Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Delhi and Lucknow

For one person, living is cheaper in Lucknow: $396 a month against $536 in Delhi, rent and utilities included – about $1,700 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
19

Cost of Living Index in Lucknow
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Lucknow Living Index

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Delhi

🇮🇳 India

$536

/mo nomad

Lucknow

🇮🇳 India

$396

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Delhi and in Lucknow

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

A single person spends $536 per month in Delhi vs $396 in Lucknow, rent included.

Delhi $536
Lucknow $396

A couple spends around $901 per month in Delhi vs $621 in Lucknow, rent included.

Delhi $901
Lucknow $621

A family of three spends $1,266 per month in Delhi vs $846 in Lucknow, rent included.

Delhi $1,266
Lucknow $846

Delhi costs about 35% more than Lucknow, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Delhi and Lucknow are more affordable than the global median – Delhi 61% lower, Lucknow 71% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.66 ₹348

$1.86 ₹176

96.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$20.76 ₹1,971

$10.62 ₹1,009

95.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.74 ₹355

$3.23 ₹307

15.79%

Cappuccino

$2.48 ₹236

$1.57 ₹149

57.96%

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

$0.38 ₹36.11

$0.44 ₹41.97

-13.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.17 ₹15.81

$0.13 ₹12.29

30.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.04 ₹194

$1.56 ₹148

30.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 ₹292

$2.26 ₹214

35.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.70 ₹66.2

$0.70 ₹66.6

White Bread (500g)

$0.52 ₹49.11

$0.47 ₹44.92

10.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.82 ₹78.0

$0.59 ₹55.9

38.98%

Eggs

$1.17 ₹111

$1.02 ₹96.4

14.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.31 ₹410

$3.32 ₹315

29.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.36 ₹319

$2.51 ₹239

33.86%

Apples (1kg)

$1.96 ₹186

$1.79 ₹170

9.50%

Banana (1kg)

$0.74 ₹70.4

$0.66 ₹63.1

12.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.99 ₹93.9

$0.96 ₹91.0

3.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.49 ₹46.59

$0.47 ₹44.75

4.26%

Potato (1kg)

$0.29 ₹27.21

$0.30 ₹28.11

-3.33%

Onion (1kg)

$0.41 ₹38.52

$0.42 ₹39.45

-2.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.44 ₹41.83

$0.42 ₹39.88

4.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.31 ₹29.72

$0.30 ₹28.36

3.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.03 ₹478

$4.90 ₹465

2.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.37 ₹794

$8.57 ₹814

-2.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 ₹158

$1.66 ₹158

0.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.81 ₹267

$2.63 ₹249

6.84%

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

$6.64 ₹631

$5.72 ₹543

16.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.41 ₹38.47

$0.43 ₹41.10

-4.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.60 ₹1,481

$9.07 ₹861

72.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.08 ₹102

$0.98 ₹93.4

10.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.25 ₹23.67

$0.20 ₹18.95

25.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.57 ₹149

$1.14 ₹108

37.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 ₹105

$1.14 ₹108

-2.63%

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

$11.1K ₹1.0M

$11.1K ₹1.1M

-0.49%

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

$19.6K ₹1.9M

$22.0K ₹2.1M

-10.88%

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

$43.87 ₹4,166

$54.2 ₹5,149

-19.10%

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

$4.27 ₹406

$3.74 ₹356

14.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$6.82 ₹647

$8.66 ₹822

-21.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.06 ₹2,474

$15.88 ₹1,508

64.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.09 ₹768

$6.69 ₹635

20.93%

Cinema Ticket

$5.34 ₹507

$3.20 ₹304

66.87%

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

$100 ₹9,507

$38.90 ₹3,693

157.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,288 ₹217.2K

$979 ₹92.9K

133.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$24.84 ₹2,359

$23.41 ₹2,223

6.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.18 ₹2,771

$25.07 ₹2,381

16.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$53.2 ₹5,048

$38.75 ₹3,679

37.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$44.74 ₹4,248

$25.60 ₹2,431

74.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$277 ₹26.3K

$133 ₹12.6K

108.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$159 ₹15.1K

$87.7 ₹8,324

81.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$798 ₹75.8K

$356 ₹33.8K

123.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$420 ₹39.8K

$212 ₹20.1K

97.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,558 ₹242.9K

$1,124 ₹106.7K

127.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,172 ₹111.3K

$606 ₹57.5K

93.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$598 ₹56.8K

$331 ₹31.5K

80.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.35

8.53

-2.11%

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

Last update for Delhi: October 25, 2026

Last update for Lucknow: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Delhi

$159 29.6%

Lucknow

$88 22.2% 44.8% $71

Groceries & Markets

Delhi

$108 20.2%

Lucknow

$98 24.7% 10% $11

Eating Out

Delhi

$89 16.6%

Lucknow

$58 14.7% 34.7% $31

Clothing & Footwear

Delhi

$68 12.8%

Lucknow

$51 12.8% 25.7% $18

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Delhi

$55 10.3%

Lucknow

$67 16.8% 21.3% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Delhi

$37 6.9%

Lucknow

$22 5.6% 39.4% $14

Getting Around

Delhi

$20 3.7%

Lucknow

$13 3.2% 34.6% $6.8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $277 in Delhi versus $133 in Lucknow. 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 81% higher in Delhi. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $21 in Delhi versus $11 in Lucknow. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $108 vs $98 – making Lucknow the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇳 Delhi

🇮🇳 Lucknow

🕒 Local time

01:48 1:48 AM

Same time as Delhi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

16,787,941 Capital

4,588,455

💱 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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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Delhi vs Lucknow: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $536 in Delhi, $396 in Lucknow – Lucknow comes out roughly 26% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $803 per month in Delhi and $594 in Lucknow. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Lucknow, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $133 there versus $277 in Delhi.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $21 in Delhi and $11 in Lucknow. 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 $396 in Lucknow. That makes Lucknow about 26% cheaper.

$1,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $536 in Delhi and $396 in Lucknow, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

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