granite its speckled look.

Most stone sold as "black granite" is strictly gabbro, a different dark igneous rock (Wikipedia: Granite), made mainly of pyroxene and plagioclase feldspar (Wikipedia: Gabbro). Both are silicate minerals (Wikipedia: Pyroxene, Plagioclase), like granite's quartz and feldspar, so what follows about acids applies to black granite too.

Hardness: why marble floors scratch

The Mohs scale ranks minerals by which one can scratch which (Wikipedia: Mohs scale). Calcite, the main mineral in marble, is 3 on that scale. Feldspar is 6 and quartz is 7.

That matters because most sand is quartz (Wikipedia: Sand). Grit carried in on shoes is four steps up the scale from marble's calcite, level with granite's quartz and one step above its feldspar. As a floor, marble is easy to scratch (Wikipedia: Marble), and the Natural Stone Institute warns that sand, dirt and grit can damage natural stone. Mats or rugs inside and outside an entrance help keep grit off the floor.

Acids: why marble kitchen tops get dull marks

Marble is calcium carbonate, and acids react with it (Wikipedia: Marble). The Natural Stone Institute groups marble with the other "calcareous" stones, made mainly of calcium carbonate, and warns that products containing lemon, vinegar or other acids can dull or etch them (Natural Stone Institute). An etch mark is damage to the polished finish rather than a stain, and the institute recommends repolishing etched areas.

Granite is a "siliceous" stone in the institute's terms, made mostly of silicate minerals such as quartz and feldspar, and is generally resistant to most acids found in kitchens. The institute still advises against acidic cleaners on granite, because it can contain small amounts of acid-sensitive minerals.

So granite is the safer choice for a kitchen counter. Marble can still work in a kitchen if you blot spills at once, put coasters under glasses of juice, and accept that it will collect some dull marks over time.

Which stone for which room

Where	Better choice	Why
Kitchen counter	Granite	Lemon, vinegar and other food acids etch marble. Granite resists most kitchen acids.
Stairs, entrance, busy hallway	Granite	Grit is mostly quartz, which scratches marble's calcite.
Living room, bedroom	Either; marble for its look	Less grit and no food acids. Mats at the doors help.
Bathroom floor and walls	Either	Clean marble with a neutral cleaner, never vinegar or acidic cleaners.
Outdoor steps, paving, walls	Granite	Acid rain damages outdoor marble (Wikipedia: Marble).

Prices on our list

These prices come straight from our price list. They are indicative prices per sq ft for slabs at our yard in Kishangarh. GST is extra, and packing and transport are charged at actual cost. Each stone has a range because the grade, thickness and finish change the price.

Stone	Type	Price per sq ft
Rajasthan White	Marble	₹50–₹150
Carrara White	Marble	₹300–₹1,000
Makrana Pure White	Marble	₹300–₹3,000
Italian Statuario	Marble	₹450–₹2,500
Tan Brown	Granite	₹80–₹90
Steel Grey	Granite	₹100–₹150
Absolute Black	Granite	₹150–₹250
Black Galaxy	Granite	₹200–₹300

Across the whole list, the typical marble costs ₹300–₹600 per sq ft and the typical granite ₹145–₹250. Typical here is the median, the middle of the list when the stones are sorted by price, so a few very dear stones don't pull it up. So marble often costs more, but the stone you pick matters more than the category. Rajasthan White marble costs less than the typical granite, and the dearest stones sold as granite, such as Azul Bahia at ₹5,000–₹12,000, cost more than any marble on our list.

Care in brief

These tips are from the Natural Stone Institute:

Clean with a neutral cleaner, stone soap, or a mild dishwashing liquid and warm water.
Blot spills at once with a paper towel.
Use coasters under glasses, especially for citrus juice or alcohol.
Keep acidic cleaners off both stones, and vinegar off marble.
Sealing makes stone more resistant to stains, not stain-proof, and many stones don't need it. Ask your supplier or the sealer's maker which sealer suits your stone and how often to apply it.

See real slabs before you choose

Send us the stone, the quantity and your city through the contact page. We send photos and video of real slabs from current lots, then a firm price for the slabs you choose. You can also add stones to a sample box on their pages and order samples to compare at home.

Sources

General facts on this page come from these sources, read on 12 November 2026. Prices come from our own price list.

Wikipedia, "Marble"
Wikipedia, "Granite"
Wikipedia, "Gabbro"
Wikipedia, "Pyroxene"
Wikipedia, "Plagioclase"
Wikipedia, "Mohs scale"
Wikipedia, "Sand"
Natural Stone Institute, "Cleaning products for natural stone"