Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Delhi and Changshu

For one person, living is cheaper in Delhi: $520 a month against $707 in Changshu, rent and utilities included – about $2,200 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
35

Cost of Living Index in Changshu
Learn more

Changshu Living Index

Jump to prices

Delhi

🇮🇳 India

$520

/mo nomad

Changshu

🇨🇳 China

$707

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Delhi and in Changshu

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $520 in Delhi versus $707 in Changshu.

Delhi $520
Changshu $707

Estimated couple costs with rent: $858 in Delhi versus $1,120 in Changshu.

Delhi $858
Changshu $1,120

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,195 in Delhi versus $1,532 in Changshu.

Delhi $1,195
Changshu $1,532

Living in Delhi costs roughly 26% less than in Changshu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.67 ₹352

$2.71 ¥18.12

35.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$20.95 ₹2,006

$21.35 ¥143

-1.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.74 ₹359

$4.98 ¥33.30

-24.90%

Cappuccino

$2.33 ₹223

$3.09 ¥20.67

-24.60%

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

$0.37 ₹35.45

$0.43 ¥2.88

-13.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.20 ₹18.71

$0.27 ¥1.80

-25.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.02 ₹193

$0.94 ¥6.27

114.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.19 ₹305

$2.06 ¥13.78

54.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.68 ₹65.2

$1.87 ¥12.49

-63.64%

White Bread (500g)

$0.52 ₹49.63

$1.56 ¥10.44

-66.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.83 ₹79.1

$0.90 ¥6.03

-7.78%

Eggs

$1.07 ₹103

$1.54 ¥10.31

-30.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.43 ₹424

$12.88 ¥86.1

-65.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.37 ₹323

$3.17 ¥21.16

6.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.11 ¥67.5

Apples (1kg)

$1.99 ₹190

$1.82 ¥12.19

9.34%

Banana (1kg)

$0.72 ₹69.4

$1.25 ¥8.33

-42.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.02 ₹97.4

$1.54 ¥10.29

-33.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.52 ₹49.56

$1.14 ¥7.64

-54.39%

Potato (1kg)

$0.27 ₹25.68

$0.69 ¥4.60

-60.87%

Onion (1kg)

$0.37 ₹35.05

$0.89 ¥5.98

-58.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.43 ₹41.20

$0.56 ¥3.76

-23.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.31 ₹30.07

$0.50 ¥3.37

-38.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.92 ₹471

$3.04 ¥20.35

61.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.34 ₹799

$10.65 ¥71.2

-21.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.64 ₹157

$0.74 ¥4.97

121.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.70 ₹259

$1.63 ¥10.91

65.64%

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

$6.15 ₹589

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.46 ₹43.57

$0.27 ¥1.78

70.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.29 ₹1,465

$16.85 ¥113

-9.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.03 ₹98.7

$1.37 ¥9.16

-24.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.27 ₹26.10

$0.35 ¥2.35

-22.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.53 ₹146

$6.82 ¥45.56

-77.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.05 ₹101

$1.14 ¥7.61

-7.89%

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

$10.5K ₹1.0M

$19.4K ¥129.4K

-45.94%

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

$18.4K ₹1.8M

$16.9K ¥113.2K

8.47%

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

$42.67 ₹4,086

$44.92 ¥300

-5.01%

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

$4.04 ₹387

$9.95 ¥66.5

-59.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$6.75 ₹646

$11.63 ¥77.7

-41.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$19.40 ₹1,858

$42.26 ¥282

-54.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.06 ₹772

$13.67 ¥91.3

-41.04%

Cinema Ticket

$5.08 ₹487

$5.88 ¥39.29

-13.61%

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

$100 ₹9,594

$340 ¥2,272

-70.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,268 ₹217.2K

$17.1K ¥114.4K

-86.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$24.14 ₹2,311

$43.35 ¥290

-44.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.38 ₹2,718

$30.09 ¥201

-5.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$53.3 ₹5,106

$70.8 ¥473

-24.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$44.13 ₹4,226

$73.3 ¥490

-39.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$264 ₹25.3K

$277 ¥1,853

-4.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$154 ₹14.8K

$192 ¥1,281

-19.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$736 ₹70.5K

$596 ¥3,986

23.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$397 ₹38.0K

$355 ¥2,370

12.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,494 ₹238.8K

$3,056 ¥20.4K

-18.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,017 ₹97.4K

$2,007 ¥13.4K

-49.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$585 ₹56.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.33

3.89

114.14%

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

Last update for Delhi: October 6, 2026

Last update for Changshu: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Delhi

$154 29.7%

Changshu

$192 26.8% 24.4% $38

Groceries & Markets

Delhi

$108 20.8%

Changshu

$198 27.7% 83.2% $90

Eating Out

Delhi

$87 16.8%

Changshu

$85 12% 2.2% $1.9

Clothing & Footwear

Delhi

$67 13%

Changshu

$98 13.7% 45% $30

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Delhi

$53 10.3%

Changshu

$67 9.3% 24.4% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Delhi

$30 5.7%

Changshu

$54 7.6% 82.7% $24

Getting Around

Delhi

$20 3.8%

Changshu

$21 3% 7.8% $1.5

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $264 in Delhi and $277 in Changshu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $21.00 in Delhi vs $21.00 in Changshu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $108 vs $198 per month, with Delhi cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇳 Delhi

🇨🇳 Changshu

🕒 Local time

14:10 2:10 PM

16:40 4:40 PM

2 h 30 min ahead of Delhi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

16,787,941 Capital

1,677,050

💱 Currency

Indian Rupee INR ₹

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 INR = 10.44 USD

1,000 INR = 9.32 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.134 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 13, 2026: 1 USD = 95.76 INR (100 INR = 1.04 USD). 1 EUR = 107 INR (1,000 INR = 9.32 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 13, 2026: 1 USD = 6.68 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.49 CNY (1 CNY = 0.134 EUR).

USD to INR in detail →

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Between locations

Delhi Changshu 4,170 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Delhi
Changshu

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 Changshu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Delhi is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and leisure. The 36% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $780 in Delhi and $1,061 in Changshu 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $264 in Delhi versus $277 in Changshu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

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

All in, you'll spend $520 per month in Delhi versus $707 in Changshu – a 36% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

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.

Safety-wise, Delhi and Changshu are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Delhi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 36% less than in Changshu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.