Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Delhi and Kota Bharu

For one person, living is cheaper in Delhi: $522 a month against $692 in Kota Bharu, rent and utilities included – about $2,000 less a year. The total is higher in Kota Bharu despite lower rent and utilities.

25

Cost of Living Index in Delhi
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Delhi Living Index
34

Cost of Living Index in Kota Bharu
Learn more

Kota Bharu Living Index

Jump to prices

Delhi

🇮🇳 India

$522

/mo nomad

Kota Bharu

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$692

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Delhi and in Kota Bharu

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

A single person spends $522 per month in Delhi vs $692 in Kota Bharu, rent included.

Delhi $522
Kota Bharu $692

A couple spends around $872 per month in Delhi vs $1,072 in Kota Bharu, rent included.

Delhi $872
Kota Bharu $1,072

A family of three spends $1,222 per month in Delhi vs $1,452 in Kota Bharu, rent included.

Delhi $1,222
Kota Bharu $1,452

Delhi is about 24% cheaper than Kota Bharu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Delhi and Kota Bharu are more affordable than the global median – Delhi 61% lower, Kota Bharu 49% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.70 ₹351

$2.18 MYR 8.90

69.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$21.05 ₹1,999

$19.41 MYR 79.2

8.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.73 ₹354

$4.58 MYR 18.70

-18.56%

Cappuccino

$2.35 ₹223

$2.18 MYR 8.89

7.80%

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

$0.37 ₹35.21

$0.48 MYR 1.94

-22.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.15 ₹13.93

$0.26 MYR 1.05

-42.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.14 ₹203

$4.24 MYR 17.29

-49.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.06 ₹291

$4.49 MYR 18.33

-31.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.69 ₹65.1

$1.62 MYR 6.62

-57.41%

White Bread (500g)

$0.53 ₹50.0

$0.92 MYR 3.74

-42.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.77 ₹73.1

$0.83 MYR 3.39

-7.23%

Eggs

$1.11 ₹105

$1.61 MYR 6.58

-31.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.63 ₹440

$13.74 MYR 56.1

-66.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.52 ₹334

$2.94 MYR 12.00

19.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.65 MYR 27.13

Apples (1kg)

$2.00 ₹190

$2.91 MYR 11.88

-31.27%

Banana (1kg)

$0.74 ₹70.5

$1.50 MYR 6.12

-50.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.97 ₹92.6

$2.73 MYR 11.15

-64.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.53 ₹49.92

$1.13 MYR 4.60

-53.10%

Potato (1kg)

$0.30 ₹28.61

$0.97 MYR 3.94

-69.07%

Onion (1kg)

$0.40 ₹37.82

$1.12 MYR 4.59

-64.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.42 ₹39.62

$1.14 MYR 4.64

-63.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.31 ₹29.81

$0.45 MYR 1.84

-31.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.94 ₹469

$3.34 MYR 13.61

47.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.21 ₹779

$19.00 MYR 77.5

-56.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 ₹150

$2.91 MYR 11.88

-45.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.69 ₹255

$5.32 MYR 21.71

-49.44%

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

$6.19 ₹588

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.46 ₹43.46

$0.77 MYR 3.12

-40.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.78 ₹1,498

$12.33 MYR 50.3

27.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.07 ₹102

$1.73 MYR 7.05

-38.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.27 ₹25.66

$0.37 MYR 1.53

-27.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.58 ₹150

$3.69 MYR 15.04

-57.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.07 ₹101

$0.52 MYR 2.14

105.77%

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

$10.7K ₹1.0M

$31.5K MYR 128.5K

-66.15%

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

$18.9K ₹1.8M

$29.0K MYR 118.2K

-34.62%

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

$42.37 ₹4,024

$37.43 MYR 153

13.20%

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

$4.03 ₹383

$8.65 MYR 35.27

-53.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$6.95 ₹660

$25.39 MYR 104

-72.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$19.18 ₹1,821

$49.63 MYR 202

-61.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.92 ₹752

Cinema Ticket

$5.27 ₹500

$4.48 MYR 18.26

17.63%

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

$100 ₹9,525

$125 MYR 508

-19.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,247 ₹213.4K

$10.8K MYR 44.2K

-79.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$24.11 ₹2,290

$54.5 MYR 222

-55.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.85 ₹2,645

$19.29 MYR 78.7

44.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$52.4 ₹4,977

$79.0 MYR 322

-33.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$42.90 ₹4,074

$69.6 MYR 284

-38.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$267 ₹25.4K

$248 MYR 1,010

7.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$156 ₹14.8K

$122 MYR 499

27.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$734 ₹69.7K

$673 MYR 2,745

9.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$394 ₹37.5K

$224 MYR 913

76.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,507 ₹238.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,020 ₹96.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$608 ₹57.7K

$299 MYR 1,221

103.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.33

4.04

106.19%

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

Last update for Delhi: October 12, 2026

Last update for Kota Bharu: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Delhi

$156 29.9%

Kota Bharu

$122 17.7% 21.5% $33

Groceries & Markets

Delhi

$109 20.9%

Kota Bharu

$230 33.2% 111% $121

Eating Out

Delhi

$88 16.8%

Kota Bharu

$90 13.1% 2.9% $2.6

Clothing & Footwear

Delhi

$66 12.7%

Kota Bharu

$100 14.5% 51% $34

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Delhi

$53 10.2%

Kota Bharu

$71 10.3% 34% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Delhi

$30 5.7%

Kota Bharu

$59 8.5% 97.2% $29

Getting Around

Delhi

$20 3.8%

Kota Bharu

$19 2.8% 5.1% $1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $267 in Delhi versus $248 in Kota Bharu. 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 103% higher in Delhi, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $21.00 in Delhi versus $19.00 in Kota Bharu. Groceries tell a different story – $109 in Delhi vs $230 in Kota Bharu – so Delhi wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇮🇳 Delhi

🇲🇾 Kota Bharu

🕒 Local time

05:43 5:43 AM

08:13 8:13 AM

2 h 30 min ahead of Delhi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

16,787,941 Capital

568,900

💱 Currency

Indian Rupee INR ₹

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 INR = 10.53 USD

1,000 INR = 9.37 EUR

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.218 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MYR, USD, EUR to INR – Indian Rupee Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇳 Indian Rupee (₹)

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 94.96 INR (100 INR = 1.05 USD). 1 EUR = 107 INR (1,000 INR = 9.37 EUR).

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 4.08 MYR (1 MYR = 0.245 USD). 1 EUR = 4.59 MYR (1 MYR = 0.218 EUR).

USD to INR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Delhi Kota Bharu 3,630 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Delhi
Kota Bharu

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 Kota Bharu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $522 in Delhi, $692 in Kota Bharu – roughly 32% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $783 per month in Delhi and $1,037 in Kota Bharu. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Delhi, 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 $21.00 in Delhi and $19.00 in Kota Bharu. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $522 in Delhi and $692 in Kota Bharu. That's a gap of about 32%.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $522 in Delhi and $692 in Kota Bharu, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Delhi – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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