Measurement units Temperature, distance and clock format
Last update: Oct 2026
Cost of Living Comparison Between Delhi and Manipal
For one person, living is cheaper in Manipal: $363 a month against $537 in Delhi, rent and utilities included – about $2,100 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.
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 Manipal actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
A single person spends $537 per month in Delhi vs $363 in Manipal, rent included.
Delhi $537
Manipal $363
A couple spends around $908 per month in Delhi vs $554 in Manipal, rent included.
Delhi $908
Manipal $554
A family of three spends $1,279 per month in Delhi vs $745 in Manipal, rent included.
Delhi $1,279
Manipal $745
😐
Delhi costs about 48% more than Manipal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.
📊
Both Delhi and Manipal are more affordable than the global median – Delhi60% lower, Manipal73% lower.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Delhi
Manipal
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.05₹383
$1.61₹152
151.55%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$21.39₹2,021
$9.15₹864
133.77%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$3.86₹365
$2.59₹245
49.03%
Cappuccino
$2.41₹228
$1.34₹126
79.85%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.37₹34.99
$0.36₹34.48
2.78%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.16₹14.94
$0.14₹12.91
14.29%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$2.07₹196
$1.45₹137
42.76%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$3.13₹296
$1.89₹179
65.61%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Delhi
Manipal
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$0.71₹66.6
$0.50₹47.05
42.00%
White Bread(500g)
$0.58₹54.5
$0.48₹45.59
20.83%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$0.76₹71.4
$0.45₹42.40
68.89%
Eggs
$1.17₹111
$0.81₹76.6
44.44%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$4.26₹403
$2.10₹198
102.86%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$3.34₹316
$2.44₹230
36.89%
Apples(1kg)
$2.03₹192
$1.14₹107
78.07%
Banana(1kg)
$0.75₹70.5
$0.62₹58.3
20.97%
Oranges(1kg)
$1.03₹97.1
$0.78₹73.7
32.05%
Tomato(1kg)
$0.53₹49.95
$0.46₹43.78
15.22%
Potato(1kg)
$0.28₹26.08
$0.38₹35.57
-26.32%
Onion(1kg)
$0.41₹39.18
$0.42₹39.65
-2.38%
Lettuce(1 head)
$0.41₹38.69
$0.11₹10.67
272.73%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.29₹27.10
$0.27₹25.68
7.41%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$5.20₹491
$4.18₹395
24.40%
Wine(Bottle)
$8.60₹813
$5.23₹494
64.44%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$1.62₹153
$0.71₹66.7
128.17%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.57₹243
$2.24₹211
14.73%
Buffalo Round(or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat)(1kg)
$6.70₹633
$3.24₹306
106.79%
🚌 Getting Around
Delhi
Manipal
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$0.44₹41.34
$0.20₹18.86
120.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$13.29₹1,256
-
-
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$1.03₹97.3
$2.05₹194
-49.76%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$0.25₹23.69
$0.11₹10.04
127.27%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$2.08₹197
$2.08₹196
-
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.12₹106
$1.11₹105
0.90%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$11.5K₹1.1M
$10.6K₹1.0M
8.13%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$19.2K₹1.8M
$17.3K₹1.6M
10.80%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Delhi
Manipal
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$39.54₹3,735
$56.2₹5,305
-29.59%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$4.31₹407
$3.14₹297
37.26%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$6.66₹629
$6.02₹568
10.63%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Delhi
Manipal
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$26.46₹2,500
$18.80₹1,776
40.74%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$8.22₹776
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$5.36₹506
$1.62₹153
230.86%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Delhi
Manipal
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$104₹9,801
$20.95₹1,979
395.23%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$10.8K₹1.0M
$505₹47.7K
2044.80%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Delhi
Manipal
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$24.48₹2,312
$12.60₹1,190
94.29%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$28.28₹2,671
$28.30₹2,674
-0.07%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$52.0₹4,915
$21.24₹2,007
144.96%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$43.51₹4,111
$26.20₹2,475
66.07%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Delhi
Manipal
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$278₹26.2K
$151₹14.3K
83.84%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$165₹15.5K
$110₹10.4K
49.21%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$821₹77.5K
$389₹36.7K
111.05%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$434₹41.0K
$236₹22.3K
83.46%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$2,670₹252.2K
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$1,130₹106.8K
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Delhi
Manipal
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$566₹53.4K
$709₹67.0K
-20.21%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
8.35
9.37
-10.89%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Delhi: October 31, 2026
Last update for Manipal: November 2, 2026
Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Share of the monthly basket for a family of three, rent included.
🏠Accommodation & Living
Delhi
$165 30.7%
Manipal
$110 30.4% ↓ 33%$54
🛒Groceries & Markets
Delhi
$109 20.2%
Manipal
$72 19.9% ↓ 33.4%$36
🍽Eating Out
Delhi
$92 17.1%
Manipal
$50 13.7% ↓ 45.7%$42
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Delhi
$67 12.4%
Manipal
$40 11% ↓ 40.4%$27
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Delhi
$51 9.4%
Manipal
$65 18% ↑ 29.3%$15
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Delhi
$37 6.9%
Manipal
$22 6.1% ↓ 40.7%$15
🚌Getting Around
Delhi
$17 3.2%
Manipal
$3.4 * 0.9% ↓ 80.5%$14
Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.
🏠Accommodation & Living
Delhi
$434 33.9%
Manipal
$236 31.7% ↓ 45.5%$197
🛒Groceries & Markets
Delhi
$234 18.3%
Manipal
$159 21.4% ↓ 32.1%$75
🍽Eating Out
Delhi
$289 22.6%
Manipal
$142 19.1% ↓ 50.9%$147
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Delhi
$148 11.6%
Manipal
$88 11.9% ↓ 40.4%$60
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Delhi
$55 4.3%
Manipal
$68 9.2% ↑ 24.9%$14
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Delhi
$83 6.5%
Manipal
$44 * 5.9% ↓ 46.6%$39
🚌Getting Around
Delhi
$36 2.8%
Manipal
$7.2 * 1% ↓ 79.8%$28
Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.
Cost Breakdown
🏠A central one-bedroom costs $278 in Delhi versus $151 in Manipal. 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 25% higher in Manipal, 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 in Delhi versus $9 in Manipal. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $109 vs $72 – making Manipal the more affordable choice for daily food spending.
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 Manipal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Delhi and in Manipal compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $537 in Delhi, $363 in Manipal – Manipal comes out roughly 32% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.
What salary covers living expenses in Delhi compared to Manipal?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $805 per month in Delhi and $544 in Manipal. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Delhi and Manipal?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Manipal, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $151 there versus $278 in Delhi.
Which city is more expensive overall: Delhi or Manipal?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $537 in Delhi and $363 in Manipal. That makes Manipal about 32% cheaper.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Delhi and Manipal?
Kindergarten costs $104 per month in Delhi and $21 in Manipal. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
How far does $1,000 go in Delhi compared to Manipal?
$1,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $537 in Delhi and $363 in Manipal, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
Where should families live: Delhi or Manipal?
Families tend to lean toward Manipal – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.