Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Delhi and Manila

For one person, living is cheaper in Delhi: $520 a month against $931 in Manila, rent and utilities included – about $4,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

25

Cost of Living Index in Delhi
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Delhi Living Index
46

Cost of Living Index in Manila
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Manila Living Index

Jump to prices

Delhi

🇮🇳 India

$520

/mo nomad

Manila

🇵🇭 Philippines

$931

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Delhi and in Manila

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

A single person spends $520 per month in Delhi vs $931 in Manila, rent included.

Delhi $520
Manila $931

A couple spends around $858 per month in Delhi vs $1,519 in Manila, rent included.

Delhi $858
Manila $1,519

A family of three spends $1,195 per month in Delhi vs $2,106 in Manila, rent included.

Delhi $1,195
Manila $2,106

Delhi is about 44% cheaper than Manila, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Delhi and Manila are more affordable than the global median – Delhi 61% lower, Manila 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.67 ₹355

$5.61 ₱352

-34.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$20.95 ₹2,027

$27.39 ₱1,718

-23.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.74 ₹362

$3.95 ₱248

-5.32%

Cappuccino

$2.33 ₹226

$2.56 ₱161

-8.98%

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

$0.37 ₹35.82

$1.42 ₱89.1

-73.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.20 ₹18.91

$0.81 ₱50.9

-75.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.02 ₹195

$1.17 ₱73.2

72.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.19 ₹308

$2.36 ₱148

35.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.68 ₹65.9

$1.94 ₱122

-64.95%

White Bread (500g)

$0.52 ₹50.2

$1.40 ₱88.0

-62.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.83 ₹80.0

$1.02 ₱64.2

-18.63%

Eggs

$1.07 ₹104

$2.29 ₱144

-53.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.43 ₹428

$7.86 ₱493

-43.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.37 ₹326

$4.89 ₱307

-31.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.77 ₱425

Apples (1kg)

$1.99 ₹192

$3.38 ₱212

-41.12%

Banana (1kg)

$0.72 ₹70.1

$1.85 ₱116

-61.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.02 ₹98.4

$2.96 ₱186

-65.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.52 ₹50.1

$1.79 ₱112

-70.95%

Potato (1kg)

$0.27 ₹25.96

$2.24 ₱140

-87.95%

Onion (1kg)

$0.37 ₹35.42

$2.69 ₱168

-86.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.43 ₹41.64

$2.20 ₱138

-80.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.31 ₹30.39

$0.59 ₱37.25

-47.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.92 ₹476

$3.13 ₱196

57.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.34 ₹808

$9.42 ₱591

-11.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.64 ₹159

$1.33 ₱83.3

23.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.70 ₹261

$2.00 ₱125

35.00%

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

$6.15 ₹596

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.46 ₹44.04

$0.47 ₱29.46

-2.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.29 ₹1,480

$12.58 ₱789

21.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.03 ₹99.8

$0.78 ₱48.77

32.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.27 ₹26.38

$0.23 ₱14.43

17.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.53 ₹148

$1.94 ₱122

-21.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.05 ₹102

$1.33 ₱83.5

-21.05%

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

$10.5K ₹1.0M

$21.3K ₱1.3M

-50.96%

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

$18.4K ₹1.8M

$19.7K ₱1.2M

-6.70%

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

$42.67 ₹4,129

$121 ₱7,614

-64.85%

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

$4.04 ₹391

$16.04 ₱1,006

-74.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$6.75 ₹653

$24.25 ₱1,521

-72.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$19.40 ₹1,878

$43.44 ₱2,724

-55.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.06 ₹780

$5.90 ₱370

36.61%

Cinema Ticket

$5.08 ₹492

$6.63 ₱416

-23.38%

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

$100 ₹9,696

$613 ₱38.4K

-83.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,268 ₹219.5K

$8,953 ₱561.6K

-74.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$24.14 ₹2,336

$58.2 ₱3,647

-58.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.38 ₹2,747

$27.18 ₱1,704

4.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$53.3 ₹5,160

$77.5 ₱4,862

-31.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$44.13 ₹4,271

$57.0 ₱3,574

-22.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$264 ₹25.5K

$534 ₱33.5K

-50.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$154 ₹14.9K

$287 ₱18.0K

-46.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$736 ₹71.2K

$1,916 ₱120.2K

-61.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$397 ₹38.5K

$677 ₱42.5K

-41.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,494 ₹241.4K

$4,439 ₱278.4K

-43.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,017 ₹98.4K

$2,556 ₱160.3K

-60.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$585 ₹56.7K

$485 ₱30.4K

20.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.33

7.43

12.11%

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

Last update for Delhi: October 6, 2026

Last update for Manila: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Delhi

$154 29.7%

Manila

$287 30.2% 86.2% $133

Groceries & Markets

Delhi

$108 20.8%

Manila

$221 23.3% 105% $113

Eating Out

Delhi

$87 16.8%

Manila

$107 11.3% 22.5% $20

Clothing & Footwear

Delhi

$67 13%

Manila

$99 10.4% 46.6% $31

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Delhi

$53 10.3%

Manila

$162 17% 203% $108

Sport & Entertainment

Delhi

$30 5.7%

Manila

$57 6% 91.7% $27

Getting Around

Delhi

$20 3.8%

Manila

$16 1.7% 16% $3.1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $264 in Delhi versus $534 in Manila. 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 21% higher in Delhi, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $21.00 in Delhi versus $27.00 in Manila. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $108 vs $221 – making Delhi the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇳 Delhi

🇵🇭 Manila

🕒 Local time

12:44 12:44 PM

15:14 3:14 PM

2 h 30 min ahead of Delhi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

16,787,941 Capital

1,780,148 Capital

💱 Currency

Indian Rupee INR ₹

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 INR = 10.33 USD

1,000 INR = 9.21 EUR

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.42 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PHP, USD, EUR to INR – Indian Rupee Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇳 Indian Rupee (₹)

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 96.78 INR (100 INR = 1.03 USD). 1 EUR = 109 INR (1,000 INR = 9.21 EUR).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 62.72 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.35 PHP (100 PHP = 1.42 EUR).

USD to INR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Delhi Manila 4,760 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Delhi
Manila

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 Manila: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $520 in Delhi, $931 in Manila – roughly 79% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $780 per month in Delhi and $1,396 in Manila. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Delhi, 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 $21.00 in Delhi and $27.00 in Manila. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $520 in Delhi and $931 in Manila. That's a gap of about 79%.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Delhi, where all-in costs run around $520, than in Manila at $931. In Delhi it covers expenses comfortably, while in Manila it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Manila has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $520 in Delhi to $931 in Manila. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Delhi. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Manila makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.