Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chennai (Madras) and Vijayawada

For one person, living is cheaper in Vijayawada: $395 a month against $435 in Chennai (Madras), rent and utilities included – about $480 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Chennai (Madras) outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

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Cost of Living Index in Chennai (Madras)
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Chennai (Madras) Living Index
19

Cost of Living Index in Vijayawada
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Vijayawada Living Index

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Chennai (Madras)

🇮🇳 India

$435

/mo nomad

Vijayawada

🇮🇳 India

$395

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $435 per month in Chennai (Madras) vs $395 in Vijayawada, rent included.

Chennai (Madras) $435
Vijayawada $395

A couple spends around $725 per month in Chennai (Madras) vs $639 in Vijayawada, rent included.

Chennai (Madras) $725
Vijayawada $639

A family of three spends $1,016 per month in Chennai (Madras) vs $883 in Vijayawada, rent included.

Chennai (Madras) $1,016
Vijayawada $883

Chennai (Madras) costs about 10% more than Vijayawada, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chennai (Madras) and Vijayawada are more affordable than the global median – Chennai (Madras) 68% lower, Vijayawada 71% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.04 ₹193

$1.55 ₹147

31.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$12.50 ₹1,187

$8.75 ₹831

42.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.14 ₹393

$4.52 ₹430

-8.41%

Cappuccino

$1.82 ₹173

$3.63 ₹345

-49.86%

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

$0.34 ₹31.87

$0.41 ₹38.80

-17.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.17 ₹16.18

$0.16 ₹15.10

6.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.55 ₹148

$1.92 ₹182

-19.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 ₹301

$2.28 ₹217

39.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.59 ₹55.9

$0.76 ₹72.5

-22.37%

White Bread (500g)

$0.51 ₹48.04

$0.54 ₹51.1

-5.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.69 ₹65.3

$0.62 ₹59.1

11.29%

Eggs

$0.88 ₹83.8

$0.77 ₹73.0

14.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.25 ₹593

$6.35 ₹602

-1.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.12 ₹296

$2.57 ₹244

21.40%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 ₹264

$1.82 ₹172

52.75%

Banana (1kg)

$0.83 ₹78.4

$0.72 ₹68.7

15.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.39 ₹132

$0.80 ₹76.1

73.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.43 ₹40.65

$0.43 ₹40.91

Potato (1kg)

$0.44 ₹42.20

$0.37 ₹35.42

18.92%

Onion (1kg)

$0.42 ₹39.90

$0.46 ₹43.51

-8.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.54 ₹51.7

$0.64 ₹61.1

-15.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.28 ₹26.42

$0.31 ₹29.64

-9.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.11 ₹486

$5.07 ₹481

0.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.25 ₹689

$7.29 ₹692

-0.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ₹176

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ₹262

$3.12 ₹296

-11.54%

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

$6.71 ₹637

$3.39 ₹322

97.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.33 ₹31.72

$0.31 ₹29.76

6.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$10.67 ₹1,013

$6.69 ₹635

59.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.03 ₹97.8

$1.62 ₹154

-36.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 ₹28.89

$0.43 ₹40.69

-30.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.12 ₹201

$2.08 ₹197

1.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.09 ₹103

$1.08 ₹102

0.93%

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

$11.1K ₹1.1M

$11.4K ₹1.1M

-2.29%

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

$20.1K ₹1.9M

$20.5K ₹2.0M

-2.21%

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

$38.28 ₹3,634

$32.67 ₹3,102

17.17%

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

$3.96 ₹376

$3.26 ₹309

21.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$7.75 ₹736

$7.76 ₹737

-0.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$14.18 ₹1,346

$16.02 ₹1,521

-11.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.64 ₹630

$11.08 ₹1,051

-40.07%

Cinema Ticket

$2.28 ₹217

$3.13 ₹297

-27.16%

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

$87.7 ₹8,330

$69.2 ₹6,567

26.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,110 ₹200.3K

$1,951 ₹185.3K

8.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$19.99 ₹1,898

$17.87 ₹1,697

11.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$17.11 ₹1,624

$18.78 ₹1,783

-8.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$35.44 ₹3,365

$38.78 ₹3,682

-8.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$30.77 ₹2,922

$35.32 ₹3,354

-12.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$190 ₹18.0K

$120 ₹11.4K

58.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$123 ₹11.7K

$74.3 ₹7,058

65.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$577 ₹54.8K

$273 ₹25.9K

111.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$343 ₹32.5K

$206 ₹19.5K

66.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,864 ₹176.9K

$680 ₹64.5K

174.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$798 ₹75.8K

$418 ₹39.6K

91.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$662 ₹62.9K

$305 ₹29.0K

116.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.99

10.2

-2.06%

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

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

Last update for Vijayawada: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chennai (Madras)

$123 28.3%

Vijayawada

$74 18.8% 39.5% $49

Groceries & Markets

Chennai (Madras)

$115 26.5%

Vijayawada

$108 27.2% 6.5% $7.5

Eating Out

Chennai (Madras)

$67 15.4%

Vijayawada

$86 21.7% 28.8% $19

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chennai (Madras)

$50 11.5%

Vijayawada

$44 11.1% 12.6% $6.3

Clothing & Footwear

Chennai (Madras)

$46 10.7%

Vijayawada

$50 12.6% 7.2% $3.4

Sport & Entertainment

Chennai (Madras)

$19 4.3%

Vijayawada

$22 5.6% 18.8% $3.5

Getting Around

Chennai (Madras)

$15 3.4%

Vijayawada

$12 3% 19.6% $2.8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $190 in Chennai (Madras) versus $120 in Vijayawada. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Chennai (Madras) are about 2.2 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $13 in Chennai (Madras) versus $9 in Vijayawada. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $115 vs $108 – making Vijayawada the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇳 Chennai (Madras)

🇮🇳 Vijayawada

🕒 Local time

10:10 10:10 AM

Same time as Chennai (Madras)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,681,087

1,048,240

💱 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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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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

Chennai (Madras) costs about 10% more than Vijayawada, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. 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 $593 in Vijayawada. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Vijayawada, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $120 there versus $190 in Chennai (Madras).

Monthly expenses with rent come to $435 in Chennai (Madras) and $395 in Vijayawada. That makes Vijayawada about 9% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 37% less in Vijayawada. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $435 in Chennai (Madras) and $395 in Vijayawada, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Vijayawada – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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