Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Delhi and Shanghai

For one person, living is cheaper in Delhi: $520 a month against $1,250 in Shanghai, rent and utilities included – about $8,800 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
61

Cost of Living Index in Shanghai
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Shanghai Living Index

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Delhi

🇮🇳 India

$520

/mo nomad

Shanghai

🇨🇳 China

$1,250

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Delhi and in Shanghai

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

A single person spends $520 per month in Delhi vs $1,250 in Shanghai, rent included.

Delhi $520
Shanghai $1,250

A couple spends around $858 per month in Delhi vs $2,019 in Shanghai, rent included.

Delhi $858
Shanghai $2,019

A family of three spends $1,195 per month in Delhi vs $2,789 in Shanghai, rent included.

Delhi $1,195
Shanghai $2,789

Delhi is about 58% cheaper than Shanghai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Delhi and Shanghai are more affordable than the global median – Delhi 61% lower, Shanghai 7% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.67 ₹355

$4.55 ¥30.45

-19.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$20.95 ₹2,027

$29.52 ¥198

-29.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.74 ₹362

$5.10 ¥34.13

-26.67%

Cappuccino

$2.33 ₹226

$3.42 ¥22.92

-31.87%

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

$0.37 ₹35.82

$0.61 ¥4.12

-39.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.20 ₹18.91

$0.36 ¥2.41

-44.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.02 ₹195

$1.21 ¥8.08

66.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.19 ₹308

$2.29 ¥15.33

39.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.68 ₹65.9

$1.86 ¥12.48

-63.44%

White Bread (500g)

$0.52 ₹50.2

$2.01 ¥13.47

-74.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.83 ₹80.0

$1.02 ¥6.84

-18.63%

Eggs

$1.07 ₹104

$1.72 ¥11.48

-37.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.43 ₹428

$17.19 ¥115

-74.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.37 ₹326

$3.35 ¥22.43

0.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.80 ¥85.7

Apples (1kg)

$1.99 ₹192

$2.17 ¥14.54

-8.29%

Banana (1kg)

$0.72 ₹70.1

$1.74 ¥11.67

-58.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.02 ₹98.4

$1.94 ¥12.99

-47.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.52 ₹50.1

$1.68 ¥11.25

-69.05%

Potato (1kg)

$0.27 ₹25.96

$0.77 ¥5.18

-64.94%

Onion (1kg)

$0.37 ₹35.42

$0.93 ¥6.22

-60.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.43 ₹41.64

$0.62 ¥4.17

-30.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.31 ₹30.39

$0.58 ¥3.88

-46.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.92 ₹476

$3.83 ¥25.64

28.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.34 ₹808

$10.94 ¥73.2

-23.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.64 ₹159

$0.84 ¥5.60

95.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.70 ₹261

$1.60 ¥10.73

68.75%

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

$6.15 ₹596

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.46 ₹44.04

$0.59 ¥3.92

-22.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.29 ₹1,480

$30.27 ¥203

-49.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.03 ₹99.8

$2.06 ¥13.79

-50.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.27 ₹26.38

$0.47 ¥3.13

-42.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.53 ₹148

$8.80 ¥58.9

-82.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.05 ₹102

$1.27 ¥8.53

-17.32%

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

$10.5K ₹1.0M

$19.6K ¥131.2K

-46.60%

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

$18.4K ₹1.8M

$18.6K ¥124.4K

-1.14%

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

$42.67 ₹4,129

$57.2 ¥383

-25.44%

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

$4.04 ₹391

$8.06 ¥53.9

-49.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$6.75 ₹653

$10.52 ¥70.4

-35.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$19.40 ₹1,878

$64.6 ¥433

-69.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.06 ₹780

$17.63 ¥118

-54.28%

Cinema Ticket

$5.08 ₹492

$8.84 ¥59.1

-42.53%

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

$100 ₹9,696

$1,437 ¥9,620

-93.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,268 ₹219.5K

$28.1K ¥187.9K

-91.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$24.14 ₹2,336

$54.7 ¥366

-55.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.38 ₹2,747

$36.43 ¥244

-22.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$53.3 ₹5,160

$75.4 ¥504

-29.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$44.13 ₹4,271

$104 ¥696

-57.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$264 ₹25.5K

$1,039 ¥6,956

-74.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$154 ₹14.9K

$589 ¥3,940

-73.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$736 ₹71.2K

$2,487 ¥16.6K

-70.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$397 ₹38.5K

$1,237 ¥8,282

-67.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,494 ₹241.4K

$13.6K ¥90.9K

-81.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,017 ₹98.4K

$6,191 ¥41.4K

-83.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$585 ₹56.7K

$1,715 ¥11.5K

-65.87%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.33

3.36

147.92%

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

Last update for Delhi: October 6, 2026

Last update for Shanghai: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Delhi

$154 29.7%

Shanghai

$589 47.1% 282% $434

Groceries & Markets

Delhi

$108 20.8%

Shanghai

$237 19% 119% $129

Eating Out

Delhi

$87 16.8%

Shanghai

$107 8.6% 22.9% $20

Clothing & Footwear

Delhi

$67 13%

Shanghai

$122 9.7% 80.3% $54

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Delhi

$53 10.3%

Shanghai

$76 6.1% 41.8% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Delhi

$30 5.7%

Shanghai

$82 6.6% 178% $53

Getting Around

Delhi

$20 3.8%

Shanghai

$37 3% 89.7% $17

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $264 in Delhi versus $1,039 in Shanghai. 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 193% higher in Shanghai, 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 $30.00 in Shanghai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $108 vs $237 – making Delhi the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇳 Delhi

🇨🇳 Shanghai

🕒 Local time

08:09 8:09 AM

10:39 10:39 AM

2 h 30 min ahead of Delhi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

16,787,941 Capital

24,870,895

💱 Currency

Indian Rupee INR ₹

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 INR = 10.33 USD

1,000 INR = 9.21 EUR

1 CNY = 0.149 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CNY, 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).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 6.69 CNY (1 CNY = 0.149 USD). 1 EUR = 7.51 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

USD to INR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Delhi Shanghai 4,240 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Delhi
Shanghai

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 Shanghai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $520 in Delhi, $1,250 in Shanghai – roughly 140% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $780 per month in Delhi and $1,874 in Shanghai. 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 $30.00 in Shanghai. 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 $1,250 in Shanghai. That's a gap of about 140%.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Delhi, where all-in costs run around $520, than in Shanghai at $1,250. In Delhi it covers expenses comfortably, while in Shanghai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Delhi – 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 Delhi. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Shanghai makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.