Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chennai (Madras) and Hyderabad

For one person, living is cheaper in Chennai (Madras): $435 a month against $491 in Hyderabad, rent and utilities included – about $670 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Chennai (Madras)
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Chennai (Madras) Living Index
24

Cost of Living Index in Hyderabad
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Hyderabad Living Index

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Chennai (Madras)

🇮🇳 India

$435

/mo nomad

Hyderabad

🇮🇳 India

$491

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Hyderabad actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $435 per month in Chennai (Madras) vs $491 in Hyderabad, rent included.

Chennai (Madras) $435
Hyderabad $491

A couple spends around $725 per month in Chennai (Madras) vs $809 in Hyderabad, rent included.

Chennai (Madras) $725
Hyderabad $809

A family of three spends $1,016 per month in Chennai (Madras) vs $1,127 in Hyderabad, rent included.

Chennai (Madras) $1,016
Hyderabad $1,127

Chennai (Madras) is about 11% cheaper than Hyderabad, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Chennai (Madras) and Hyderabad are more affordable than the global median – Chennai (Madras) 68% lower, Hyderabad 64% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.04 ₹193

$2.58 ₹245

-20.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$12.50 ₹1,187

$15.95 ₹1,515

-21.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.14 ₹393

$5.10 ₹484

-18.82%

Cappuccino

$1.82 ₹173

$2.27 ₹216

-19.82%

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

$0.34 ₹31.87

$0.45 ₹42.44

-24.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.17 ₹16.18

$0.15 ₹14.09

13.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.55 ₹148

$2.12 ₹201

-26.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 ₹301

$4.29 ₹407

-26.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.59 ₹55.9

$0.83 ₹79.0

-28.92%

White Bread (500g)

$0.51 ₹48.05

$0.58 ₹55.5

-12.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.69 ₹65.3

$0.70 ₹66.1

-1.43%

Eggs

$0.88 ₹83.8

$0.99 ₹94.3

-11.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.25 ₹593

$7.10 ₹674

-11.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.12 ₹296

$3.38 ₹321

-7.69%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 ₹264

$2.34 ₹222

18.80%

Banana (1kg)

$0.83 ₹78.4

$0.68 ₹65.0

22.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.39 ₹132

$1.14 ₹109

21.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.43 ₹40.65

$0.44 ₹42.05

-2.27%

Potato (1kg)

$0.44 ₹42.20

$0.43 ₹40.36

2.33%

Onion (1kg)

$0.42 ₹39.90

$0.39 ₹37.47

7.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.54 ₹51.7

$0.51 ₹48.66

5.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.28 ₹26.42

$0.32 ₹30.82

-12.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.11 ₹486

$5.18 ₹492

-1.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.25 ₹689

$8.37 ₹795

-13.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ₹176

$1.82 ₹173

2.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ₹262

$2.72 ₹259

1.47%

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

$6.71 ₹637

$6.16 ₹584

8.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.33 ₹31.72

$0.54 ₹51.4

-38.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$10.67 ₹1,013

$14.95 ₹1,419

-28.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.03 ₹97.8

$0.92 ₹87.0

11.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 ₹28.90

$0.55 ₹52.1

-45.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.12 ₹201

$1.19 ₹113

78.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.09 ₹103

$1.12 ₹106

-2.68%

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

$11.1K ₹1.1M

$11.4K ₹1.1M

-2.25%

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

$20.1K ₹1.9M

$22.7K ₹2.2M

-11.34%

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

$38.28 ₹3,635

$35.06 ₹3,329

9.18%

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

$3.96 ₹376

$4.30 ₹408

-7.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$7.75 ₹736

$7.89 ₹749

-1.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$14.18 ₹1,347

$24.12 ₹2,290

-41.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.64 ₹630

$7.43 ₹706

-10.63%

Cinema Ticket

$2.28 ₹217

$3.07 ₹291

-25.73%

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

$87.7 ₹8,331

$145 ₹13.8K

-39.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,110 ₹200.4K

$2,836 ₹269.2K

-25.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$19.99 ₹1,898

$21.57 ₹2,049

-7.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$17.11 ₹1,624

$21.03 ₹1,997

-18.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$35.44 ₹3,365

$42.00 ₹3,988

-15.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$30.77 ₹2,922

$34.78 ₹3,303

-11.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$190 ₹18.0K

$231 ₹21.9K

-17.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$123 ₹11.7K

$133 ₹12.6K

-7.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$577 ₹54.8K

$624 ₹59.3K

-7.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$343 ₹32.5K

$339 ₹32.2K

0.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,864 ₹177.0K

$1,354 ₹128.5K

37.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$798 ₹75.8K

$776 ₹73.7K

2.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$662 ₹62.9K

$1,260 ₹119.6K

-47.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.99

8.55

16.84%

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

Last update for Chennai (Madras): October 26, 2026

Last update for Hyderabad: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chennai (Madras)

$123 28.3%

Hyderabad

$133 27.1% 8.2% $10

Groceries & Markets

Chennai (Madras)

$115 26.5%

Hyderabad

$121 24.7% 5.1% $5.9

Eating Out

Chennai (Madras)

$67 15.4%

Hyderabad

$85 17.3% 27.1% $18

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chennai (Madras)

$50 11.5%

Hyderabad

$47 9.6% 5.5% $2.7

Clothing & Footwear

Chennai (Madras)

$46 10.7%

Hyderabad

$54 10.9% 15.6% $7.2

Sport & Entertainment

Chennai (Madras)

$19 4.3%

Hyderabad

$30 6.2% 61.5% $12

Getting Around

Chennai (Madras)

$15 3.4%

Hyderabad

$21 4.2% 42.7% $6.2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $190 in Chennai (Madras) versus $231 in Hyderabad. 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 90% higher in Hyderabad. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $13 in Chennai (Madras) versus $16 in Hyderabad. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $115 vs $121 – making Chennai (Madras) the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇳 Chennai (Madras)

🇮🇳 Hyderabad

🕒 Local time

08:54 8:54 AM

Same time as Chennai (Madras)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,681,087

6,809,970

💱 Currency

Indian Rupee INR ₹

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 INR = 10.53 USD

1,000 INR = 9.43 EUR

1,000 INR = 10.53 USD

1,000 INR = 9.43 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Chennai (Madras) Hyderabad 510 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

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Chennai (Madras)
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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

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

Hyderabad costs about 13% 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 $652 per month in Chennai (Madras) and $736 in Hyderabad. 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $190 there versus $231 in Hyderabad.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $435 in Chennai (Madras) and $491 in Hyderabad. That makes Chennai (Madras) about 11% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 29% 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 $435 in Chennai (Madras) and $491 in Hyderabad, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chennai (Madras) costs $435 versus $491 in Hyderabad. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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