While the basic salary of an MLA in Kerala is just ₹2,000, the total monthly compensation including various allowances adds up to a substantial amount. The Kerala government provides MLAs with a range of benefits covering travel, communication, medical expenses, and constituency work.

MLAs receive a constituency allowance of ₹25,000 per month, a fixed salary allowance of ₹2,000, information allowance of ₹4,000, telephone rent of ₹11,000, and hospitality allowance of ₹8,000. For travel, they get reimbursement for road and rail travel with no distance limit, and an annual air travel allowance.

Free travel is available on KSRTC buses and government boats. Medical expenses are fully covered under government limits. For attending assembly sessions, MLAs receive ₹1,000 per day (₹1,200 if outside Kerala). A book allowance of ₹15,000 per year and a staff allowance of ₹2,000 are also provided.

MLAs can avail interest-free loans up to a certain limit, accident insurance, and housing loan advances up to ₹20 lakhs.

Compared to other states, Odisha now has the highest MLA salary structure in India. The Odisha government recently tripled salaries — the Chief Minister receives ₹3.74 lakh per month, while MLAs now get ₹3.45 lakh per month, up from the previous ₹1.10 lakh.