Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Delhi and Chennai (Madras)

For one person, living is cheaper in Chennai (Madras): $435 a month against $536 in Delhi, rent and utilities included – about $1,200 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

26

Cost of Living Index in Delhi
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Delhi Living Index
21

Cost of Living Index in Chennai (Madras)
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Chennai (Madras) Living Index

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Delhi

🇮🇳 India

$536

/mo nomad

Chennai (Madras)

🇮🇳 India

$435

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Delhi and in Chennai (Madras)

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 Chennai (Madras) actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $536 per month in Delhi vs $435 in Chennai (Madras), rent included.

Delhi $536
Chennai (Madras) $435

A couple spends around $901 per month in Delhi vs $725 in Chennai (Madras), rent included.

Delhi $901
Chennai (Madras) $725

A family of three spends $1,266 per month in Delhi vs $1,016 in Chennai (Madras), rent included.

Delhi $1,266
Chennai (Madras) $1,016

Delhi costs about 23% more than Chennai (Madras), and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Delhi and Chennai (Madras) are more affordable than the global median – Delhi 61% lower, Chennai (Madras) 68% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.66 ₹349

$2.04 ₹194

79.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$20.76 ₹1,976

$12.50 ₹1,191

66.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.74 ₹356

$4.14 ₹394

-9.66%

Cappuccino

$2.48 ₹237

$1.82 ₹174

36.26%

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

$0.38 ₹36.21

$0.34 ₹31.96

11.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.17 ₹15.85

$0.17 ₹16.22

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.04 ₹195

$1.55 ₹148

31.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 ₹293

$3.17 ₹302

-3.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.70 ₹66.4

$0.59 ₹56.0

18.64%

White Bread (500g)

$0.52 ₹49.25

$0.51 ₹48.18

1.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.82 ₹78.2

$0.69 ₹65.5

18.84%

Eggs

$1.17 ₹112

$0.88 ₹84.1

32.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.31 ₹411

$6.25 ₹595

-31.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.36 ₹320

$3.12 ₹297

7.69%

Apples (1kg)

$1.96 ₹186

$2.78 ₹265

-29.50%

Banana (1kg)

$0.74 ₹70.6

$0.83 ₹78.6

-10.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.99 ₹94.1

$1.39 ₹132

-28.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.49 ₹46.72

$0.43 ₹40.77

13.95%

Potato (1kg)

$0.29 ₹27.29

$0.44 ₹42.32

-34.09%

Onion (1kg)

$0.41 ₹38.63

$0.42 ₹40.01

-2.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.44 ₹41.95

$0.54 ₹51.9

-18.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.31 ₹29.80

$0.28 ₹26.50

10.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.03 ₹479

$5.11 ₹487

-1.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.37 ₹797

$7.25 ₹691

15.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 ₹159

$1.86 ₹177

-10.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.81 ₹268

$2.76 ₹263

1.81%

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

$6.64 ₹633

$6.71 ₹639

-1.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.41 ₹38.58

$0.33 ₹31.81

24.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.60 ₹1,485

$10.67 ₹1,016

46.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.08 ₹102

$1.03 ₹98.1

4.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.25 ₹23.74

$0.30 ₹28.98

-16.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.57 ₹149

$2.12 ₹202

-25.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 ₹106

$1.09 ₹103

1.83%

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

$11.1K ₹1.1M

-0.66%

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

$19.6K ₹1.9M

$20.1K ₹1.9M

-2.51%

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

$43.87 ₹4,178

$38.28 ₹3,645

14.60%

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

$4.27 ₹407

$3.96 ₹377

7.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$6.82 ₹649

$7.75 ₹738

-12.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.06 ₹2,481

$14.18 ₹1,350

83.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.09 ₹771

$6.64 ₹632

21.84%

Cinema Ticket

$5.34 ₹509

$2.28 ₹217

134.21%

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

$100 ₹9,534

$87.7 ₹8,354

14.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,288 ₹217.9K

$2,110 ₹200.9K

8.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$24.84 ₹2,366

$19.99 ₹1,903

24.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.18 ₹2,779

$17.11 ₹1,629

70.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$53.2 ₹5,063

$35.44 ₹3,375

50.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$44.74 ₹4,260

$30.77 ₹2,930

45.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$277 ₹26.4K

$190 ₹18.1K

45.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$159 ₹15.1K

$123 ₹11.7K

29.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$798 ₹76.0K

$577 ₹54.9K

38.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$420 ₹40.0K

$343 ₹32.6K

22.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,558 ₹243.6K

$1,864 ₹177.5K

37.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,172 ₹111.6K

$798 ₹76.0K

46.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$598 ₹57.0K

$662 ₹63.1K

-9.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.35

9.99

-16.42%

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

Last update for Delhi: October 25, 2026

Last update for Chennai (Madras): October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Delhi

$159 29.6%

Chennai (Madras)

$123 28.3% 22.6% $36

Groceries & Markets

Delhi

$108 20.2%

Chennai (Madras)

$115 26.5% 6.3% $6.8

Eating Out

Delhi

$89 16.6%

Chennai (Madras)

$67 15.4% 24.9% $22

Clothing & Footwear

Delhi

$68 12.8%

Chennai (Madras)

$46 10.7% 32% $22

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Delhi

$55 10.3%

Chennai (Madras)

$50 11.5% 9% $5

Sport & Entertainment

Delhi

$37 6.9%

Chennai (Madras)

$19 4.3% 49% $18

Getting Around

Delhi

$20 3.7%

Chennai (Madras)

$15 3.4% 25.5% $5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $277 in Delhi versus $190 in Chennai (Madras). 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 11% higher in Chennai (Madras), which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $21 in Delhi versus $13 in Chennai (Madras). Groceries tell a different story – $108 in Delhi vs $115 in Chennai (Madras) – so Delhi wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇮🇳 Delhi

🇮🇳 Chennai (Madras)

🕒 Local time

01:15 1:15 AM

Same time as Delhi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

16,787,941 Capital

4,681,087

💱 Currency

Indian Rupee INR ₹

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 INR = 10.5 USD

1,000 INR = 9.43 EUR

1,000 INR = 10.5 USD

1,000 INR = 9.43 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Delhi Chennai (Madras) 1,760 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Delhi vs Chennai (Madras): Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Delhi costs about 23% more than Chennai (Madras), and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $803 per month in Delhi and $652 in Chennai (Madras). That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Chennai (Madras), especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $190 there versus $277 in Delhi.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $536 in Delhi and $435 in Chennai (Madras). That makes Chennai (Madras) about 19% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 32% less in Chennai (Madras). For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $536 in Delhi and $435 in Chennai (Madras), leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Chennai (Madras) – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.