Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Delhi and Kollam

For one person, living is cheaper in Kollam: $284 a month against $536 in Delhi, rent and utilities included – about $3,000 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
14

Cost of Living Index in Kollam
Learn more

Kollam Living Index

Jump to prices

Delhi

🇮🇳 India

$536

/mo nomad

Kollam

🇮🇳 India

$284

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Delhi and in Kollam

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

A single person spends $536 per month in Delhi vs $284 in Kollam, rent included.

Delhi $536
Kollam $284

A couple spends around $901 per month in Delhi vs $446 in Kollam, rent included.

Delhi $901
Kollam $446

A family of three spends $1,266 per month in Delhi vs $609 in Kollam, rent included.

Delhi $1,266
Kollam $609

Delhi costs about 89% more than Kollam, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Delhi and Kollam are more affordable than the global median – Delhi 61% lower, Kollam 79% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.66 ₹348

$1.03 ₹97.5

255.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$20.76 ₹1,971

$6.14 ₹583

238.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.74 ₹355

$3.23 ₹307

15.79%

Cappuccino

$2.48 ₹236

$1.37 ₹130

81.02%

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

$0.38 ₹36.11

$0.34 ₹31.99

11.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.17 ₹15.81

$0.12 ₹11.54

41.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.04 ₹194

$1.33 ₹126

53.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 ₹292

$1.86 ₹177

65.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.70 ₹66.2

$0.60 ₹57.4

16.67%

White Bread (500g)

$0.52 ₹49.11

$0.48 ₹45.65

8.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.82 ₹78.0

$0.51 ₹47.98

60.78%

Eggs

$1.17 ₹111

$0.78 ₹74.1

50.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.31 ₹410

$3.59 ₹341

20.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.36 ₹319

$2.13 ₹203

57.75%

Apples (1kg)

$1.96 ₹186

$1.57 ₹149

24.84%

Banana (1kg)

$0.74 ₹70.4

$0.59 ₹56.2

25.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.99 ₹93.9

$0.70 ₹66.1

41.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.49 ₹46.59

$0.41 ₹38.63

19.51%

Potato (1kg)

$0.29 ₹27.21

$0.35 ₹32.95

-17.14%

Onion (1kg)

$0.41 ₹38.52

$0.35 ₹33.54

17.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.44 ₹41.83

$0.61 ₹57.8

-27.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.31 ₹29.72

$0.27 ₹25.68

14.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.03 ₹478

$5.17 ₹491

-2.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.37 ₹794

$2.70 ₹256

210.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 ₹158

$2.05 ₹195

-18.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.81 ₹267

$2.72 ₹258

3.31%

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

$6.64 ₹631

$3.35 ₹318

98.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.41 ₹38.47

$0.17 ₹15.88

141.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.60 ₹1,481

$7.20 ₹684

116.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.08 ₹102

$0.81 ₹76.8

33.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.25 ₹23.67

$0.33 ₹31.56

-24.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.57 ₹149

$2.05 ₹195

-23.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 ₹105

$1.11 ₹106

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

$11.1K ₹1.0M

$9,035 ₹857.8K

22.36%

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

$19.6K ₹1.9M

$16.6K ₹1.6M

18.00%

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

$43.87 ₹4,166

$32.12 ₹3,050

36.58%

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

$4.27 ₹406

$2.97 ₹282

43.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$6.82 ₹647

$5.04 ₹479

35.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.06 ₹2,474

$13.44 ₹1,276

93.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.09 ₹768

$10.44 ₹991

-22.51%

Cinema Ticket

$5.34 ₹507

$1.54 ₹146

246.75%

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

$100 ₹9,507

$21.19 ₹2,012

372.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,288 ₹217.2K

$2,630 ₹249.7K

-13.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$24.84 ₹2,359

$16.30 ₹1,548

52.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.18 ₹2,771

$23.34 ₹2,216

25.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$53.2 ₹5,048

$25.49 ₹2,420

108.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$44.74 ₹4,248

$24.42 ₹2,319

83.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$277 ₹26.3K

$82.2 ₹7,801

237.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$159 ₹15.1K

$47.79 ₹4,538

232.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$798 ₹75.8K

$182 ₹17.3K

338.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$420 ₹39.8K

$115 ₹10.9K

265.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,558 ₹242.9K

$834 ₹79.2K

206.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,172 ₹111.3K

$449 ₹42.6K

161.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$598 ₹56.8K

$525 ₹49.9K

13.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.35

9.13

-8.54%

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

Last update for Delhi: October 25, 2026

Last update for Kollam: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Delhi

$159 29.6%

Kollam

$48 16.8% 69.9% $111

Groceries & Markets

Delhi

$108 20.2%

Kollam

$82 28.9% 24.2% $26

Eating Out

Delhi

$89 16.6%

Kollam

$47 16.4% 47.6% $42

Clothing & Footwear

Delhi

$68 12.8%

Kollam

$40 14.2% 41.1% $28

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Delhi

$55 10.3%

Kollam

$40 14.1% 27% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Delhi

$37 6.9%

Kollam

$17 5.8% 55% $20

Getting Around

Delhi

$20 3.7%

Kollam

$10 3.6% 47.1% $9.2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $277 in Delhi versus $82 in Kollam. 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 14% 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 $6 in Kollam. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $108 vs $82 – making Kollam the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇳 Delhi

🇮🇳 Kollam

🕒 Local time

05:36 5:36 AM

Same time as Delhi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

16,787,941 Capital

367,107

💱 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

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Between locations

Delhi Kollam 2,200 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Delhi
Kollam

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 Kollam: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $536 in Delhi, $284 in Kollam – Kollam comes out roughly 47% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $803 per month in Delhi and $426 in Kollam. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Kollam, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $82 there versus $277 in Delhi.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $21 in Delhi and $6 in Kollam. 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 $284 in Kollam. That makes Kollam about 47% cheaper.

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $536 in Delhi and $284 in Kollam, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

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