Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Datong and Delhi

For one person, living is cheaper in Delhi: $526 a month against $715 in Datong, rent and utilities included – about $2,300 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Datong
🇨🇳 China
$715
/mo nomad
Delhi
🇮🇳 India
$526
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Datong and in Delhi

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $715 in Datong versus $526 in Delhi.

  • Datong $715
  • Delhi $526

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,133 in Datong versus $882 in Delhi.

  • Datong $1,133
  • Delhi $882

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,551 in Datong versus $1,239 in Delhi.

  • Datong $1,551
  • Delhi $1,239

Living in Datong is roughly 36% more expensive than in Delhi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Datong 47% lower, Delhi 61% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Datong
Delhi
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$2.77 ¥18.50
$3.70 ₹352
-25.14%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$21.44 ¥143
$21.33 ₹2,026
0.52%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$4.93 ¥32.98
$3.69 ₹351
33.60%
Cappuccino
$3.05 ¥20.42
$2.30 ₹218
32.61%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.47 ¥3.11
$0.39 ₹36.82
20.51%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.27 ¥1.80
$0.15 ₹14.05
80.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$0.94 ¥6.31
$2.05 ₹195
-54.15%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.06 ¥13.76
$3.13 ₹297
-34.19%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Datong
Delhi
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.82 ¥12.16
$0.69 ₹65.9
163.77%
White Bread (500g)
$1.62 ¥10.80
$0.58 ₹54.6
179.31%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$0.89 ¥5.92
$0.78 ₹74.0
14.10%
Eggs
$1.55 ¥10.36
$1.15 ₹109
34.78%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.59 ¥84.2
$4.28 ₹407
194.16%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.23 ¥21.62
$3.52 ₹334
-8.24%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.12 ¥67.7
-
-
Apples (1kg)
$1.87 ¥12.52
$1.93 ₹184
-3.11%
Banana (1kg)
$1.26 ¥8.39
$0.79 ₹75.1
59.49%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.47 ¥9.83
$1.01 ₹95.6
45.54%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.15 ¥7.68
$0.53 ₹50.0
116.98%
Potato (1kg)
$0.73 ¥4.89
$0.28 ₹26.21
160.71%
Onion (1kg)
$0.92 ¥6.13
$0.37 ₹35.46
148.65%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.56 ¥3.77
$0.44 ₹41.89
27.27%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.51 ¥3.44
$0.31 ₹29.89
64.52%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.17 ¥21.22
$4.95 ₹470
-35.96%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.71 ¥71.6
$8.57 ₹814
24.97%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$0.79 ¥5.29
$1.61 ₹152
-50.93%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.60 ¥10.69
$2.66 ₹253
-39.85%
Buffalo Round (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) (1kg)
-
$6.40 ₹608
-
🚌 Getting Around
Datong
Delhi
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.27 ¥1.80
$0.51 ₹48.63
-47.06%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$16.82 ¥112
$15.59 ₹1,481
7.89%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.42 ¥9.48
$1.04 ₹98.4
36.54%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.33 ¥2.19
$0.27 ₹25.79
22.22%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$6.87 ¥45.96
$1.54 ₹146
346.10%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.17 ¥7.83
$1.11 ₹106
5.41%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$19.4K ¥129.6K
$11.5K ₹1.1M
68.90%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$17.4K ¥116.3K
$18.9K ₹1.8M
-7.77%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Datong
Delhi
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$44.62 ¥298
$42.45 ₹4,031
5.11%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$9.53 ¥63.7
$4.20 ₹399
126.90%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$11.92 ¥79.7
$6.89 ₹654
73.00%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Datong
Delhi
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$42.32 ¥283
$20.09 ₹1,908
110.65%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$13.88 ¥92.8
$7.89 ₹749
75.92%
Cinema Ticket
$5.84 ¥39.05
$5.31 ₹504
9.98%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Datong
Delhi
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$329 ¥2,198
$101 ₹9,571
226.16%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.5K ¥110.5K
$2,315 ₹219.8K
614.17%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Datong
Delhi
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$44.27 ¥296
$24.64 ₹2,340
79.67%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$30.48 ¥204
$28.82 ₹2,737
5.76%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$71.5 ¥478
$53.6 ₹5,088
33.37%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$70.7 ¥473
$44.17 ₹4,194
60.13%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Datong
Delhi
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$283 ¥1,890
$271 ₹25.8K
4.21%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$193 ¥1,289
$157 ₹14.9K
22.78%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$598 ¥3,999
$744 ₹70.6K
-19.55%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$363 ¥2,424
$405 ₹38.4K
-10.38%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,069 ¥20.5K
$2,574 ₹244.4K
19.22%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,036 ¥13.6K
$1,003 ₹95.2K
103.06%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Datong
Delhi
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$615 ₹58.4K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.89
8.33
-53.30%

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

Last update for Datong: October 18, 2026

Last update for Delhi: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Groceries & Markets
Datong
$198
Delhi
$110 44.7% $88
Accommodation & Living
Datong
$193
Delhi
$157 18.6% $36
Clothing & Footwear
Datong
$98
Delhi
$68 30.3% $30
Eating Out
Datong
$85
Delhi
$87 1.8% $1.6
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Datong
$66
Delhi
$54 19% $13
Sport & Entertainment
Datong
$54
Delhi
$31 43.1% $23
Getting Around
Datong
$21
Delhi
$20 4.3% $0.9

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $283 in Datong and $271 in Delhi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $21.00 in Datong vs $21.00 in Delhi. Groceries flip the comparison at $198 vs $110, with Delhi cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇨🇳 Datong
🇮🇳 Delhi
🕒 Local time
09:25 9:25 AM
06:55 6:55 AM
2 h 30 min behind Datong
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
3,318,057
16,787,941 Capital
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

INR, USD, EUR to CNY – Chinese Yuan Converter

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 6.69 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.52 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 94.96 INR (100 INR = 1.05 USD). 1 EUR = 107 INR (1,000 INR = 9.37 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Datong Delhi 3,520 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Datong
  • Delhi

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
Datong vs Delhi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Datong or Delhi?
Delhi wins on cost – living expenses run 36% lower than in Datong. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Delhi the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Datong and in Delhi?
You'd need roughly $1,072 in Datong and $789 in Delhi to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Datong compared to Delhi?
Rent for a central apartment: $283 in Datong versus $271 in Delhi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do childcare costs compare in Datong and in Delhi?
Childcare runs $329 in Datong versus $101 in Delhi. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Are groceries more expensive in Datong or in Delhi?
Supermarket bills run roughly 81% higher in Datong. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Can you live on $1,200/month in Datong or in Delhi?
Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Delhi gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Datong or Delhi?
Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Delhi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 36% less than in Datong. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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