Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Delhi and Kochi

For one person, living is cheaper in Kochi: $412 a month against $536 in Delhi, rent and utilities included – about $1,500 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
20

Cost of Living Index in Kochi
Learn more

Kochi Living Index

Jump to prices

Delhi

🇮🇳 India

$536

/mo nomad

Kochi

🇮🇳 India

$412

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Delhi and in Kochi

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

A single person spends $536 per month in Delhi vs $412 in Kochi, rent included.

Delhi $536
Kochi $412

A couple spends around $901 per month in Delhi vs $626 in Kochi, rent included.

Delhi $901
Kochi $626

A family of three spends $1,266 per month in Delhi vs $840 in Kochi, rent included.

Delhi $1,266
Kochi $840

Delhi costs about 30% more than Kochi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Delhi and Kochi are more affordable than the global median – Delhi 61% lower, Kochi 70% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.66 ₹348

$1.62 ₹154

125.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$20.76 ₹1,971

$8.34 ₹792

148.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.74 ₹355

$3.71 ₹352

0.81%

Cappuccino

$2.48 ₹236

$1.35 ₹128

83.70%

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

$0.38 ₹36.11

$0.42 ₹40.01

-9.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.17 ₹15.81

$0.15 ₹14.04

13.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.04 ₹194

$1.62 ₹154

25.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 ₹292

$2.05 ₹195

49.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.70 ₹66.2

$0.60 ₹57.4

16.67%

White Bread (500g)

$0.52 ₹49.11

$0.50 ₹47.05

4.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.82 ₹78.0

$0.57 ₹54.5

43.86%

Eggs

$1.17 ₹111

$0.99 ₹94.2

18.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.31 ₹410

$7.00 ₹665

-38.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.36 ₹319

$3.69 ₹350

-8.94%

Apples (1kg)

$1.96 ₹186

$2.32 ₹220

-15.52%

Banana (1kg)

$0.74 ₹70.4

$0.69 ₹65.5

7.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.99 ₹93.9

$1.07 ₹101

-7.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.49 ₹46.59

$0.52 ₹48.91

-5.77%

Potato (1kg)

$0.29 ₹27.21

$0.40 ₹37.85

-27.50%

Onion (1kg)

$0.41 ₹38.52

$0.48 ₹45.17

-14.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.44 ₹41.83

$0.53 ₹49.87

-16.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.31 ₹29.72

$0.29 ₹27.23

6.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.03 ₹478

$5.11 ₹485

-1.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.37 ₹794

$8.09 ₹768

3.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 ₹158

$1.66 ₹158

0.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.81 ₹267

$2.43 ₹231

15.64%

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

$6.64 ₹631

$5.03 ₹477

32.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.41 ₹38.47

$0.20 ₹18.94

105.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.60 ₹1,481

$6.28 ₹597

148.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.08 ₹102

$0.75 ₹71.4

44.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.25 ₹23.67

$0.31 ₹29.43

-19.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.57 ₹149

$1.30 ₹123

20.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 ₹105

$1.09 ₹104

1.83%

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

$11.1K ₹1.0M

$11.3K ₹1.1M

-2.49%

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

$19.6K ₹1.9M

$18.0K ₹1.7M

9.11%

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

$43.87 ₹4,166

$32.93 ₹3,127

33.22%

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

$4.27 ₹406

$3.35 ₹318

27.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$6.82 ₹647

$6.98 ₹663

-2.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.06 ₹2,474

$16.79 ₹1,594

55.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.09 ₹768

$9.25 ₹879

-12.54%

Cinema Ticket

$5.34 ₹507

$1.94 ₹184

175.26%

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

$100 ₹9,507

$55.4 ₹5,260

80.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,288 ₹217.2K

$1,859 ₹176.5K

23.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$24.84 ₹2,359

$25.95 ₹2,464

-4.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.18 ₹2,771

$17.73 ₹1,683

64.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$53.2 ₹5,048

$36.07 ₹3,425

47.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$44.74 ₹4,248

$26.66 ₹2,531

67.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$277 ₹26.3K

$191 ₹18.1K

45.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$159 ₹15.1K

$120 ₹11.4K

32.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$798 ₹75.8K

$452 ₹42.9K

76.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$420 ₹39.8K

$217 ₹20.6K

93.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,558 ₹242.9K

$1,125 ₹106.8K

127.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,172 ₹111.3K

$676 ₹64.2K

73.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$598 ₹56.8K

$421 ₹40.0K

42.19%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.35

8.6

-2.91%

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

Last update for Delhi: October 25, 2026

Last update for Kochi: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Delhi

$159 29.6%

Kochi

$120 29.1% 24.4% $39

Groceries & Markets

Delhi

$108 20.2%

Kochi

$116 28.2% 7.3% $7.9

Eating Out

Delhi

$89 16.6%

Kochi

$55 13.3% 38.3% $34

Clothing & Footwear

Delhi

$68 12.8%

Kochi

$48 11.6% 30% $20

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Delhi

$55 10.3%

Kochi

$43 10.5% 21.3% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Delhi

$37 6.9%

Kochi

$21 5% 43.8% $16

Getting Around

Delhi

$20 3.7%

Kochi

$9.4 2.3% 52% $10

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $277 in Delhi versus $191 in Kochi. 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 42% 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 Kochi. Groceries tell a different story – $108 in Delhi vs $116 in Kochi – so Delhi wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇮🇳 Delhi

🇮🇳 Kochi

🕒 Local time

10:07 10:07 AM

Same time as Delhi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

16,787,941 Capital

677,381

💱 Currency

Indian Rupee INR ₹

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 INR = 10.53 USD

1,000 INR = 9.43 EUR

1,000 INR = 10.53 USD

1,000 INR = 9.43 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Delhi Kochi 2,080 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Delhi
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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 Kochi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $536 in Delhi, $412 in Kochi – Kochi comes out roughly 23% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $803 per month in Delhi and $618 in Kochi. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Kochi, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $191 there versus $277 in Delhi.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $21 in Delhi and $8 in Kochi. 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 $412 in Kochi. That makes Kochi about 23% cheaper.

$1,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $536 in Delhi and $412 in Kochi, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

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