Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Delhi and Manali

For one person, living is cheaper in Manali: $411 a month against $536 in Delhi, rent and utilities included – about $1,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

26

Cost of Living Index in Delhi
Learn more

Delhi Living Index
20

Cost of Living Index in Manali
Learn more

Manali Living Index

Jump to prices

Delhi

🇮🇳 India

$536

/mo nomad

Manali

🇮🇳 India

$411

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Delhi and in Manali

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

A single person spends $536 per month in Delhi vs $411 in Manali, rent included.

Delhi $536
Manali $411

A couple spends around $901 per month in Delhi vs $642 in Manali, rent included.

Delhi $901
Manali $642

A family of three spends $1,266 per month in Delhi vs $873 in Manali, rent included.

Delhi $1,266
Manali $873

Delhi costs about 30% more than Manali, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Delhi and Manali are more affordable than the global median – Delhi 61% lower, Manali 70% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.66 ₹348

$2.05 ₹195

78.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$20.76 ₹1,970

$6.11 ₹580

239.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.74 ₹355

$4.29 ₹407

-12.82%

Cappuccino

$2.48 ₹236

$2.63 ₹249

-5.70%

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

$0.38 ₹36.09

$0.25 ₹23.85

52.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.17 ₹15.80

$0.13 ₹12.71

30.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.04 ₹194

$1.34 ₹127

52.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 ₹292

$1.84 ₹174

66.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.70 ₹66.2

$0.72 ₹68.2

-2.78%

White Bread (500g)

$0.52 ₹49.09

$0.51 ₹48.07

1.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.82 ₹78.0

$0.87 ₹82.3

-5.75%

Eggs

$1.17 ₹111

$0.91 ₹86.3

28.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.31 ₹409

$4.97 ₹472

-13.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.36 ₹319

$2.85 ₹271

17.89%

Apples (1kg)

$1.96 ₹186

$1.72 ₹163

13.95%

Banana (1kg)

$0.74 ₹70.4

$0.71 ₹67.6

4.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.99 ₹93.8

$1.09 ₹104

-9.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.49 ₹46.57

$0.63 ₹60.2

-22.22%

Potato (1kg)

$0.29 ₹27.20

$0.28 ₹26.23

3.57%

Onion (1kg)

$0.41 ₹38.50

$0.32 ₹30.02

28.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.44 ₹41.81

$0.70 ₹66.2

-37.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.31 ₹29.70

$0.29 ₹27.95

6.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.03 ₹477

$5.15 ₹489

-2.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.37 ₹794

$11.73 ₹1,113

-28.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 ₹158

$1.66 ₹157

0.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.81 ₹267

$2.79 ₹265

0.72%

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

$6.64 ₹630

$6.56 ₹622

1.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.41 ₹38.45

$0.20 ₹19.35

105.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.60 ₹1,480

$6.22 ₹590

150.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.08 ₹102

$1.03 ₹97.7

4.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.25 ₹23.66

$0.25 ₹23.85

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.57 ₹149

$1.60 ₹152

-1.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 ₹105

$1.09 ₹104

1.83%

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

$11.1K ₹1.0M

$11.2K ₹1.1M

-1.03%

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

$19.6K ₹1.9M

$25.4K ₹2.4M

-22.77%

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

$43.87 ₹4,163

$38.25 ₹3,630

14.69%

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

$4.27 ₹405

$4.07 ₹386

4.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$6.82 ₹647

$6.80 ₹646

0.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.06 ₹2,473

$13.48 ₹1,279

93.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.09 ₹768

$5.68 ₹539

42.43%

Cinema Ticket

$5.34 ₹507

$3.18 ₹302

67.92%

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

$100 ₹9,502

$59.0 ₹5,602

69.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,288 ₹217.1K

$2,465 ₹233.9K

-7.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$24.84 ₹2,358

$27.58 ₹2,617

-9.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.18 ₹2,770

$25.10 ₹2,382

16.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$53.2 ₹5,046

$56.9 ₹5,400

-6.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$44.74 ₹4,246

$44.45 ₹4,218

0.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$277 ₹26.3K

$121 ₹11.5K

128.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$159 ₹15.1K

$76.4 ₹7,252

107.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$798 ₹75.8K

$271 ₹25.7K

194.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$420 ₹39.8K

$190 ₹18.0K

121.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,558 ₹242.8K

$810 ₹76.9K

215.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,172 ₹111.2K

$519 ₹49.3K

125.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$598 ₹56.8K

$523 ₹49.6K

14.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.35

4.37%

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

Last update for Delhi: October 25, 2026

Last update for Manali: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Delhi

$159 29.6%

Manali

$76 18.6% 51.9% $82

Groceries & Markets

Delhi

$108 20.2%

Manali

$114 27.8% 5.3% $5.7

Eating Out

Delhi

$89 16.6%

Manali

$73 17.7% 18.2% $16

Clothing & Footwear

Delhi

$68 12.8%

Manali

$69 16.9% 1.4% $0.9

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Delhi

$55 10.3%

Manali

$49 12% 10.6% $5.8

Sport & Entertainment

Delhi

$37 6.9%

Manali

$20 4.8% 46% $17

Getting Around

Delhi

$20 3.7%

Manali

$9.3 2.3% 52.3% $10

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $277 in Delhi versus $121 in Manali. 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 15% 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 $21 in Delhi versus $6 in Manali. Groceries tell a different story – $108 in Delhi vs $114 in Manali – so Delhi wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇮🇳 Delhi

🇮🇳 Manali

🕒 Local time

21:03 9:03 PM

Same time as Delhi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

16,787,941 Capital

8,000

💱 Currency

Indian Rupee INR ₹

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 INR = 10.54 USD

1,000 INR = 9.44 EUR

1,000 INR = 10.54 USD

1,000 INR = 9.44 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Delhi Manali 400 km

From you

Delhi
Manali

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 Manali: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $536 in Delhi, $411 in Manali – Manali comes out roughly 23% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in leisure.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $803 per month in Delhi and $616 in Manali. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Manali, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $121 there versus $277 in Delhi.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $21 in Delhi and $6 in Manali. 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 $411 in Manali. That makes Manali about 23% cheaper.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $536 in Delhi and $411 in Manali, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

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