Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Delhi and Karnataka

For one person, living is cheaper in Karnataka: $327 a month against $537 in Delhi, rent and utilities included – about $2,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

26

Cost of Living Index in Delhi
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Delhi Living Index
16

Cost of Living Index in Karnataka
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Karnataka Living Index

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Delhi

🇮🇳 India

$537

/mo nomad

Karnataka

🇮🇳 India

$327

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Delhi and in Karnataka

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

A single person spends $537 per month in Delhi vs $327 in Karnataka, rent included.

Delhi $537
Karnataka $327

A couple spends around $908 per month in Delhi vs $539 in Karnataka, rent included.

Delhi $908
Karnataka $539

A family of three spends $1,279 per month in Delhi vs $752 in Karnataka, rent included.

Delhi $1,279
Karnataka $752

Delhi costs about 64% more than Karnataka, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Delhi and Karnataka are more affordable than the global median – Delhi 60% lower, Karnataka 76% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.05 ₹383

$1.03 ₹97.4

293.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$21.39 ₹2,021

$10.88 ₹1,028

96.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.86 ₹365

$3.61 ₹341

6.93%

Cappuccino

$2.41 ₹228

$0.93 ₹87.7

159.14%

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

$0.37 ₹34.99

$0.42 ₹39.69

-11.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.16 ₹14.94

$0.14 ₹13.35

14.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.07 ₹196

$1.88 ₹178

10.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.13 ₹296

$2.13 ₹201

46.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.71 ₹66.6

$0.52 ₹49.32

36.54%

White Bread (500g)

$0.58 ₹54.5

$0.45 ₹42.20

28.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.76 ₹71.4

$0.85 ₹80.1

-10.59%

Eggs

$1.17 ₹111

$0.88 ₹83.3

32.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.26 ₹403

$5.74 ₹542

-25.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.34 ₹316

$3.44 ₹325

-2.91%

Apples (1kg)

$2.03 ₹192

$1.77 ₹167

14.69%

Banana (1kg)

$0.75 ₹70.5

$0.46 ₹43.47

63.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.03 ₹97.1

$0.83 ₹78.4

24.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.53 ₹49.95

$0.31 ₹28.84

70.97%

Potato (1kg)

$0.28 ₹26.08

$0.36 ₹33.57

-22.22%

Onion (1kg)

$0.41 ₹39.18

$0.44 ₹41.50

-6.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.41 ₹38.69

$0.25 ₹23.59

64.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.29 ₹27.10

$0.27 ₹25.67

7.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.20 ₹491

$1.62 ₹153

220.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.60 ₹813

$4.39 ₹414

95.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 ₹153

$1.97 ₹186

-17.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.57 ₹243

$2.42 ₹228

6.20%

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

$6.70 ₹633

$2.26 ₹214

196.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.44 ₹41.34

$0.23 ₹21.75

91.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$13.29 ₹1,256

$7.07 ₹667

87.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.03 ₹97.3

$0.54 ₹51.2

90.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.25 ₹23.69

$0.28 ₹26.19

-10.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.08 ₹197

$2.13 ₹202

-2.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.12 ₹106

$0.97 ₹91.5

15.46%

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

$11.5K ₹1.1M

$6,213 ₹587.0K

84.47%

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

$19.2K ₹1.8M

$12.5K ₹1.2M

53.10%

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

$39.54 ₹3,735

$17.67 ₹1,669

123.77%

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

$4.31 ₹407

$3.75 ₹354

14.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$6.66 ₹629

$3.08 ₹291

116.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.46 ₹2,500

$15.06 ₹1,423

75.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.22 ₹776

$6.43 ₹608

27.84%

Cinema Ticket

$5.36 ₹506

$2.58 ₹243

107.75%

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

$104 ₹9,801

$44.31 ₹4,186

134.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.8K ₹1.0M

$1,152 ₹108.8K

839.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$24.48 ₹2,312

$18.20 ₹1,719

34.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.28 ₹2,671

$19.28 ₹1,822

46.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$52.0 ₹4,915

$52.9 ₹4,998

-1.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$43.51 ₹4,111

$20.80 ₹1,965

109.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$278 ₹26.2K

$121 ₹11.5K

129.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$165 ₹15.5K

$79.1 ₹7,472

108.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$821 ₹77.5K

$272 ₹25.7K

202.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$434 ₹41.0K

$194 ₹18.3K

123.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,670 ₹252.2K

$917 ₹86.6K

191.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,130 ₹106.8K

$529 ₹50.0K

113.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$566 ₹53.4K

$526 ₹49.7K

7.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.35

7.9

5.70%

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

Last update for Delhi: October 31, 2026

Last update for Karnataka: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Delhi

$165 30.7%

Karnataka

$79 24.2% 51.9% $85

Groceries & Markets

Delhi

$109 20.2%

Karnataka

$97 29.7% 10.5% $11

Eating Out

Delhi

$92 17.1%

Karnataka

$46 14.1% 49.7% $46

Clothing & Footwear

Delhi

$67 12.4%

Karnataka

$50 15.3% 25% $17

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Delhi

$51 9.4%

Karnataka

$25 7.5% 51.5% $26

Sport & Entertainment

Delhi

$37 6.9%

Karnataka

$20 6.2% 45.6% $17

Getting Around

Delhi

$17 3.2%

Karnataka

$9.9 3% 42.8% $7.4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $278 in Delhi versus $121 in Karnataka. 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 8% higher in Delhi, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $21 in Delhi versus $11 in Karnataka. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $109 vs $97 – making Karnataka the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇳 Delhi

🇮🇳 Karnataka

🕒 Local time

04:57 4:57 AM

Same time as Delhi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

16,787,941 Capital

77,139

💱 Currency

Indian Rupee INR ₹

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 INR = 10.59 USD

1,000 INR = 9.43 EUR

1,000 INR = 10.59 USD

1,000 INR = 9.43 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Delhi vs Karnataka: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $537 in Delhi, $327 in Karnataka – Karnataka comes out roughly 39% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $805 per month in Delhi and $491 in Karnataka. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Karnataka, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $121 there versus $278 in Delhi.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $21 in Delhi and $11 in Karnataka. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $537 in Delhi and $327 in Karnataka. That makes Karnataka about 39% cheaper.

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $537 in Delhi and $327 in Karnataka, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Karnataka – 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 Karnataka. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Delhi makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.