Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Delhi and Chandigarh

For one person, living is cheaper in Chandigarh: $488 a month against $536 in Delhi, rent and utilities included – about $580 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

26

Cost of Living Index in Delhi
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Delhi Living Index
24

Cost of Living Index in Chandigarh
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Chandigarh Living Index

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Delhi

🇮🇳 India

$536

/mo nomad

Chandigarh

🇮🇳 India

$488

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Delhi and in Chandigarh

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $536 in Delhi versus $488 in Chandigarh.

Delhi $536
Chandigarh $488

Estimated couple costs with rent: $901 in Delhi versus $788 in Chandigarh.

Delhi $901
Chandigarh $788

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,266 in Delhi versus $1,088 in Chandigarh.

Delhi $1,266
Chandigarh $1,088

Living in Delhi is roughly 10% more expensive than in Chandigarh, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities sit below the global median: Delhi 61% lower, Chandigarh 64% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.66 ₹348

$3.20 ₹304

14.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$20.76 ₹1,971

$13.68 ₹1,299

51.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.74 ₹355

$4.11 ₹390

-9.00%

Cappuccino

$2.48 ₹236

$2.69 ₹256

-7.81%

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

$0.38 ₹36.11

$0.44 ₹41.50

-13.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.17 ₹15.81

$0.25 ₹23.78

-32.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.04 ₹194

$2.15 ₹204

-5.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 ₹292

$3.17 ₹301

-3.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.70 ₹66.2

$0.73 ₹69.4

-4.11%

White Bread (500g)

$0.52 ₹49.11

$0.52 ₹49.17

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.82 ₹78.0

$0.81 ₹77.3

1.23%

Eggs

$1.17 ₹111

$0.91 ₹86.3

28.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.31 ₹410

$4.93 ₹468

-12.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.36 ₹319

$2.84 ₹270

18.31%

Apples (1kg)

$1.96 ₹186

$1.64 ₹156

19.51%

Banana (1kg)

$0.74 ₹70.4

$0.75 ₹70.9

-1.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.99 ₹93.9

$1.06 ₹101

-6.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.49 ₹46.59

$0.67 ₹63.8

-26.87%

Potato (1kg)

$0.29 ₹27.21

$0.28 ₹26.54

3.57%

Onion (1kg)

$0.41 ₹38.52

$0.34 ₹32.38

20.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.44 ₹41.83

$0.67 ₹63.4

-34.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.31 ₹29.72

$0.30 ₹28.25

3.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.03 ₹478

$4.97 ₹472

1.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.37 ₹794

$11.43 ₹1,086

-26.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 ₹158

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.81 ₹267

$2.81 ₹266

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

$6.64 ₹631

$6.55 ₹622

1.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.41 ₹38.47

$0.25 ₹23.60

64.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.60 ₹1,481

$4.58 ₹435

240.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.08 ₹102

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.25 ₹23.67

$0.25 ₹23.90

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.57 ₹149

$1.66 ₹158

-5.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 ₹105

$1.09 ₹103

1.83%

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

$11.1K ₹1.0M

$11.2K ₹1.1M

-1.37%

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

$19.6K ₹1.9M

$25.0K ₹2.4M

-21.60%

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

$43.87 ₹4,166

$38.21 ₹3,628

14.81%

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

$4.27 ₹406

$4.08 ₹388

4.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$6.82 ₹647

$6.52 ₹619

4.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.06 ₹2,474

$25.72 ₹2,443

1.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.09 ₹768

$8.08 ₹767

0.12%

Cinema Ticket

$5.34 ₹507

$3.13 ₹298

70.61%

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

$100 ₹9,507

$57.7 ₹5,480

73.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,288 ₹217.2K

$2,480 ₹235.5K

-7.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$24.84 ₹2,359

$26.87 ₹2,551

-7.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.18 ₹2,771

$25.26 ₹2,398

15.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$53.2 ₹5,048

$57.6 ₹5,469

-7.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$44.74 ₹4,248

$44.40 ₹4,216

0.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$277 ₹26.3K

$171 ₹16.3K

61.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$159 ₹15.1K

$127 ₹12.1K

24.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$798 ₹75.8K

$482 ₹45.8K

65.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$420 ₹39.8K

$309 ₹29.3K

35.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,558 ₹242.9K

$1,868 ₹177.4K

36.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,172 ₹111.3K

$1,025 ₹97.4K

14.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$598 ₹56.8K

$437 ₹41.5K

36.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.35

4.37%

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

Last update for Delhi: October 25, 2026

Last update for Chandigarh: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Delhi

$159 29.6%

Chandigarh

$127 26% 20% $32

Groceries & Markets

Delhi

$108 20.2%

Chandigarh

$113 23.2% 4.5% $4.9

Eating Out

Delhi

$89 16.6%

Chandigarh

$90 18.5% 1.4% $1.3

Clothing & Footwear

Delhi

$68 12.8%

Chandigarh

$69 14.2% 1.4% $1

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Delhi

$55 10.3%

Chandigarh

$49 10% 11.2% $6.1

Sport & Entertainment

Delhi

$37 6.9%

Chandigarh

$32 6.6% 12.9% $4.8

Getting Around

Delhi

$20 3.7%

Chandigarh

$7.9 1.6% 59.5% $12

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $277 in Delhi and $171 in Chandigarh. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Delhi pays 37% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $21 in Delhi vs $14 in Chandigarh. Groceries flip the comparison at $108 vs $113, with Delhi cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇮🇳 Delhi

🇮🇳 Chandigarh

🕒 Local time

08:58 8:58 AM

Same time as Delhi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

16,787,941 Capital

1,028,667

💱 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)

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

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Delhi vs Chandigarh: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chandigarh wins on cost – living expenses run 9% lower than in Delhi. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Chandigarh the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 37% higher in Delhi, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $277 in Delhi versus $171 in Chandigarh. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Chandigarh runs roughly 71% less than in Delhi. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $100 in Delhi versus $58 in Chandigarh. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Either city works on $800 a month, though Chandigarh gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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.

It comes down to priorities – Chandigarh wins on affordability, Delhi on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.