Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Delhi and Shillong

For one person, living is cheaper in Shillong: $402 a month against $522 in Delhi, rent and utilities included – about $1,400 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
20

Cost of Living Index in Shillong
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Shillong Living Index

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Delhi

🇮🇳 India

$522

/mo nomad

Shillong

🇮🇳 India

$402

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Delhi and in Shillong

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

A single person spends $522 per month in Delhi vs $402 in Shillong, rent included.

Delhi $522
Shillong $402

A couple spends around $872 per month in Delhi vs $638 in Shillong, rent included.

Delhi $872
Shillong $638

A family of three spends $1,222 per month in Delhi vs $874 in Shillong, rent included.

Delhi $1,222
Shillong $874

Delhi costs about 30% more than Shillong, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Delhi and Shillong are more affordable than the global median – Delhi 61% lower, Shillong 70% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.70 ₹351

$3.35 ₹318

10.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$21.05 ₹1,999

$11.44 ₹1,086

84.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.73 ₹354

$4.81 ₹457

-22.45%

Cappuccino

$2.35 ₹223

$1.66 ₹157

41.57%

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

$0.37 ₹35.21

$0.41 ₹38.89

-9.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.15 ₹13.93

$0.15 ₹13.94

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.14 ₹203

$1.22 ₹116

75.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.06 ₹291

$3.49 ₹331

-12.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.69 ₹65.1

$0.61 ₹57.9

13.11%

White Bread (500g)

$0.53 ₹50.0

$0.31 ₹29.07

70.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.77 ₹73.1

$0.58 ₹55.4

32.76%

Eggs

$1.11 ₹105

$0.92 ₹86.9

20.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.63 ₹440

$3.86 ₹366

19.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.52 ₹334

$2.43 ₹231

44.86%

Apples (1kg)

$2.00 ₹190

$2.16 ₹205

-7.41%

Banana (1kg)

$0.74 ₹70.5

$0.68 ₹64.4

8.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.97 ₹92.6

$0.93 ₹88.4

4.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.53 ₹49.92

$0.52 ₹49.22

1.92%

Potato (1kg)

$0.30 ₹28.61

$0.31 ₹29.25

-3.23%

Onion (1kg)

$0.40 ₹37.82

$0.35 ₹32.78

14.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.42 ₹39.62

$0.22 ₹20.91

90.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.31 ₹29.81

$0.25 ₹23.68

24.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.94 ₹469

$5.11 ₹485

-3.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.21 ₹779

$4.83 ₹458

69.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 ₹150

$1.28 ₹121

23.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.69 ₹255

$1.97 ₹187

36.55%

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

$6.19 ₹588

$4.78 ₹454

29.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.46 ₹43.46

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.78 ₹1,498

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.07 ₹102

$0.74 ₹70.3

44.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.27 ₹25.66

$0.28 ₹26.52

-3.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.58 ₹150

$1.29 ₹123

22.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.07 ₹101

$1.09 ₹104

-1.83%

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

$10.7K ₹1.0M

$12.6K ₹1.2M

-15.60%

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

$18.9K ₹1.8M

$16.0K ₹1.5M

18.00%

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

$42.37 ₹4,024

$34.74 ₹3,299

21.96%

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

$4.03 ₹383

$3.29 ₹313

22.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$6.95 ₹660

$6.12 ₹581

13.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$19.18 ₹1,821

$9.99 ₹948

91.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.92 ₹752

$5.11 ₹486

54.99%

Cinema Ticket

$5.27 ₹500

$3.10 ₹294

70.00%

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

$100 ₹9,525

$27.65 ₹2,626

262.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,247 ₹213.4K

$1,164 ₹110.5K

93.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$24.11 ₹2,290

$17.41 ₹1,653

38.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.85 ₹2,645

$22.11 ₹2,100

25.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$52.4 ₹4,977

$36.74 ₹3,489

42.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$42.90 ₹4,074

$27.45 ₹2,606

56.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$267 ₹25.4K

$210 ₹19.9K

27.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$156 ₹14.8K

$131 ₹12.4K

19.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$734 ₹69.7K

$727 ₹69.0K

1.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$394 ₹37.5K

$284 ₹27.0K

38.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,507 ₹238.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,020 ₹96.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$608 ₹57.7K

$442 ₹41.9K

37.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.33

7.38

12.87%

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

Last update for Delhi: October 12, 2026

Last update for Shillong: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Delhi

$156 29.9%

Shillong

$131 32.5% 16.2% $25

Groceries & Markets

Delhi

$109 20.9%

Shillong

$86 21.3% 21.5% $23

Eating Out

Delhi

$88 16.8%

Shillong

$76 19% 13.1% $11

Clothing & Footwear

Delhi

$66 12.7%

Shillong

$47 11.6% 29.6% $20

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Delhi

$53 10.2%

Shillong

$44 11% 17.2% $9.2

Sport & Entertainment

Delhi

$30 5.7%

Shillong

$16 4% 45.5% $14

Getting Around

Delhi

$20 3.8%

Shillong

$2.1 * 0.5% 89.3% $18

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 $210 in Shillong. 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 38% 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 $11.00 in Shillong. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $109 vs $86.0 – making Shillong the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇳 Delhi

🇮🇳 Shillong

🕒 Local time

23:05 11:05 PM

Same time as Delhi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

16,787,941 Capital

143,000

💱 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 Shillong 1,490 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Delhi
Shillong

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 Shillong: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $522 in Delhi, $402 in Shillong – roughly 30% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $783 per month in Delhi and $603 in Shillong. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Shillong, 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 $402 in Shillong. That's a gap of about 30%.

Kindergarten costs $100 per month in Delhi and $27.65 in Shillong. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $522 in Delhi and $402 in Shillong, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Shillong – 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 Shillong. 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.