Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Delhi and Pai

For one person, living is cheaper in Delhi: $522 a month against $881 in Pai, rent and utilities included – about $4,300 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

25

Cost of Living Index in Delhi
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Delhi Living Index
43

Cost of Living Index in Pai
Learn more

Pai Living Index

Jump to prices

Delhi

🇮🇳 India

$522

/mo nomad

Pai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$881

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Delhi and in Pai

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

A single person spends $522 per month in Delhi vs $881 in Pai, rent included.

Delhi $522
Pai $881

A couple spends around $872 per month in Delhi vs $1,448 in Pai, rent included.

Delhi $872
Pai $1,448

A family of three spends $1,222 per month in Delhi vs $2,014 in Pai, rent included.

Delhi $1,222
Pai $2,014

Delhi is about 41% cheaper than Pai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Delhi and Pai are more affordable than the global median – Delhi 61% lower, Pai 35% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.70 ₹351

$3.12 ฿104

18.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$21.05 ₹1,999

$24.15 ฿807

-12.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.73 ₹354

$6.91 ฿231

-46.02%

Cappuccino

$2.35 ₹223

$2.01 ฿67.1

16.92%

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

$0.37 ₹35.21

$0.66 ฿21.96

-43.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.15 ₹13.93

$0.35 ฿11.60

-57.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.14 ₹203

$2.17 ฿72.6

-1.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.06 ₹291

$3.71 ฿124

-17.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.69 ₹65.1

$1.71 ฿57.1

-59.65%

White Bread (500g)

$0.53 ₹50.0

$1.34 ฿44.80

-60.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.77 ₹73.1

$1.31 ฿43.76

-41.22%

Eggs

$1.11 ₹105

$2.11 ฿70.4

-47.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.63 ₹440

$17.04 ฿570

-72.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.52 ₹334

$3.05 ฿102

15.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.08 ฿370

Apples (1kg)

$2.00 ₹190

$2.88 ฿96.2

-30.56%

Banana (1kg)

$0.74 ₹70.5

$1.19 ฿39.67

-37.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.97 ₹92.6

$1.92 ฿64.1

-49.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.53 ₹49.92

$1.55 ฿51.9

-65.81%

Potato (1kg)

$0.30 ₹28.61

$1.54 ฿51.6

-80.52%

Onion (1kg)

$0.40 ₹37.82

$1.26 ฿42.00

-68.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.42 ₹39.62

$1.01 ฿33.81

-58.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.31 ₹29.81

$0.52 ฿17.54

-40.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.94 ₹469

$4.35 ฿145

13.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.21 ₹779

$18.83 ฿629

-56.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 ₹150

$1.80 ฿60.3

-12.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.69 ₹255

$2.78 ฿92.9

-3.24%

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

$6.19 ₹588

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.46 ₹43.46

$0.87 ฿29.23

-47.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.78 ₹1,498

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.07 ₹102

$1.06 ฿35.44

0.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.27 ₹25.66

$1.19 ฿39.83

-77.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.58 ₹150

$6.30 ฿211

-74.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.07 ₹101

$1.26 ฿42.14

-15.08%

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

$10.7K ₹1.0M

$27.4K ฿916.3K

-61.13%

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

$18.9K ₹1.8M

$27.7K ฿925.4K

-31.61%

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

$42.37 ₹4,024

$74.4 ฿2,486

-43.04%

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

$4.03 ₹383

$13.21 ฿441

-69.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$6.95 ₹660

$18.52 ฿619

-62.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$19.18 ₹1,821

$48.79 ฿1,631

-60.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.92 ₹752

$14.14 ฿473

-43.99%

Cinema Ticket

$5.27 ₹500

$6.95 ฿232

-24.17%

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

$100 ₹9,525

$298 ฿9,968

-66.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,247 ₹213.4K

$9,327 ฿311.7K

-75.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$24.11 ₹2,290

$31.59 ฿1,056

-23.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.85 ₹2,645

$33.72 ฿1,127

-17.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$52.4 ₹4,977

$81.9 ฿2,738

-36.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$42.90 ₹4,074

$66.4 ฿2,218

-35.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$267 ₹25.4K

$451 ฿15.1K

-40.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$156 ₹14.8K

$263 ฿8,805

-40.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$734 ₹69.7K

$828 ฿27.7K

-11.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$394 ₹37.5K

$658 ฿22.0K

-40.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,507 ₹238.0K

$2,485 ฿83.0K

0.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,020 ₹96.8K

$1,833 ฿61.3K

-44.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$608 ₹57.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.33

5.45

52.84%

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

Last update for Delhi: October 12, 2026

Last update for Pai: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Delhi

$156 29.9%

Pai

$263 29.9% 69% $108

Groceries & Markets

Delhi

$109 20.9%

Pai

$250 28.4% 130% $142

Eating Out

Delhi

$88 16.8%

Pai

$92 10.5% 4.8% $4.2

Clothing & Footwear

Delhi

$66 12.7%

Pai

$96 10.9% 45.1% $30

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Delhi

$53 10.2%

Pai

$106 12% 98.9% $53

Sport & Entertainment

Delhi

$30 5.7%

Pai

$63 7.1% 111% $33

Getting Around

Delhi

$20 3.8%

Pai

$11 * 1.2% 47.5% $9.5

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $267 in Delhi versus $451 in Pai. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $21.00 in Delhi versus $24.00 in Pai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $109 vs $250 – making Delhi the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇳 Delhi

🇹🇭 Pai

🕒 Local time

02:55 2:55 AM

04:25 4:25 AM

1 h 30 min ahead of Delhi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

16,787,941 Capital

2,284

💱 Currency

Indian Rupee INR ₹

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 INR = 10.53 USD

1,000 INR = 9.37 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to INR – Indian Rupee Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇳 Indian Rupee (₹)

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 94.96 INR (100 INR = 1.05 USD). 1 EUR = 107 INR (1,000 INR = 9.37 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to INR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Delhi Pai 2,380 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Delhi
Pai

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 Pai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $522 in Delhi, $881 in Pai – roughly 69% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $783 per month in Delhi and $1,322 in Pai. 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.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $522 in Delhi and $881 in Pai. That's a gap of about 69%.

Kindergarten costs $100 per month in Delhi and $298 in Pai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $522 in Delhi and $881 in Pai, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Pai has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $522 in Delhi to $881 in Pai. 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, Pai makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.