Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Delhi and Changchun

For one person, living is cheaper in Delhi: $522 a month against $912 in Changchun, rent and utilities included – about $4,700 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

25

Cost of Living Index in Delhi
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Delhi Living Index
44

Cost of Living Index in Changchun
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Changchun Living Index

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Delhi

🇮🇳 India

$522

/mo nomad

Changchun

🇨🇳 China

$912

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Delhi and in Changchun

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $522 in Delhi versus $912 in Changchun.

Delhi $522
Changchun $912

Estimated couple costs with rent: $872 in Delhi versus $1,335 in Changchun.

Delhi $872
Changchun $1,335

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,222 in Delhi versus $1,757 in Changchun.

Delhi $1,222
Changchun $1,757

Living in Delhi costs roughly 43% less than in Changchun, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Delhi 61% lower, Changchun 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.70 ₹352

$2.95 ¥19.69

25.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$21.05 ₹2,000

$22.24 ¥149

-5.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.73 ₹354

$5.19 ¥34.66

-28.13%

Cappuccino

$2.35 ₹223

$2.49 ¥16.64

-5.62%

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

$0.37 ₹35.24

$0.48 ¥3.20

-22.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.15 ₹13.94

$0.29 ¥1.93

-48.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.14 ₹203

$1.17 ¥7.81

82.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.06 ₹291

$1.82 ¥12.18

68.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.69 ₹65.1

$1.90 ¥12.69

-63.68%

White Bread (500g)

$0.53 ₹50.1

$1.22 ¥8.15

-56.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.77 ₹73.1

$1.45 ¥9.71

-46.90%

Eggs

$1.11 ₹105

$1.84 ¥12.31

-39.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.63 ₹440

$34.91 ¥233

-86.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.52 ₹334

$5.88 ¥39.30

-40.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.55 ¥70.5

Apples (1kg)

$2.00 ₹190

$1.71 ¥11.43

16.96%

Banana (1kg)

$0.74 ₹70.6

$1.46 ¥9.78

-49.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.97 ₹92.6

$1.78 ¥11.87

-45.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.53 ₹49.97

$1.90 ¥12.67

-72.11%

Potato (1kg)

$0.30 ₹28.64

$0.88 ¥5.86

-65.91%

Onion (1kg)

$0.40 ₹37.85

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.42 ₹39.66

$0.61 ¥4.10

-31.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.31 ₹29.83

$1.48 ¥9.88

-79.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.94 ₹469

$3.65 ¥24.41

35.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.21 ₹780

$20.59 ¥138

-60.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 ₹150

$0.93 ¥6.20

69.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.69 ₹256

$1.14 ¥7.59

135.96%

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

$6.19 ₹589

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.46 ₹43.50

$0.44 ¥2.91

4.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.78 ₹1,499

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.07 ₹102

$1.23 ¥8.25

-13.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.27 ₹25.69

$0.31 ¥2.10

-12.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.58 ₹151

$2.93 ¥19.55

-46.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.07 ₹102

$1.24 ¥8.29

-13.71%

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

$10.7K ₹1.0M

$19.6K ¥130.8K

-45.56%

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

$18.9K ₹1.8M

$18.0K ¥120.0K

5.48%

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

$42.37 ₹4,027

$75.1 ¥502

-43.60%

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

$4.03 ₹383

$4.52 ¥30.21

-10.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$6.95 ₹660

$14.87 ¥99.4

-53.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$19.18 ₹1,823

$38.44 ¥257

-50.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.92 ₹753

$4.21 ¥28.15

88.12%

Cinema Ticket

$5.27 ₹501

$6.86 ¥45.87

-23.18%

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

$100 ₹9,533

$546 ¥3,646

-81.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,247 ₹213.6K

$21.4K ¥143.0K

-89.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$24.11 ₹2,292

$74.2 ¥496

-67.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.85 ₹2,647

$45.27 ¥302

-38.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$52.4 ₹4,981

$60.9 ¥407

-13.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$42.90 ₹4,077

$71.0 ¥475

-39.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$267 ₹25.4K

$218 ¥1,458

22.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$156 ₹14.8K

$251 ¥1,677

-37.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$734 ₹69.8K

$575 ¥3,844

27.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$394 ₹37.5K

$310 ¥2,071

27.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,507 ₹238.2K

$1,661 ¥11.1K

50.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,020 ₹96.9K

$1,015 ¥6,783

0.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$608 ₹57.8K

$965 ¥6,445

-37.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.33

4.37

90.62%

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

Last update for Delhi: October 12, 2026

Last update for Changchun: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Delhi

$156 29.9%

Changchun

$251 27.5% 61% $95

Groceries & Markets

Delhi

$109 20.9%

Changchun

$315 * 34.6% 189% $206

Eating Out

Delhi

$88 16.8%

Changchun

$82 9% 7.1% $6.3

Clothing & Footwear

Delhi

$66 12.7%

Changchun

$113 12.4% 70.7% $47

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Delhi

$53 10.2%

Changchun

$95 10.4% 77.2% $41

Sport & Entertainment

Delhi

$30 5.7%

Changchun

$52 5.7% 75.6% $22

Getting Around

Delhi

$20 3.8%

Changchun

$4.6 * 0.5% 77.3% $15

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $267 in Delhi and $218 in Changchun. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Changchun pays 59% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $21.00 in Delhi vs $22.00 in Changchun for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $109 vs $315 per month, with Delhi cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇳 Delhi

🇨🇳 Changchun

🕒 Local time

15:29 3:29 PM

17:59 5:59 PM

2 h 30 min ahead of Delhi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

16,787,941 Capital

9,066,906

💱 Currency

Indian Rupee INR ₹

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 INR = 10.52 USD

1,000 INR = 9.38 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CNY, USD, EUR to INR – Indian Rupee Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇳 Indian Rupee (₹)

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of October 16, 2026: 1 USD = 95.05 INR (100 INR = 1.05 USD). 1 EUR = 107 INR (1,000 INR = 9.38 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 16, 2026: 1 USD = 6.68 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.49 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

USD to INR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Delhi Changchun 4,560 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Delhi
Changchun

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 Changchun: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Delhi is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and leisure. The 75% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 59% lower in Changchun. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $267 in Delhi versus $218 in Changchun. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $100 in Delhi versus $546 in Changchun. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Delhi – a meal for two runs $21.00 versus $22.00 in Changchun. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

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.

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.

Expats usually find Delhi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 75% less than in Changchun. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.