Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Delhi and Salem

For one person, living is cheaper in Salem: $350 a month against $522 in Delhi, rent and utilities included – about $2,100 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
17

Cost of Living Index in Salem
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Salem Living Index

Jump to prices

Delhi

🇮🇳 India

$522

/mo nomad

Salem

🇮🇳 India

$350

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Delhi and in Salem

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

A single person spends $522 per month in Delhi vs $350 in Salem, rent included.

Delhi $522
Salem $350

A couple spends around $872 per month in Delhi vs $555 in Salem, rent included.

Delhi $872
Salem $555

A family of three spends $1,222 per month in Delhi vs $760 in Salem, rent included.

Delhi $1,222
Salem $760

Delhi costs about 49% more than Salem, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Delhi and Salem are more affordable than the global median – Delhi 61% lower, Salem 74% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.70 ₹351

$2.13 ₹202

73.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$21.05 ₹1,999

$7.11 ₹675

196.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.73 ₹354

$3.61 ₹343

3.32%

Cappuccino

$2.35 ₹223

$1.25 ₹119

88.00%

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

$0.37 ₹35.21

$0.44 ₹41.46

-15.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.15 ₹13.93

$0.16 ₹15.53

-6.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.14 ₹203

$2.07 ₹197

3.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.06 ₹291

$4.72 ₹448

-35.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.69 ₹65.1

$0.58 ₹54.8

18.97%

White Bread (500g)

$0.53 ₹50.0

$0.45 ₹42.42

17.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.77 ₹73.1

$0.51 ₹48.37

50.98%

Eggs

$1.11 ₹105

$0.68 ₹64.5

63.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.63 ₹440

$5.13 ₹487

-9.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.52 ₹334

$2.57 ₹244

36.96%

Apples (1kg)

$2.00 ₹190

$1.94 ₹184

3.09%

Banana (1kg)

$0.74 ₹70.5

$0.72 ₹68.5

2.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.97 ₹92.6

$1.33 ₹126

-27.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.53 ₹49.92

$0.37 ₹34.98

43.24%

Potato (1kg)

$0.30 ₹28.61

$0.41 ₹38.99

-26.83%

Onion (1kg)

$0.40 ₹37.82

$0.42 ₹40.03

-4.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.42 ₹39.62

$0.25 ₹23.78

68.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.31 ₹29.81

$0.29 ₹27.39

6.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.94 ₹469

$5.05 ₹480

-2.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.21 ₹779

$3.03 ₹287

170.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 ₹150

$1.45 ₹138

8.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.69 ₹255

$2.20 ₹208

22.27%

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

$6.19 ₹588

$3.66 ₹348

69.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.46 ₹43.46

$0.20 ₹18.99

130.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.78 ₹1,498

$9.57 ₹909

64.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.07 ₹102

$1.04 ₹98.7

2.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.27 ₹25.66

$0.14 ₹13.76

92.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.58 ₹150

$1.08 ₹102

46.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.07 ₹101

$1.11 ₹105

-3.60%

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

$10.7K ₹1.0M

$15.0K ₹1.4M

-29.11%

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

$18.9K ₹1.8M

0.37%

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

$42.37 ₹4,024

$52.2 ₹4,960

-18.89%

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

$4.03 ₹383

$2.82 ₹267

42.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$6.95 ₹660

$9.75 ₹926

-28.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$19.18 ₹1,821

$17.66 ₹1,677

8.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.92 ₹752

$9.56 ₹907

-17.15%

Cinema Ticket

$5.27 ₹500

$2.06 ₹195

155.83%

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

$100 ₹9,525

$54.5 ₹5,173

84.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,247 ₹213.4K

$1,682 ₹159.7K

33.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$24.11 ₹2,290

$19.12 ₹1,815

26.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.85 ₹2,645

$14.31 ₹1,359

94.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$52.4 ₹4,977

$29.83 ₹2,833

75.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$42.90 ₹4,074

$27.41 ₹2,603

56.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$267 ₹25.4K

$103 ₹9,734

160.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$156 ₹14.8K

$56.3 ₹5,346

176.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$734 ₹69.7K

$257 ₹24.4K

185.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$394 ₹37.5K

$166 ₹15.7K

138.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,507 ₹238.0K

$1,288 ₹122.3K

94.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,020 ₹96.8K

$427 ₹40.5K

139.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$608 ₹57.7K

$342 ₹32.5K

77.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.33

10.4

-19.90%

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

Last update for Delhi: October 12, 2026

Last update for Salem: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Delhi

$156 29.9%

Salem

$56 16.1% 63.9% $100

Groceries & Markets

Delhi

$109 20.9%

Salem

$89 25.4% 18.6% $20

Eating Out

Delhi

$88 16.8%

Salem

$65 18.6% 25.9% $23

Clothing & Footwear

Delhi

$66 12.7%

Salem

$41 11.7% 38.4% $25

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Delhi

$53 10.2%

Salem

$65 18.5% 21.5% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Delhi

$30 5.7%

Salem

$22 6.2% 26.7% $7.9

Getting Around

Delhi

$20 3.8%

Salem

$12 3.5% 39.4% $7.9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $267 in Delhi versus $103 in Salem. 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 77% higher in Delhi, 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 $7.00 in Salem. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $109 vs $89.0 – making Salem the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇳 Delhi

🇮🇳 Salem

🕒 Local time

13:56 1:56 PM

Same time as Delhi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

16,787,941 Capital

831,038

💱 Currency

Indian Rupee INR ₹

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 INR = 10.53 USD

1,000 INR = 9.37 EUR

1,000 INR = 10.53 USD

1,000 INR = 9.37 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Delhi Salem 1,890 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Delhi
Salem

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 Salem: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $522 in Delhi, $350 in Salem – roughly 49% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $783 per month in Delhi and $524 in Salem. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Salem, 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 $7.00 in Salem. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $522 in Delhi and $350 in Salem. That's a gap of about 49%.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $522 in Delhi and $350 in Salem, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Salem – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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