Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chennai (Madras) and Ghaziabad

For one person, living is cheaper in Chennai (Madras): $416 a month against $442 in Ghaziabad, rent and utilities included – about $310 less a year. The total is higher in Ghaziabad despite lower rent and utilities.

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Cost of Living Index in Chennai (Madras)
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Chennai (Madras) Living Index
21

Cost of Living Index in Ghaziabad
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Ghaziabad Living Index

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Chennai (Madras)

🇮🇳 India

$416

/mo nomad

Ghaziabad

🇮🇳 India

$442

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chennai (Madras) and in Ghaziabad

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Chennai (Madras) and in Ghaziabad actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $416 per month in Chennai (Madras) vs $442 in Ghaziabad, rent included.

Chennai (Madras) $416
Ghaziabad $442

A couple spends around $701 per month in Chennai (Madras) vs $680 in Ghaziabad, rent included.

Chennai (Madras) $701
Ghaziabad $680

A family of three spends $987 per month in Chennai (Madras) vs $919 in Ghaziabad, rent included.

Chennai (Madras) $987
Ghaziabad $919

Chennai (Madras) is about 6% cheaper than Ghaziabad, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Chennai (Madras) and Ghaziabad are more affordable than the global median – Chennai (Madras) 69% lower, Ghaziabad 67% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.13 ₹202

$3.14 ₹298

-32.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$12.49 ₹1,186

$16.02 ₹1,522

-22.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.31 ₹410

$3.62 ₹344

19.06%

Cappuccino

$1.86 ₹177

$1.83 ₹174

1.64%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ₹34.78

$0.48 ₹45.28

-22.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.19 ₹17.86

$0.18 ₹16.74

5.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.62 ₹154

$2.34 ₹223

-30.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 ₹291

$3.77 ₹358

-18.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.56 ₹53.4

$0.71 ₹67.6

-21.13%

White Bread (500g)

$0.56 ₹52.8

$0.50 ₹47.17

12.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.74 ₹70.1

$0.82 ₹77.8

-9.76%

Eggs

$0.91 ₹86.2

$1.09 ₹103

-16.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.06 ₹575

$3.82 ₹362

58.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.12 ₹296

$3.23 ₹306

-3.41%

Apples (1kg)

$2.92 ₹278

$1.51 ₹143

93.38%

Banana (1kg)

$0.82 ₹78.2

$0.75 ₹71.6

9.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.45 ₹138

$0.63 ₹59.6

130.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.46 ₹43.23

$0.46 ₹43.75

Potato (1kg)

$0.44 ₹41.94

$0.31 ₹29.04

41.94%

Onion (1kg)

$0.40 ₹37.59

$0.50 ₹47.21

-20.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.51 ₹48.13

$0.29 ₹27.85

75.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.28 ₹26.27

$0.31 ₹29.35

-9.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.12 ₹486

$3.84 ₹364

33.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.57 ₹719

$11.63 ₹1,105

-34.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 ₹178

$2.18 ₹207

-14.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 ₹265

$4.81 ₹457

-42.00%

Buffalo Round (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) (1kg)

$6.73 ₹639

$5.82 ₹553

15.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.33 ₹31.60

$0.54 ₹51.4

-38.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$10.48 ₹995

$15.65 ₹1,486

-33.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.04 ₹98.6

$0.55 ₹52.4

89.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.31 ₹29.25

$0.20 ₹18.95

55.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.08 ₹197

$1.82 ₹172

14.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.13 ₹108

$1.09 ₹103

3.67%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$11.3K ₹1.1M

$11.5K ₹1.1M

-1.55%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$20.3K ₹1.9M

$19.2K ₹1.8M

5.80%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$38.97 ₹3,701

$50.6 ₹4,803

-22.95%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$3.92 ₹373

$3.44 ₹326

13.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.01 ₹760

$9.03 ₹857

-11.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$12.53 ₹1,189

$16.49 ₹1,565

-24.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.76 ₹642

$4.93 ₹468

37.12%

Cinema Ticket

$2.50 ₹238

$2.64 ₹251

-5.30%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$89.4 ₹8,491

$83.8 ₹7,960

6.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,131 ₹202.4K

$1,545 ₹146.7K

37.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$20.32 ₹1,930

$25.18 ₹2,391

-19.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$17.00 ₹1,614

$23.29 ₹2,212

-27.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$35.93 ₹3,412

$49.15 ₹4,668

-26.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$30.04 ₹2,853

$29.88 ₹2,838

0.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$179 ₹17.0K

$137 ₹13.0K

30.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$101 ₹9,577

$85.7 ₹8,138

17.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$496 ₹47.1K

$301 ₹28.6K

64.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$308 ₹29.3K

$162 ₹15.4K

90.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,068 ₹196.4K

$1,075 ₹102.1K

92.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$782 ₹74.3K

$728 ₹69.1K

7.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$674 ₹64.0K

$389 ₹37.0K

73.28%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.99

9.21

8.47%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Chennai (Madras): October 20, 2026

Last update for Ghaziabad: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Groceries & Markets

Chennai (Madras)

$117 28.1%

Ghaziabad

$115 26% 1.7% $1.9

Accommodation & Living

Chennai (Madras)

$101 24.3%

Ghaziabad

$86 19.4% 15% $15

Eating Out

Chennai (Madras)

$69 16.5%

Ghaziabad

$80 18.1% 16.1% $11

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chennai (Madras)

$51 12.3%

Ghaziabad

$63 14.3% 23.9% $12

Clothing & Footwear

Chennai (Madras)

$46 11.2%

Ghaziabad

$57 13% 23.5% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Chennai (Madras)

$18 4.2%

Ghaziabad

$22 4.9% 24.2% $4.2

Getting Around

Chennai (Madras)

$14 3.5%

Ghaziabad

$19 4.4% 34.6% $5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $179 in Chennai (Madras) versus $137 in Ghaziabad. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 73% higher in Chennai (Madras), which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $12.00 in Chennai (Madras) versus $16.00 in Ghaziabad. Groceries tell a different story – $117 in Chennai (Madras) vs $115 in Ghaziabad – so Ghaziabad wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇮🇳 Chennai (Madras)

🇮🇳 Ghaziabad

🕒 Local time

23:18 11:18 PM

Same time as Chennai (Madras)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,681,087

1,729,000

💱 Currency

Indian Rupee INR ₹

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 INR = 10.53 USD

1,000 INR = 9.37 EUR

1,000 INR = 10.53 USD

1,000 INR = 9.37 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Chennai (Madras) Ghaziabad 1,760 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Chennai (Madras)
Ghaziabad

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Chennai (Madras) vs Ghaziabad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ghaziabad costs about 6% more than Chennai (Madras), and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $623 per month in Chennai (Madras) and $663 in Ghaziabad. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Chennai (Madras), especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $416 in Chennai (Madras) and $442 in Ghaziabad. That's a gap of about 6%.

Public transport costs about 49% less in Chennai (Madras). For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $416 in Chennai (Madras) and $442 in Ghaziabad, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chennai (Madras) costs $416 versus $442 in Ghaziabad. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Chennai (Madras). If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Ghaziabad makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.