Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Delhi and Imphal

For one person, living is cheaper in Imphal: $353 a month against $536 in Delhi, rent and utilities included – about $2,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Delhi, India
Imphal, India
Delhi
🇮🇳 India
$536
/mo nomad
Imphal
🇮🇳 India
$353
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Delhi and in Imphal

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

A single person spends $536 per month in Delhi vs $353 in Imphal, rent included.

  • Delhi $536
  • Imphal $353

A couple spends around $901 per month in Delhi vs $576 in Imphal, rent included.

  • Delhi $901
  • Imphal $576

A family of three spends $1,266 per month in Delhi vs $800 in Imphal, rent included.

  • Delhi $1,266
  • Imphal $800

Delhi costs about 52% more than Imphal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Delhi and Imphal are more affordable than the global median – Delhi 61% lower, Imphal 74% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Delhi
Imphal
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.66 ₹349
$2.16 ₹206
69.44%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$20.76 ₹1,976
$8.50 ₹809
144.24%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$3.74 ₹356
$4.41 ₹420
-15.19%
Cappuccino
$2.48 ₹237
$0.75 ₹71.4
230.67%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.38 ₹36.21
$0.43 ₹40.79
-11.63%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.17 ₹15.85
$0.18 ₹16.78
-5.56%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.04 ₹195
$1.07 ₹102
90.65%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.07 ₹293
$2.84 ₹271
8.10%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Delhi
Imphal
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.70 ₹66.4
$0.76 ₹72.4
-7.89%
White Bread (500g)
$0.52 ₹49.25
$0.80 ₹76.2
-35.00%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$0.82 ₹78.2
$0.43 ₹41.27
90.70%
Eggs
$1.17 ₹112
$1.22 ₹116
-4.10%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$4.31 ₹411
$4.65 ₹443
-7.31%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.36 ₹320
$2.71 ₹258
23.99%
Apples (1kg)
$1.96 ₹186
$2.59 ₹247
-24.32%
Banana (1kg)
$0.74 ₹70.6
$0.64 ₹61.1
15.62%
Oranges (1kg)
$0.99 ₹94.1
$0.92 ₹87.9
7.61%
Tomato (1kg)
$0.49 ₹46.72
$0.60 ₹57.2
-18.33%
Potato (1kg)
$0.29 ₹27.29
$0.38 ₹35.96
-23.68%
Onion (1kg)
$0.41 ₹38.63
$0.38 ₹35.81
7.89%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.44 ₹41.95
$0.49 ₹46.36
-10.20%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.31 ₹29.80
$0.23 ₹21.88
34.78%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.03 ₹479
$5.08 ₹483
-0.98%
Wine (Bottle)
$8.37 ₹797
$11.41 ₹1,086
-26.64%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.67 ₹159
$1.45 ₹138
15.17%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.81 ₹268
$1.45 ₹138
93.79%
Buffalo Round (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) (1kg)
$6.64 ₹633
$5.18 ₹493
28.19%
🚌 Getting Around
Delhi
Imphal
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.41 ₹38.58
$0.33 ₹31.60
24.24%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$15.60 ₹1,485
$7.37 ₹702
111.67%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.08 ₹102
$1.04 ₹98.8
3.85%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.25 ₹23.74
$0.33 ₹31.85
-24.24%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$1.57 ₹149
$1.50 ₹143
4.67%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.11 ₹106
$1.15 ₹109
-3.48%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$11.1K ₹1.1M
$10.2K ₹967.1K
8.84%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$19.6K ₹1.9M
$17.0K ₹1.6M
15.35%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Delhi
Imphal
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$43.87 ₹4,178
$67.1 ₹6,393
-34.66%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$4.27 ₹407
$3.12 ₹297
36.86%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$6.82 ₹649
$4.91 ₹467
38.90%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Delhi
Imphal
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$26.06 ₹2,481
$5.36 ₹511
386.19%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$8.09 ₹771
$1.55 ₹147
421.94%
Cinema Ticket
$5.34 ₹509
$2.70 ₹257
97.78%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Delhi
Imphal
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$100 ₹9,534
$14.50 ₹1,381
590.55%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$2,288 ₹217.9K
$1,439 ₹137.0K
59.00%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Delhi
Imphal
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$24.84 ₹2,366
$20.78 ₹1,979
19.54%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$29.18 ₹2,779
$21.08 ₹2,007
38.43%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$53.2 ₹5,063
$31.70 ₹3,018
67.73%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$44.74 ₹4,260
$30.93 ₹2,945
44.65%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Delhi
Imphal
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$277 ₹26.4K
$91.1 ₹8,671
204.22%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$159 ₹15.1K
$42.51 ₹4,048
273.47%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$798 ₹76.0K
$248 ₹23.6K
222.25%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$420 ₹40.0K
$184 ₹17.5K
128.38%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,558 ₹243.6K
$423 ₹40.3K
504.81%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,172 ₹111.6K
$253 ₹24.1K
363.56%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Delhi
Imphal
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$598 ₹57.0K
$186 ₹17.7K
222.20%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
8.35
14.35
-41.81%

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

Last update for Delhi: October 25, 2026

Last update for Imphal: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Delhi
$159
Imphal
$43 73.2% $116
Groceries & Markets
Delhi
$108
Imphal
$113 4.1% $4.4
Eating Out
Delhi
$89
Imphal
$53 40.4% $36
Clothing & Footwear
Delhi
$68
Imphal
$47 31.2% $21
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Delhi
$55
Imphal
$75 36.8% $20
Sport & Entertainment
Delhi
$37
Imphal
$11 70.7% $26
Getting Around
Delhi
$20
Imphal
$11 41.6% $8.1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $277 in Delhi versus $91 in Imphal. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Delhi are about 3.2 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $21 in Delhi versus $8 in Imphal. Groceries tell a different story – $108 in Delhi vs $113 in Imphal – so Delhi wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇮🇳 Delhi
🇮🇳 Imphal
🕒 Local time
05:15 5:15 AM
05:15 5:15 AM
Same time as Delhi
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
16,787,941 Capital
500,000
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to INR – Indian Rupee Converter

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 95.22 INR (100 INR = 1.05 USD). 1 EUR = 106 INR (1,000 INR = 9.43 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Delhi Imphal 1,710 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Delhi
  • Imphal

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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index
Delhi vs Imphal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Delhi and in Imphal compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $536 in Delhi, $353 in Imphal – Imphal comes out roughly 34% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.
What salary covers living expenses in Delhi compared to Imphal?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $803 per month in Delhi and $529 in Imphal. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Delhi and Imphal?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Imphal, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $91 there versus $277 in Delhi.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $21 in Delhi and $8 in Imphal. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Which city is more expensive overall: Delhi or Imphal?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $536 in Delhi and $353 in Imphal. That makes Imphal about 34% cheaper.
How far does $1,200 go in Delhi compared to Imphal?
$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $536 in Delhi and $353 in Imphal, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
Where should families live: Delhi or Imphal?
Families tend to lean toward Imphal – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
How do I decide between Delhi and Imphal?
If budget matters most, go with Imphal. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Delhi makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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