Cost of Living Comparison Between Delhi and Lucknow Cost of Living Comparison Between Delhi and Lucknow

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $546 per month in Delhi vs $400 in Lucknow, rent included.

A couple spends around $861 per month in Delhi vs $641 in Lucknow, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,176 per month in Delhi vs $881 in Lucknow, rent included.

Delhi costs about 36% more than Lucknow, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Delhi and Lucknow are more affordable than the global median – Delhi 59% lower, Lucknow 70% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.75 ₹455

$2.39 ₹228

98.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.98 ₹1,912

$11.44 ₹1,095

74.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.97 ₹380

$3.54 ₹339

12.15%

Cappuccino

$2.05 ₹196

$1.50 ₹143

36.67%

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

$0.47 ₹45.26

$0.34 ₹32.07

38.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.15 ₹14.66

$0.13 ₹12.37

15.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.06 ₹197

$1.79 ₹171

15.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 ₹324

$2.54 ₹244

33.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.75 ₹71.7

$0.78 ₹74.7

-3.85%

White Bread (500g)

$0.56 ₹53.6

$0.49 ₹46.76

14.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.91 ₹87.4

$0.71 ₹68.0

28.17%

Eggs

$1.12 ₹107

$1.04 ₹99.1

7.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.55 ₹435

$3.68 ₹352

23.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.55 ₹340

$2.76 ₹264

28.62%

Apples (1kg)

$2.01 ₹193

$1.75 ₹167

14.86%

Banana (1kg)

$0.84 ₹80.7

$0.66 ₹63.2

27.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.99 ₹94.9

$0.88 ₹84.3

12.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.59 ₹56.6

$0.56 ₹54.0

5.36%

Potato (1kg)

$0.39 ₹37.23

$0.35 ₹33.95

11.43%

Onion (1kg)

$0.54 ₹51.9

$0.49 ₹47.06

10.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.61 ₹58.1

$0.37 ₹35.82

64.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.37 ₹35.13

$0.36 ₹34.78

2.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.16 ₹398

$3.78 ₹362

10.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.18 ₹878

$7.76 ₹743

18.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ₹178

$1.64 ₹157

13.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 ₹276

$2.85 ₹273

1.05%

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

$5.57 ₹533

$5.51 ₹527

1.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.53 ₹50.8

$0.49 ₹46.67

8.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.61 ₹1,111

$10.42 ₹997

11.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.56 ₹53.9

$1.15 ₹110

-51.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 ₹26.57

$0.38 ₹36.73

-26.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.30 ₹124

$1.39 ₹133

-6.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 ₹112

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

$17.7K ₹1.7M

$15.6K ₹1.5M

13.36%

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

$23.9K ₹2.3M

$23.6K ₹2.3M

1.37%

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

$66.4 ₹6,352

$44.86 ₹4,293

47.95%

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

$4.31 ₹413

$3.65 ₹349

18.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$7.99 ₹764

$7.52 ₹719

6.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$20.25 ₹1,938

$22.11 ₹2,116

-8.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.15 ₹972

$9.33 ₹893

8.79%

Cinema Ticket

$4.61 ₹441

$3.55 ₹339

29.86%

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

$78.5 ₹7,515

$57.1 ₹5,461

37.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,010 ₹192.3K

$1,631 ₹156.1K

23.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$27.20 ₹2,603

$26.33 ₹2,519

3.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.17 ₹2,983

$24.82 ₹2,375

25.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$48.50 ₹4,641

$41.55 ₹3,976

16.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$36.01 ₹3,446

$25.31 ₹2,422

42.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$239 ₹22.9K

$147 ₹14.1K

62.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$135 ₹12.9K

$85.9 ₹8,219

57.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$584 ₹55.9K

$346 ₹33.1K

69.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$322 ₹30.8K

$210 ₹20.1K

53.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,503 ₹239.5K

$1,183 ₹113.2K

111.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$931 ₹89.1K

$535 ₹51.2K

74.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$531 ₹50.8K

$369 ₹35.3K

43.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.72

3.21%

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

Last update for Delhi: June 1, 2026

Last update for Lucknow: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $239 in Delhi versus $147 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 44% 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 $11.00 in Lucknow. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $117 vs $101 – making Lucknow 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 Lucknow: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $546 in Delhi, $400 in Lucknow – roughly 36% apart. Delhi costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $819 per month in Delhi and $601 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. 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 $11.00 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 $546 in Delhi and $400 in Lucknow. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

$1,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $546 in Delhi and $400 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, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Delhi makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.