Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Delhi and Mumbai (Bombay)

For one person, living is cheaper in Delhi: $520 a month against $769 in Mumbai (Bombay), rent and utilities included – about $3,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

25

Cost of Living Index in Delhi
Learn more

Delhi Living Index
38

Cost of Living Index in Mumbai (Bombay)
Learn more

Mumbai (Bombay) Living Index

Jump to prices

Delhi

🇮🇳 India

$520

/mo nomad

Mumbai (Bombay)

🇮🇳 India

$769

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Delhi and in Mumbai (Bombay)

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 Mumbai (Bombay) actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $520 per month in Delhi vs $769 in Mumbai (Bombay), rent included.

Delhi $520
Mumbai (Bombay) $769

A couple spends around $858 per month in Delhi vs $1,281 in Mumbai (Bombay), rent included.

Delhi $858
Mumbai (Bombay) $1,281

A family of three spends $1,195 per month in Delhi vs $1,793 in Mumbai (Bombay), rent included.

Delhi $1,195
Mumbai (Bombay) $1,793

Delhi is about 32% cheaper than Mumbai (Bombay), and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Delhi and Mumbai (Bombay) are more affordable than the global median – Delhi 61% lower, Mumbai (Bombay) 43% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.67 ₹355

$5.29 ₹511

-30.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$20.95 ₹2,026

$21.16 ₹2,047

-0.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.74 ₹362

$4.08 ₹394

-8.33%

Cappuccino

$2.33 ₹225

$2.61 ₹253

-10.73%

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

$0.37 ₹35.81

$0.36 ₹34.99

2.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.20 ₹18.90

$0.13 ₹12.56

53.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.02 ₹195

$2.63 ₹254

-23.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.19 ₹308

$4.12 ₹398

-22.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.68 ₹65.8

$0.73 ₹70.5

-6.85%

White Bread (500g)

$0.52 ₹50.1

$0.50 ₹48.36

4.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.83 ₹79.9

$0.76 ₹73.6

9.21%

Eggs

$1.07 ₹104

$1.00 ₹96.8

7.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.43 ₹428

$5.56 ₹538

-20.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.37 ₹326

$3.60 ₹349

-6.39%

Apples (1kg)

$1.99 ₹192

$2.15 ₹208

-7.44%

Banana (1kg)

$0.72 ₹70.1

$0.72 ₹69.8

Oranges (1kg)

$1.02 ₹98.3

$1.24 ₹120

-17.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.52 ₹50.1

$0.50 ₹48.18

4.00%

Potato (1kg)

$0.27 ₹25.94

$0.34 ₹32.57

-20.59%

Onion (1kg)

$0.37 ₹35.41

$0.37 ₹35.49

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.43 ₹41.62

$0.44 ₹42.58

-2.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.31 ₹30.37

$0.28 ₹26.86

10.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.92 ₹476

$5.08 ₹491

-3.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.34 ₹807

$8.32 ₹805

0.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.64 ₹159

$1.94 ₹188

-15.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.70 ₹261

$3.07 ₹297

-12.05%

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

$6.15 ₹595

$6.16 ₹596

-0.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.46 ₹44.01

$0.22 ₹21.28

109.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.29 ₹1,479

$5.61 ₹543

172.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.03 ₹99.7

$0.31 ₹29.52

232.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.27 ₹26.36

$0.33 ₹31.45

-18.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.53 ₹148

$1.54 ₹149

-0.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.05 ₹102

$1.15 ₹111

-8.70%

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

$10.5K ₹1.0M

$15.7K ₹1.5M

-33.47%

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

$18.4K ₹1.8M

$21.8K ₹2.1M

-15.84%

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

$42.67 ₹4,127

$60.7 ₹5,874

-29.73%

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

$4.04 ₹391

$4.39 ₹425

-7.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$6.75 ₹653

$8.80 ₹851

-23.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$19.40 ₹1,877

$26.08 ₹2,523

-25.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.06 ₹780

$13.19 ₹1,276

-38.89%

Cinema Ticket

$5.08 ₹492

$4.49 ₹434

13.14%

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

$100 ₹9,691

$114 ₹11.0K

-11.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,268 ₹219.4K

$5,082 ₹491.6K

-55.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$24.14 ₹2,335

$36.13 ₹3,495

-33.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.38 ₹2,746

$39.96 ₹3,865

-28.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$53.3 ₹5,158

$54.5 ₹5,267

-2.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$44.13 ₹4,269

$47.98 ₹4,641

-8.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$264 ₹25.5K

$598 ₹57.9K

-55.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$154 ₹14.9K

$344 ₹33.3K

-55.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$736 ₹71.2K

$1,797 ₹173.8K

-59.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$397 ₹38.4K

$866 ₹83.7K

-54.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,494 ₹241.2K

$5,811 ₹562.0K

-57.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,017 ₹98.3K

$2,418 ₹233.8K

-57.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$585 ₹56.6K

$768 ₹74.3K

-23.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.33

8.29

0.48%

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

Last update for Delhi: October 6, 2026

Last update for Mumbai (Bombay): October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Delhi

$154 29.7%

Mumbai (Bombay)

$344 44.9% 123% $190

Groceries & Markets

Delhi

$108 20.8%

Mumbai (Bombay)

$116 15.1% 7.4% $8

Eating Out

Delhi

$87 16.8%

Mumbai (Bombay)

$109 14.2% 25.1% $22

Clothing & Footwear

Delhi

$67 13%

Mumbai (Bombay)

$80 10.5% 19% $13

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Delhi

$53 10.3%

Mumbai (Bombay)

$74 9.6% 38.3% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Delhi

$30 5.7%

Mumbai (Bombay)

$35 4.6% 18.6% $5.5

Getting Around

Delhi

$20 3.8%

Mumbai (Bombay)

$8.4 1.1% 56.8% $11

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $264 in Delhi versus $598 in Mumbai (Bombay). 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 31% higher in Mumbai (Bombay), 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 $21.00 in Delhi versus $21.00 in Mumbai (Bombay). Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $108 vs $116 – making Delhi the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇳 Delhi

🇮🇳 Mumbai (Bombay)

🕒 Local time

12:19 12:19 PM

Same time as Delhi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

16,787,941 Capital

12,442,373

💱 Currency

Indian Rupee INR ₹

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 INR = 10.34 USD

1,000 INR = 9.23 EUR

1,000 INR = 10.34 USD

1,000 INR = 9.23 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Delhi Mumbai (Bombay) 1,150 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Delhi
Mumbai (Bombay)

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 Mumbai (Bombay): Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $520 in Delhi, $769 in Mumbai (Bombay) – roughly 48% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $780 per month in Delhi and $1,153 in Mumbai (Bombay). 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 $21.00 in Mumbai (Bombay). 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 $769 in Mumbai (Bombay). That's a gap of about 48%.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $520 in Delhi and $769 in Mumbai (Bombay), leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Mumbai (Bombay) has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $520 in Delhi to $769 in Mumbai (Bombay). Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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