Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Delhi and Riyadh

For one person, living is cheaper in Delhi: $520 a month against $1,768 in Riyadh, rent and utilities included – about $15,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

25

Cost of Living Index in Delhi
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Delhi Living Index
85

Cost of Living Index in Riyadh
Learn more

Riyadh Living Index

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Delhi

🇮🇳 India

$520

/mo nomad

Riyadh

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$1,768

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Delhi and in Riyadh

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

A single person spends $520 per month in Delhi vs $1,768 in Riyadh, rent included.

Delhi $520
Riyadh $1,768

A couple spends around $858 per month in Delhi vs $2,557 in Riyadh, rent included.

Delhi $858
Riyadh $2,557

A family of three spends $1,195 per month in Delhi vs $3,345 in Riyadh, rent included.

Delhi $1,195
Riyadh $3,345

Delhi is about 71% cheaper than Riyadh, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Delhi sits 61% below the global median, while Riyadh is 32% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.67 ₹355

$8.09 SAR 30.36

-54.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$20.95 ₹2,027

$66.5 SAR 250

-68.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.74 ₹362

$8.11 SAR 30.47

-53.88%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.15 SAR 8.09

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.98 SAR 11.19

Cappuccino

$2.33 ₹226

$4.34 SAR 16.31

-46.31%

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

$0.37 ₹35.82

$0.86 SAR 3.24

-56.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.20 ₹18.91

$0.30 SAR 1.12

-33.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.02 ₹195

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.19 ₹308

Milk (1 liter)

$0.68 ₹65.9

$1.77 SAR 6.63

-61.58%

White Bread (500g)

$0.52 ₹50.2

$1.32 SAR 4.97

-60.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.83 ₹80.0

$2.40 SAR 9.03

-65.42%

Eggs

$1.07 ₹104

$3.06 SAR 11.48

-65.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.43 ₹428

$10.63 SAR 39.91

-58.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.37 ₹326

$9.60 SAR 36.05

-64.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.98 SAR 56.3

Apples (1kg)

$1.99 ₹192

$2.80 SAR 10.51

-28.93%

Banana (1kg)

$0.72 ₹70.1

$1.98 SAR 7.45

-63.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.02 ₹98.4

$2.51 SAR 9.43

-59.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.52 ₹50.1

$1.80 SAR 6.75

-71.11%

Potato (1kg)

$0.27 ₹25.96

$1.18 SAR 4.45

-77.12%

Onion (1kg)

$0.37 ₹35.42

$1.34 SAR 5.01

-72.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.43 ₹41.64

$1.79 SAR 6.70

-75.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.31 ₹30.39

$0.54 SAR 2.03

-42.59%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$8.11 SAR 30.44

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 SAR 6.68

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 SAR 9.04

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.92 ₹476

$7.53 SAR 28.26

-34.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.34 ₹808

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.64 ₹159

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.70 ₹261

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

$6.15 ₹596

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.46 ₹44.04

$1.05 SAR 3.96

-56.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.29 ₹1,480

$37.18 SAR 140

-58.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.03 ₹99.8

$3.29 SAR 12.35

-68.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.27 ₹26.38

$1.91 SAR 7.19

-85.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.53 ₹148

$13.43 SAR 50.5

-88.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.05 ₹102

$0.65 SAR 2.42

61.54%

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

$10.5K ₹1.0M

$34.6K SAR 130.0K

-69.78%

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

$18.4K ₹1.8M

$22.8K SAR 85.7K

-19.57%

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

$42.67 ₹4,129

$106 SAR 397

-59.62%

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

$4.04 ₹391

$29.10 SAR 109

-86.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$6.75 ₹653

$72.7 SAR 273

-90.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$19.40 ₹1,878

$91.4 SAR 343

-78.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.06 ₹780

$56.4 SAR 212

-85.70%

Cinema Ticket

$5.08 ₹492

$13.20 SAR 49.58

-61.52%

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

$100 ₹9,696

$532 SAR 1,999

-81.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,268 ₹219.5K

$10.2K SAR 38.4K

-77.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$24.14 ₹2,336

$57.4 SAR 215

-57.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.38 ₹2,747

$54.4 SAR 204

-47.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$53.3 ₹5,160

$105 SAR 393

-49.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$44.13 ₹4,271

$106 SAR 397

-58.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$264 ₹25.5K

$1,211 SAR 4,547

-78.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$154 ₹14.9K

$834 SAR 3,132

-81.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$736 ₹71.2K

$2,223 SAR 8,346

-66.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$397 ₹38.5K

$1,241 SAR 4,658

-67.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,494 ₹241.4K

$3,011 SAR 11.3K

-17.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,017 ₹98.4K

$1,937 SAR 7,274

-47.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$585 ₹56.7K

$2,037 SAR 7,648

-71.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.33

5.54

50.36%

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

Last update for Delhi: October 6, 2026

Last update for Riyadh: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Delhi

$154 29.7%

Riyadh

$834 47.7% 441% $680

Groceries & Markets

Delhi

$108 20.8%

Riyadh

$242 13.9% 125% $134

Eating Out

Delhi

$87 16.8%

Riyadh

$146 8.4% 67% $58

Clothing & Footwear

Delhi

$67 13%

Riyadh

$145 8.3% 115% $77

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Delhi

$53 10.3%

Riyadh

$208 11.9% 288% $154

Sport & Entertainment

Delhi

$30 5.7%

Riyadh

$118 6.8% 299% $88

Getting Around

Delhi

$20 3.8%

Riyadh

$54 3.1% 178% $35

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $264 in Delhi versus $1,211 in Riyadh. 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 248% higher in Riyadh, 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 $66.0 in Riyadh. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $108 vs $242 – making Delhi the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇳 Delhi

🇸🇦 Riyadh

🕒 Local time

13:53 1:53 PM

11:23 11:23 AM

2 h 30 min behind Delhi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

16,787,941 Capital

5,188,286 Capital

💱 Currency

Indian Rupee INR ₹

Saudi Riyal SAR ر.س

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 INR = 10.33 USD

1,000 INR = 9.21 EUR

1 SAR = 0.266 USD

1 SAR = 0.237 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

SAR, 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).

Saudi Riyal exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 3.75 SAR (1 SAR = 0.266 USD). 1 EUR = 4.21 SAR (1 SAR = 0.237 EUR).

USD to INR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Delhi Riyadh 3,060 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Delhi
Riyadh

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 Riyadh: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $520 in Delhi, $1,768 in Riyadh – roughly 240% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $780 per month in Delhi and $2,652 in Riyadh. 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 $66.0 in Riyadh. 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 $1,768 in Riyadh. That's a gap of about 240%.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Delhi, where all-in costs run around $520, than in Riyadh at $1,768. In Delhi it covers expenses comfortably, while in Riyadh it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Riyadh has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $520 in Delhi to $1,768 in Riyadh. 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, Riyadh makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.