Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Delhi and Madurai

For one person, living is cheaper in Madurai: $416 a month against $536 in Delhi, rent and utilities included – about $1,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

26

Cost of Living Index in Delhi
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Delhi Living Index
20

Cost of Living Index in Madurai
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Madurai Living Index

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Delhi

🇮🇳 India

$536

/mo nomad

Madurai

🇮🇳 India

$416

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Delhi and in Madurai

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

A single person spends $536 per month in Delhi vs $416 in Madurai, rent included.

Delhi $536
Madurai $416

A couple spends around $901 per month in Delhi vs $703 in Madurai, rent included.

Delhi $901
Madurai $703

A family of three spends $1,266 per month in Delhi vs $989 in Madurai, rent included.

Delhi $1,266
Madurai $989

Delhi costs about 29% more than Madurai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Delhi and Madurai are more affordable than the global median – Delhi 61% lower, Madurai 69% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.66 ₹348

$1.71 ₹162

114.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$20.76 ₹1,971

$10.45 ₹992

98.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.74 ₹355

$4.23 ₹402

-11.58%

Cappuccino

$2.48 ₹236

$2.28 ₹216

8.77%

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

$0.38 ₹36.11

$0.58 ₹55.1

-34.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.17 ₹15.80

$0.25 ₹23.87

-32.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.04 ₹194

$2.14 ₹203

-4.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 ₹292

$3.72 ₹353

-17.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.70 ₹66.2

$0.55 ₹52.5

27.27%

White Bread (500g)

$0.52 ₹49.11

$0.56 ₹53.4

-7.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.82 ₹78.0

$0.68 ₹65.0

20.59%

Eggs

$1.17 ₹111

$0.84 ₹79.5

39.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.31 ₹410

$6.12 ₹581

-29.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.36 ₹319

$2.96 ₹281

13.51%

Apples (1kg)

$1.96 ₹186

$2.98 ₹283

-34.23%

Banana (1kg)

$0.74 ₹70.4

$0.74 ₹70.3

Oranges (1kg)

$0.99 ₹93.9

$1.68 ₹159

-41.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.49 ₹46.59

$0.50 ₹47.65

-2.00%

Potato (1kg)

$0.29 ₹27.21

$0.62 ₹59.2

-53.23%

Onion (1kg)

$0.41 ₹38.51

$0.70 ₹66.8

-41.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.44 ₹41.83

$0.67 ₹63.9

-34.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.31 ₹29.72

$0.29 ₹27.13

6.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.03 ₹478

$5.16 ₹490

-2.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.37 ₹794

$10.63 ₹1,010

-21.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 ₹158

$2.13 ₹202

-21.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.81 ₹267

$4.44 ₹421

-36.71%

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

$6.64 ₹631

$9.72 ₹923

-31.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.41 ₹38.47

$0.20 ₹18.95

105.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.60 ₹1,481

$10.41 ₹988

49.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.08 ₹102

$1.17 ₹111

-7.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.25 ₹23.67

$0.33 ₹31.24

-24.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.57 ₹149

$1.29 ₹122

21.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 ₹105

$1.11 ₹106

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

$11.1K ₹1.0M

$11.2K ₹1.1M

-1.23%

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

$19.6K ₹1.9M

$23.7K ₹2.2M

-17.29%

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

$43.87 ₹4,165

$23.27 ₹2,210

88.53%

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

$4.27 ₹405

$4.76 ₹452

-10.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$6.82 ₹647

$7.55 ₹717

-9.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.06 ₹2,474

$15.81 ₹1,501

64.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.09 ₹768

$6.46 ₹614

25.23%

Cinema Ticket

$5.34 ₹507

$2.67 ₹253

100.00%

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

$100 ₹9,506

$42.17 ₹4,004

137.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,288 ₹217.2K

$1,576 ₹149.6K

45.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$24.84 ₹2,359

$25.37 ₹2,409

-2.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.18 ₹2,771

$25.52 ₹2,423

14.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$53.2 ₹5,048

$53.2 ₹5,047

0.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$44.74 ₹4,248

$32.85 ₹3,119

36.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$277 ₹26.3K

$135 ₹12.8K

105.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$159 ₹15.1K

$79.7 ₹7,570

99.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$798 ₹75.8K

$433 ₹41.1K

84.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$420 ₹39.8K

$264 ₹25.0K

59.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,558 ₹242.9K

$987 ₹93.7K

159.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,172 ₹111.3K

$440 ₹41.8K

166.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$598 ₹56.8K

$363 ₹34.4K

65.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.35

9.59

-12.93%

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

Last update for Delhi: October 25, 2026

Last update for Madurai: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Delhi

$159 29.6%

Madurai

$80 19.2% 49.8% $79

Groceries & Markets

Delhi

$108 20.2%

Madurai

$129 31% 19.1% $21

Eating Out

Delhi

$89 16.6%

Madurai

$75 18% 15.5% $14

Clothing & Footwear

Delhi

$68 12.8%

Madurai

$62 14.8% 9.9% $6.8

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Delhi

$55 10.3%

Madurai

$36 8.6% 35.3% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Delhi

$37 6.9%

Madurai

$21 5.1% 42.4% $16

Getting Around

Delhi

$20 3.7%

Madurai

$14 3.4% 28.2% $5.5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $277 in Delhi versus $135 in Madurai. 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 65% higher in Delhi. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $21 in Delhi versus $10 in Madurai. Groceries tell a different story – $108 in Delhi vs $129 in Madurai – so Delhi wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇮🇳 Delhi

🇮🇳 Madurai

🕒 Local time

10:12 10:12 AM

Same time as Delhi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

16,787,941 Capital

1,700,000

💱 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 Madurai 2,080 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Delhi
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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 Madurai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $536 in Delhi, $416 in Madurai – Madurai comes out roughly 22% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in leisure.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $803 per month in Delhi and $624 in Madurai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Madurai, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $135 there versus $277 in Delhi.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $21 in Delhi and $10 in Madurai. 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 $416 in Madurai. That makes Madurai about 22% cheaper.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $536 in Delhi and $416 in Madurai, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

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