Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Delhi and Ambala

For one person, living is cheaper in Ambala: $356 a month against $536 in Delhi, rent and utilities included – about $2,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

26

Cost of Living Index in Delhi
Learn more

Delhi Living Index
17

Cost of Living Index in Ambala
Learn more

Ambala Living Index

Jump to prices

Delhi

🇮🇳 India

$536

/mo nomad

Ambala

🇮🇳 India

$356

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Delhi and in Ambala

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

A single person spends $536 per month in Delhi vs $356 in Ambala, rent included.

Delhi $536
Ambala $356

A couple spends around $901 per month in Delhi vs $556 in Ambala, rent included.

Delhi $901
Ambala $556

A family of three spends $1,266 per month in Delhi vs $757 in Ambala, rent included.

Delhi $1,266
Ambala $757

Delhi costs about 50% more than Ambala, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Delhi and Ambala are more affordable than the global median – Delhi 61% lower, Ambala 74% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.66 ₹348

$3.06 ₹291

19.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$20.76 ₹1,974

$10.60 ₹1,008

95.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.74 ₹356

$2.97 ₹282

25.93%

Cappuccino

$2.48 ₹236

$1.72 ₹163

44.19%

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

$0.38 ₹36.17

$0.38 ₹36.18

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.17 ₹15.83

$0.19 ₹18.32

-10.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.04 ₹194

$1.66 ₹158

22.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 ₹292

$3.21 ₹305

-4.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.70 ₹66.3

$0.68 ₹64.3

2.94%

White Bread (500g)

$0.52 ₹49.19

$0.41 ₹38.54

26.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.82 ₹78.1

$0.82 ₹78.0

Eggs

$1.17 ₹112

$1.07 ₹101

9.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.31 ₹410

$1.79 ₹171

140.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.36 ₹319

$3.41 ₹324

-1.47%

Apples (1kg)

$1.96 ₹186

$2.03 ₹193

-3.45%

Banana (1kg)

$0.74 ₹70.5

$0.71 ₹67.8

4.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.99 ₹94.0

$1.02 ₹97.2

-2.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.49 ₹46.67

$0.43 ₹40.99

13.95%

Potato (1kg)

$0.29 ₹27.26

$0.29 ₹27.17

Onion (1kg)

$0.41 ₹38.58

$0.20 ₹19.01

105.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.44 ₹41.90

$0.37 ₹35.57

18.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.31 ₹29.77

$0.31 ₹29.67

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.03 ₹478

$4.20 ₹400

19.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.37 ₹796

$6.67 ₹634

25.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 ₹158

$1.60 ₹152

4.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.81 ₹267

$2.82 ₹268

-0.35%

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

$6.64 ₹632

$6.48 ₹616

2.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.41 ₹38.54

$0.20 ₹18.99

105.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.60 ₹1,484

$6.99 ₹665

123.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.08 ₹102

$1.02 ₹97.2

5.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.25 ₹23.71

$0.27 ₹25.80

-7.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.57 ₹149

$1.59 ₹151

-1.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 ₹106

$0.94 ₹89.5

18.09%

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

$11.1K ₹1.1M

$9,023 ₹858.2K

22.51%

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

$19.6K ₹1.9M

$19.0K ₹1.8M

3.18%

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

$43.87 ₹4,172

$42.78 ₹4,069

2.55%

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

$4.27 ₹406

$3.66 ₹348

16.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$6.82 ₹648

$6.76 ₹643

0.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.06 ₹2,478

$14.09 ₹1,340

84.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.09 ₹770

$6.62 ₹630

22.21%

Cinema Ticket

$5.34 ₹508

$2.85 ₹271

87.37%

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

$100 ₹9,523

$41.75 ₹3,971

139.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,288 ₹217.6K

$1,569 ₹149.2K

45.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$24.84 ₹2,363

$21.75 ₹2,068

14.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.18 ₹2,776

$23.89 ₹2,272

22.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$53.2 ₹5,056

$41.63 ₹3,960

27.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$44.74 ₹4,255

$23.49 ₹2,234

90.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$277 ₹26.3K

$77.7 ₹7,391

256.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$159 ₹15.1K

$57.0 ₹5,421

178.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$798 ₹75.9K

$209 ₹19.8K

282.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$420 ₹39.9K

$124 ₹11.8K

238.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,558 ₹243.3K

$935 ₹88.9K

173.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,172 ₹111.5K

$575 ₹54.7K

103.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$598 ₹56.9K

$476 ₹45.3K

25.66%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.35

8.25

1.21%

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

Last update for Delhi: October 25, 2026

Last update for Ambala: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Delhi

$159 29.6%

Ambala

$57 16% 64.1% $102

Groceries & Markets

Delhi

$108 20.2%

Ambala

$95 26.7% 12.4% $13

Eating Out

Delhi

$89 16.6%

Ambala

$71 19.9% 20.1% $18

Clothing & Footwear

Delhi

$68 12.8%

Ambala

$50 14% 27.1% $19

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Delhi

$55 10.3%

Ambala

$53 15% 3.2% $1.8

Sport & Entertainment

Delhi

$37 6.9%

Ambala

$20 5.6% 46.1% $17

Getting Around

Delhi

$20 3.7%

Ambala

$10 2.9% 48% $9.4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $277 in Delhi versus $78 in Ambala. 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 26% higher in Delhi, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $21 in Delhi versus $11 in Ambala. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $108 vs $95 – making Ambala the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇳 Delhi

🇮🇳 Ambala

🕒 Local time

16:33 4:33 PM

Same time as Delhi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

16,787,941 Capital

196,000

💱 Currency

Indian Rupee INR ₹

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 INR = 10.51 USD

1,000 INR = 9.45 EUR

1,000 INR = 10.51 USD

1,000 INR = 9.45 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Delhi Ambala 200 km

From you

Delhi
Ambala

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

Delhi vs Ambala: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Delhi is pricier by about 50%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $803 per month in Delhi and $534 in Ambala. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Ambala, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $78 there versus $277 in Delhi.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $536 in Delhi and $356 in Ambala. That’s a gap of about 50%.

Public transport costs about 55% less in Ambala. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$1,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $536 in Delhi and $356 in Ambala, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Ambala – 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 Ambala. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Delhi makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.