Cost of Living Comparison Between Delhi and Karnataka Cost of Living Comparison Between Delhi and Karnataka

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $530 per month in Delhi vs $326 in Karnataka, rent included.

A couple spends around $864 per month in Delhi vs $541 in Karnataka, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,197 per month in Delhi vs $755 in Karnataka, rent included.

Delhi costs about 62% more than Karnataka, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Delhi and Karnataka are more affordable than the global median – Delhi 60% lower, Karnataka 75% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.57 ₹436

$1.13 ₹108

304.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$20.03 ₹1,910

$6.78 ₹646

195.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.05 ₹387

$3.52 ₹336

15.06%

Cappuccino

$2.02 ₹192

$1.19 ₹114

69.75%

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

$0.47 ₹45.28

$0.45 ₹42.92

4.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.14 ₹13.38

$0.17 ₹15.76

-17.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.12 ₹202

$1.72 ₹164

23.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.57 ₹340

$2.35 ₹224

51.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.74 ₹71.0

$0.43 ₹40.92

72.09%

White Bread (500g)

$0.60 ₹57.6

$0.39 ₹37.58

53.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.85 ₹81.3

$0.59 ₹56.7

44.07%

Eggs

$1.18 ₹113

$0.71 ₹68.1

66.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.49 ₹429

$7.94 ₹757

-43.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ₹326

$3.29 ₹314

3.95%

Apples (1kg)

$2.13 ₹203

$2.40 ₹228

-11.25%

Banana (1kg)

$0.84 ₹79.9

$0.78 ₹74.6

7.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.01 ₹96.6

$0.83 ₹79.6

21.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.61 ₹58.1

$0.52 ₹49.99

17.31%

Potato (1kg)

$0.39 ₹37.19

$0.34 ₹32.01

14.71%

Onion (1kg)

$0.54 ₹51.5

$0.44 ₹41.96

22.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.60 ₹57.0

$0.49 ₹46.61

22.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.34 ₹32.27

$0.33 ₹31.90

3.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.05 ₹386

$3.34 ₹318

21.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.32 ₹889

$4.52 ₹431

106.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 ₹178

$1.61 ₹153

16.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 ₹260

$2.93 ₹279

-6.83%

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

$5.40 ₹515

$4.74 ₹452

13.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.50 ₹48.05

$0.30 ₹28.84

66.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ₹1,103

$8.53 ₹814

35.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.61 ₹58.0

$0.36 ₹34.74

69.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 ₹28.79

$0.37 ₹35.00

-18.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.25 ₹119

$1.48 ₹141

-15.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.18 ₹113

$0.90 ₹85.7

31.11%

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

$17.4K ₹1.7M

$12.6K ₹1.2M

37.20%

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

$23.7K ₹2.3M

$21.9K ₹2.1M

8.06%

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

$65.6 ₹6,260

$17.47 ₹1,667

275.73%

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

$4.23 ₹403

$3.44 ₹328

22.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.23 ₹785

$2.31 ₹221

256.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$20.36 ₹1,942

$15.96 ₹1,522

27.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.84 ₹939

$7.21 ₹688

36.48%

Cinema Ticket

$4.52 ₹431

$2.87 ₹274

57.49%

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

$80.6 ₹7,691

$36.53 ₹3,484

120.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,027 ₹193.3K

$1,011 ₹96.4K

100.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$28.26 ₹2,695

$20.49 ₹1,955

37.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.88 ₹2,945

$17.66 ₹1,685

74.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$49.52 ₹4,723

$33.27 ₹3,173

48.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$36.35 ₹3,466

$26.79 ₹2,555

35.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$240 ₹22.9K

$124 ₹11.8K

93.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$137 ₹13.0K

$76.1 ₹7,256

79.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$584 ₹55.7K

$279 ₹26.6K

109.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$321 ₹30.6K

$177 ₹16.9K

81.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,337 ₹222.9K

$978 ₹93.3K

138.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$956 ₹91.2K

$520 ₹49.6K

83.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$547 ₹52.2K

$528 ₹50.4K

3.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.38

7.40%

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

Last update for Delhi: July 25, 2026

Last update for Karnataka: July 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $240 in Delhi versus $124 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 4% 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 $20.00 in Delhi versus $7.00 in Karnataka. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $117 vs $107 – making Karnataka the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Karnataka: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $530 in Delhi, $326 in Karnataka – roughly 62% apart. Delhi costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $795 per month in Delhi and $489 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $20.00 in Delhi and $7.00 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 $530 in Delhi and $326 in Karnataka. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $530 in Delhi and $326 in Karnataka, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Karnataka has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $326 in Karnataka to $530 in Delhi. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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