Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Delhi and Cixi

For one person, living is cheaper in Delhi: $520 a month against $725 in Cixi, rent and utilities included – about $2,500 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Delhi
🇮🇳 India
$520
/mo nomad
Cixi
🇨🇳 China
$725
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Delhi and in Cixi

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $520 in Delhi versus $725 in Cixi.

  • Delhi $520
  • Cixi $725

Estimated couple costs with rent: $858 in Delhi versus $1,145 in Cixi.

  • Delhi $858
  • Cixi $1,145

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,195 in Delhi versus $1,564 in Cixi.

  • Delhi $1,195
  • Cixi $1,564

Living in Delhi costs roughly 28% less than in Cixi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Delhi 61% lower, Cixi 46% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Delhi
Cixi
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.67 ₹352
$2.86 ¥19.14
28.32%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$20.95 ₹2,006
$21.88 ¥146
-4.25%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$3.74 ₹359
$4.73 ¥31.61
-20.93%
Cappuccino
$2.33 ₹223
$2.96 ¥19.77
-21.28%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.37 ₹35.45
$0.47 ¥3.14
-21.28%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.20 ₹18.71
$0.29 ¥1.95
-31.03%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.02 ₹193
$0.94 ¥6.28
114.89%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.19 ₹305
$2.04 ¥13.64
56.37%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Delhi
Cixi
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.68 ₹65.2
$1.85 ¥12.40
-63.24%
White Bread (500g)
$0.52 ₹49.63
$1.60 ¥10.68
-67.50%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$0.83 ₹79.1
$0.95 ¥6.37
-12.63%
Eggs
$1.07 ₹103
$1.54 ¥10.28
-30.52%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$4.43 ₹424
$12.74 ¥85.1
-65.23%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.37 ₹323
$3.16 ¥21.11
6.65%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
-
$10.37 ¥69.3
-
Apples (1kg)
$1.99 ₹190
$1.86 ¥12.42
6.99%
Banana (1kg)
$0.72 ₹69.4
$1.25 ¥8.37
-42.40%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.02 ₹97.4
$1.48 ¥9.89
-31.08%
Tomato (1kg)
$0.52 ₹49.56
$1.11 ¥7.41
-53.15%
Potato (1kg)
$0.27 ₹25.68
$0.74 ¥4.93
-63.51%
Onion (1kg)
$0.37 ₹35.05
$0.90 ¥6.01
-58.89%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.43 ₹41.20
$0.56 ¥3.71
-23.21%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.31 ₹30.07
$0.54 ¥3.63
-42.59%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.92 ₹471
$3.15 ¥21.04
56.19%
Wine (Bottle)
$8.34 ₹799
$10.77 ¥72.0
-22.56%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.64 ₹157
$0.78 ¥5.22
110.26%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.70 ₹259
$1.65 ¥11.00
63.64%
Buffalo Round (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) (1kg)
$6.15 ₹589
-
-
🚌 Getting Around
Delhi
Cixi
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.46 ₹43.57
$0.29 ¥1.95
58.62%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$15.29 ₹1,465
$16.62 ¥111
-8.00%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.03 ₹98.7
$1.42 ¥9.48
-27.46%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.27 ₹26.10
$0.36 ¥2.39
-25.00%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$1.53 ₹146
$6.71 ¥44.85
-77.20%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.05 ₹101
$1.13 ¥7.55
-7.08%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$10.5K ₹1.0M
$19.7K ¥132.0K
-47.00%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$18.4K ₹1.8M
$17.1K ¥114.4K
7.25%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Delhi
Cixi
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$42.67 ₹4,086
$44.63 ¥298
-4.39%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$4.04 ₹387
$9.55 ¥63.8
-57.70%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$6.75 ₹646
$11.71 ¥78.3
-42.36%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Delhi
Cixi
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$19.40 ₹1,858
$42.36 ¥283
-54.20%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$8.06 ₹772
$14.18 ¥94.7
-43.16%
Cinema Ticket
$5.08 ₹487
$6.06 ¥40.49
-16.17%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Delhi
Cixi
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$100 ₹9,594
$333 ¥2,227
-69.93%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$2,268 ₹217.2K
$17.1K ¥114.4K
-86.75%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Delhi
Cixi
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$24.14 ₹2,311
$43.43 ¥290
-44.42%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$28.38 ₹2,718
$29.82 ¥199
-4.83%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$53.3 ₹5,106
$72.8 ¥486
-26.75%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$44.13 ₹4,226
$72.7 ¥486
-39.32%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Delhi
Cixi
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$264 ₹25.3K
$283 ¥1,894
-6.88%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$154 ₹14.8K
$192 ¥1,281
-19.62%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$736 ₹70.5K
$588 ¥3,929
25.22%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$397 ₹38.0K
$366 ¥2,448
8.50%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,494 ₹238.8K
$3,000 ¥20.0K
-16.87%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,017 ₹97.4K
$1,998 ¥13.4K
-49.11%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Delhi
Cixi
Difference
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 Cixi: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Delhi
$154
Cixi
$192 24.4% $38
Groceries & Markets
Delhi
$108
Cixi
$199 84.6% $91
Eating Out
Delhi
$87
Cixi
$84 3.3% $2.9
Clothing & Footwear
Delhi
$67
Cixi
$98 45.9% $31
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Delhi
$53
Cixi
$66 23.3% $12
Sport & Entertainment
Delhi
$30
Cixi
$54 84.2% $25
Getting Around
Delhi
$20
Cixi
$21 7.6% $1.5

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $264 in Delhi and $283 in Cixi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $21.00 in Delhi vs $22.00 in Cixi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $108 vs $199 per month, with Delhi cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇮🇳 Delhi
🇨🇳 Cixi
🕒 Local time
11:49 11:49 AM
14:19 2:19 PM
2 h 30 min ahead of Delhi
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
16,787,941 Capital
1,829,488
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

CNY, USD, EUR to INR – Indian Rupee Converter

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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Delhi Cixi 4,240 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Delhi
  • Cixi

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 Cixi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Delhi or Cixi?
Delhi wins on cost – living expenses run 39% lower than in Cixi. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Delhi the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Delhi and in Cixi?
You'd need roughly $780 in Delhi and $1,088 in Cixi 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.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Delhi compared to Cixi?
Rent for a central apartment: $264 in Delhi versus $283 in Cixi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do childcare costs compare in Delhi and in Cixi?
Childcare runs $100 in Delhi versus $333 in Cixi. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Are groceries more expensive in Delhi or in Cixi?
Supermarket bills run roughly 85% higher in Cixi. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Can you live on $1,200/month in Delhi or in Cixi?
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.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Delhi or Cixi?
Both work as nomad bases, but Delhi delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $520 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Delhi hard to pass up.
How safe is Delhi compared to Cixi?
Safety-wise, Delhi and Cixi are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Delhi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 39% less than in Cixi. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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