Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Delhi and Ludhiana

For one person, living is cheaper in Ludhiana: $488 a month against $536 in Delhi, rent and utilities included – about $580 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

26

Cost of Living Index in Delhi
Learn more

Delhi Living Index
24

Cost of Living Index in Ludhiana
Learn more

Ludhiana Living Index

Jump to prices

Delhi

🇮🇳 India

$536

/mo nomad

Ludhiana

🇮🇳 India

$488

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Delhi and in Ludhiana

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

A single person spends $536 per month in Delhi vs $488 in Ludhiana, rent included.

Delhi $536
Ludhiana $488

A couple spends around $901 per month in Delhi vs $784 in Ludhiana, rent included.

Delhi $901
Ludhiana $784

A family of three spends $1,266 per month in Delhi vs $1,080 in Ludhiana, rent included.

Delhi $1,266
Ludhiana $1,080

Delhi costs about 10% more than Ludhiana, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Delhi and Ludhiana are more affordable than the global median – Delhi 61% lower, Ludhiana 64% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.66 ₹348

$3.48 ₹331

5.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$20.76 ₹1,971

$10.67 ₹1,013

94.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.74 ₹355

$3.58 ₹340

4.47%

Cappuccino

$2.48 ₹236

$1.93 ₹183

28.50%

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

$0.38 ₹36.11

$0.40 ₹38.23

-5.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.17 ₹15.80

$0.25 ₹23.84

-32.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.04 ₹194

$1.70 ₹161

20.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 ₹292

$3.52 ₹335

-12.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.70 ₹66.2

$0.74 ₹70.5

-5.41%

White Bread (500g)

$0.52 ₹49.11

$0.51 ₹47.99

1.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.82 ₹78.0

$0.78 ₹73.7

5.13%

Eggs

$1.17 ₹111

$0.86 ₹81.7

36.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.31 ₹410

$3.99 ₹378

8.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.36 ₹319

$3.09 ₹293

8.74%

Apples (1kg)

$1.96 ₹186

$2.10 ₹200

-6.67%

Banana (1kg)

$0.74 ₹70.4

$0.58 ₹55.2

27.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.99 ₹93.9

$0.82 ₹77.4

20.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.49 ₹46.59

$0.38 ₹36.42

28.95%

Potato (1kg)

$0.29 ₹27.21

$0.26 ₹24.62

11.54%

Onion (1kg)

$0.41 ₹38.51

$0.32 ₹30.60

28.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.44 ₹41.83

$0.43 ₹41.12

2.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.31 ₹29.72

$0.32 ₹30.83

-3.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.03 ₹478

$3.48 ₹330

44.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.37 ₹794

$12.37 ₹1,174

-32.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 ₹158

$1.83 ₹174

-8.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.81 ₹267

$3.05 ₹290

-7.87%

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

$6.64 ₹631

$8.39 ₹796

-20.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.41 ₹38.47

$0.55 ₹51.8

-25.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.60 ₹1,481

$15.78 ₹1,498

-1.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.08 ₹102

$1.55 ₹147

-30.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.25 ₹23.67

$0.44 ₹41.60

-43.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.57 ₹149

$2.15 ₹204

-26.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 ₹105

$1.10 ₹105

0.91%

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

$11.1K ₹1.0M

$13.4K ₹1.3M

-17.29%

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

$19.6K ₹1.9M

$22.0K ₹2.1M

-11.09%

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

$43.87 ₹4,165

$52.5 ₹4,981

-16.39%

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

$4.27 ₹405

$3.10 ₹294

37.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$6.82 ₹647

$5.81 ₹552

17.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.06 ₹2,474

$15.33 ₹1,456

69.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.09 ₹768

$4.48 ₹425

80.58%

Cinema Ticket

$5.34 ₹507

$3.61 ₹343

47.92%

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

$100 ₹9,506

$72.3 ₹6,862

38.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,288 ₹217.2K

$1,443 ₹137.0K

58.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$24.84 ₹2,359

$21.69 ₹2,059

14.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.18 ₹2,771

$40.15 ₹3,812

-27.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$53.2 ₹5,048

$70.1 ₹6,652

-24.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$44.74 ₹4,248

$36.40 ₹3,455

22.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$277 ₹26.3K

$171 ₹16.2K

61.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$159 ₹15.1K

$114 ₹10.8K

39.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$798 ₹75.8K

$433 ₹41.1K

84.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$420 ₹39.8K

$307 ₹29.1K

36.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,558 ₹242.9K

$880 ₹83.5K

190.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,172 ₹111.3K

$679 ₹64.5K

72.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$598 ₹56.8K

$423 ₹40.2K

41.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.35

9.17

-8.94%

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

Last update for Delhi: October 25, 2026

Last update for Ludhiana: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Delhi

$159 29.6%

Ludhiana

$114 23.3% 28.3% $45

Groceries & Markets

Delhi

$108 20.2%

Ludhiana

$113 23.1% 3.9% $4.3

Eating Out

Delhi

$89 16.6%

Ludhiana

$80 16.4% 10.1% $9

Clothing & Footwear

Delhi

$68 12.8%

Ludhiana

$76 15.5% 10.8% $7.4

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Delhi

$55 10.3%

Ludhiana

$61 12.6% 11.7% $6.4

Sport & Entertainment

Delhi

$37 6.9%

Ludhiana

$23 4.6% 38.6% $14

Getting Around

Delhi

$20 3.7%

Ludhiana

$22 4.5% 11.1% $2.2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $277 in Delhi versus $171 in Ludhiana. 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 41% 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 Ludhiana. Groceries tell a different story – $108 in Delhi vs $113 in Ludhiana – so Delhi wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇮🇳 Delhi

🇮🇳 Ludhiana

🕒 Local time

18:42 6:42 PM

Same time as Delhi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

16,787,941 Capital

2,232,000

💱 Currency

Indian Rupee INR ₹

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 INR = 10.53 USD

1,000 INR = 9.44 EUR

1,000 INR = 10.53 USD

1,000 INR = 9.44 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Delhi Ludhiana 280 km

From you

Delhi
Ludhiana

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 Ludhiana: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $536 in Delhi, $488 in Ludhiana – Ludhiana comes out roughly 9% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in leisure.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $803 per month in Delhi and $732 in Ludhiana. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Ludhiana, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $171 there versus $277 in Delhi.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $536 in Delhi and $488 in Ludhiana. That makes Ludhiana about 9% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $100 per month in Delhi and $72 in Ludhiana. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $536 in Delhi and $488 in Ludhiana, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

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