Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Delhi and Ernakulam

For one person, living is cheaper in Ernakulam: $393 a month against $536 in Delhi, rent and utilities included – about $1,700 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
19

Cost of Living Index in Ernakulam
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Ernakulam Living Index

Jump to prices

Delhi

🇮🇳 India

$536

/mo nomad

Ernakulam

🇮🇳 India

$393

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Delhi and in Ernakulam

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

A single person spends $536 per month in Delhi vs $393 in Ernakulam, rent included.

Delhi $536
Ernakulam $393

A couple spends around $901 per month in Delhi vs $651 in Ernakulam, rent included.

Delhi $901
Ernakulam $651

A family of three spends $1,266 per month in Delhi vs $909 in Ernakulam, rent included.

Delhi $1,266
Ernakulam $909

Delhi costs about 36% more than Ernakulam, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Delhi and Ernakulam are more affordable than the global median – Delhi 61% lower, Ernakulam 71% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.66 ₹349

$1.70 ₹162

115.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$20.76 ₹1,976

$8.18 ₹779

153.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.74 ₹356

$3.65 ₹347

2.47%

Cappuccino

$2.48 ₹237

$1.29 ₹123

92.25%

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

$0.38 ₹36.21

$0.39 ₹37.58

-2.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.17 ₹15.85

$0.12 ₹11.55

41.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.04 ₹195

$1.62 ₹154

25.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 ₹293

$2.12 ₹202

44.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.70 ₹66.4

$0.63 ₹60.2

11.11%

White Bread (500g)

$0.52 ₹49.25

$0.50 ₹47.41

4.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.82 ₹78.2

$0.63 ₹59.6

30.16%

Eggs

$1.17 ₹112

$0.90 ₹86.1

30.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.31 ₹411

$5.52 ₹526

-21.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.36 ₹320

$2.82 ₹268

19.15%

Apples (1kg)

$1.96 ₹186

$2.25 ₹214

-12.89%

Banana (1kg)

$0.74 ₹70.6

$0.70 ₹66.3

5.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.99 ₹94.1

$1.06 ₹101

-6.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.49 ₹46.72

$0.45 ₹43.14

8.89%

Potato (1kg)

$0.29 ₹27.29

$0.38 ₹36.21

-23.68%

Onion (1kg)

$0.41 ₹38.63

$0.50 ₹47.43

-18.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.44 ₹41.95

$0.56 ₹53.6

-21.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.31 ₹29.80

$0.29 ₹27.40

6.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.03 ₹479

$4.52 ₹431

11.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.37 ₹797

$5.37 ₹512

55.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 ₹159

$1.69 ₹161

-1.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.81 ₹268

$2.50 ₹239

12.40%

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

$6.64 ₹633

$5.07 ₹483

30.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.41 ₹38.58

$0.10 ₹9.20

310.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.60 ₹1,485

$6.24 ₹595

150.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.08 ₹102

$1.33 ₹126

-18.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.25 ₹23.74

$0.33 ₹31.72

-24.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.57 ₹149

$1.34 ₹128

17.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 ₹106

$1.09 ₹104

1.83%

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

$11.1K ₹1.1M

-0.43%

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

$19.6K ₹1.9M

$27.1K ₹2.6M

-27.66%

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

$43.87 ₹4,178

$32.90 ₹3,133

33.34%

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

$4.27 ₹407

$3.28 ₹312

30.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$6.82 ₹649

$6.63 ₹631

2.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.06 ₹2,481

$12.20 ₹1,162

113.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.09 ₹771

$9.04 ₹861

-10.51%

Cinema Ticket

$5.34 ₹509

$2.16 ₹206

147.22%

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

$100 ₹9,534

$56.8 ₹5,407

76.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,288 ₹217.9K

$2,068 ₹196.9K

10.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$24.84 ₹2,366

$21.73 ₹2,069

14.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.18 ₹2,779

$17.36 ₹1,653

68.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$53.2 ₹5,063

$36.23 ₹3,450

46.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$44.74 ₹4,260

$27.47 ₹2,615

62.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$277 ₹26.4K

$226 ₹21.5K

22.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$159 ₹15.1K

$121 ₹11.5K

31.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$798 ₹76.0K

$415 ₹39.5K

92.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$420 ₹40.0K

$330 ₹31.4K

27.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,558 ₹243.6K

$1,084 ₹103.2K

136.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,172 ₹111.6K

$1,184 ₹112.7K

-1.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$598 ₹57.0K

$349 ₹33.3K

71.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.35

9.5

-12.11%

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

Last update for Delhi: October 25, 2026

Last update for Ernakulam: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Delhi

$159 29.6%

Ernakulam

$121 30.8% 23.9% $38

Groceries & Markets

Delhi

$108 20.2%

Ernakulam

$102 26% 5.8% $6.3

Eating Out

Delhi

$89 16.6%

Ernakulam

$54 13.9% 38.7% $34

Clothing & Footwear

Delhi

$68 12.8%

Ernakulam

$46 11.8% 32.4% $22

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Delhi

$55 10.3%

Ernakulam

$43 10.9% 22.1% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Delhi

$37 6.9%

Ernakulam

$17 4.2% 55% $20

Getting Around

Delhi

$20 3.7%

Ernakulam

$9.6 2.5% 50.8% $9.9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $277 in Delhi versus $226 in Ernakulam. 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 71% higher in Delhi. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $21 in Delhi versus $8 in Ernakulam. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $108 vs $102 – making Ernakulam the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇳 Delhi

🇮🇳 Ernakulam

🕒 Local time

03:42 3:42 AM

Same time as Delhi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

16,787,941 Capital

612,343

💱 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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Between locations

Delhi Ernakulam 2,080 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Delhi
Ernakulam

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 Ernakulam: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $536 in Delhi, $393 in Ernakulam – Ernakulam comes out roughly 27% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $803 per month in Delhi and $589 in Ernakulam. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Ernakulam, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $226 there versus $277 in Delhi.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $21 in Delhi and $8 in Ernakulam. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $536 in Delhi and $393 in Ernakulam. That makes Ernakulam about 27% cheaper.

$1,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $536 in Delhi and $393 in Ernakulam, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

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

If budget matters most, go with Ernakulam. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Delhi makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.