Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Delhi and Shimla

For one person, living is cheaper in Shimla: $310 a month against $536 in Delhi, rent and utilities included – about $2,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

26

Cost of Living Index in Delhi
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Delhi Living Index
15

Cost of Living Index in Shimla
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Shimla Living Index

Jump to prices

Delhi

🇮🇳 India

$536

/mo nomad

Shimla

🇮🇳 India

$310

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Delhi and in Shimla

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

A single person spends $536 per month in Delhi vs $310 in Shimla, rent included.

Delhi $536
Shimla $310

A couple spends around $901 per month in Delhi vs $504 in Shimla, rent included.

Delhi $901
Shimla $504

A family of three spends $1,266 per month in Delhi vs $698 in Shimla, rent included.

Delhi $1,266
Shimla $698

Delhi costs about 73% more than Shimla, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Delhi and Shimla are more affordable than the global median – Delhi 61% lower, Shimla 77% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.66 ₹349

$1.56 ₹149

134.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$20.76 ₹1,976

$10.47 ₹997

98.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.74 ₹356

$3.09 ₹295

21.04%

Cappuccino

$2.48 ₹237

$0.92 ₹87.3

169.57%

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

$0.38 ₹36.21

$0.34 ₹32.20

11.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.17 ₹15.85

$0.11 ₹10.42

54.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.04 ₹195

$1.64 ₹156

24.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 ₹293

$2.07 ₹197

48.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.70 ₹66.4

$0.67 ₹64.2

4.48%

White Bread (500g)

$0.52 ₹49.25

$0.42 ₹40.36

23.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.82 ₹78.2

$0.63 ₹60.4

30.16%

Eggs

$1.17 ₹112

$0.89 ₹85.1

31.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.31 ₹411

$4.33 ₹412

-0.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.36 ₹320

$3.18 ₹303

5.66%

Apples (1kg)

$1.96 ₹186

$1.87 ₹178

4.81%

Banana (1kg)

$0.74 ₹70.6

$0.76 ₹72.1

-2.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.99 ₹94.1

$0.63 ₹60.1

57.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.49 ₹46.72

$0.48 ₹45.51

2.08%

Potato (1kg)

$0.29 ₹27.29

$0.30 ₹28.72

-3.33%

Onion (1kg)

$0.41 ₹38.63

$0.36 ₹34.35

13.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.44 ₹41.95

$0.22 ₹20.99

100.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.31 ₹29.80

$0.27 ₹25.62

14.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.03 ₹479

$3.38 ₹322

48.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.37 ₹797

$8.57 ₹816

-2.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 ₹159

$1.54 ₹147

8.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.81 ₹268

$2.04 ₹194

37.75%

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

$6.64 ₹633

$3.80 ₹362

74.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.41 ₹38.58

$0.22 ₹20.98

86.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.60 ₹1,485

$7.84 ₹747

98.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.08 ₹102

$1.07 ₹102

0.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.25 ₹23.74

$0.34 ₹31.93

-26.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.57 ₹149

$1.02 ₹97.4

53.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 ₹106

$1.09 ₹104

1.83%

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

$11.1K ₹1.1M

$8,462 ₹805.8K

30.64%

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

$19.6K ₹1.9M

$18.1K ₹1.7M

8.45%

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

$43.87 ₹4,178

$18.17 ₹1,730

141.44%

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

$4.27 ₹407

$3.13 ₹298

36.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$6.82 ₹649

$7.02 ₹669

-2.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.06 ₹2,481

$13.85 ₹1,319

88.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.09 ₹771

$10.63 ₹1,012

-23.89%

Cinema Ticket

$5.34 ₹509

$3.07 ₹292

73.94%

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

$100 ₹9,534

$42.11 ₹4,010

137.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,288 ₹217.9K

$2,173 ₹206.9K

5.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$24.84 ₹2,366

$24.76 ₹2,357

0.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.18 ₹2,779

$21.97 ₹2,092

32.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$53.2 ₹5,063

$39.31 ₹3,744

35.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$44.74 ₹4,260

$26.41 ₹2,515

69.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$277 ₹26.4K

$86.4 ₹8,222

220.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$159 ₹15.1K

$53.3 ₹5,075

197.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$798 ₹76.0K

$199 ₹18.9K

301.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$420 ₹40.0K

$125 ₹11.9K

235.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,558 ₹243.6K

$563 ₹53.6K

354.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,172 ₹111.6K

$563 ₹53.6K

108.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$598 ₹57.0K

$612 ₹58.3K

-2.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.35

8.25

1.21%

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

Last update for Delhi: October 25, 2026

Last update for Shimla: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Delhi

$159 29.6%

Shimla

$53 17.2% 66.4% $105

Groceries & Markets

Delhi

$108 20.2%

Shimla

$99 32.1% 8.2% $8.9

Eating Out

Delhi

$89 16.6%

Shimla

$47 15.1% 47.2% $42

Clothing & Footwear

Delhi

$68 12.8%

Shimla

$51 16.3% 26% $18

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Delhi

$55 10.3%

Shimla

$28 9.1% 48.5% $27

Sport & Entertainment

Delhi

$37 6.9%

Shimla

$20 6.5% 45.6% $17

Getting Around

Delhi

$20 3.7%

Shimla

$11 3.7% 41.3% $8.1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $277 in Delhi versus $86 in Shimla. 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 in Delhi versus $10 in Shimla. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $108 vs $99 – making Shimla the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇳 Delhi

🇮🇳 Shimla

🕒 Local time

04:24 4:24 AM

Same time as Delhi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

16,787,941 Capital

170,000

💱 Currency

Indian Rupee INR ₹

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 INR = 10.5 USD

1,000 INR = 9.43 EUR

1,000 INR = 10.5 USD

1,000 INR = 9.43 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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 Shimla: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $536 in Delhi, $310 in Shimla – Shimla comes out roughly 42% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $803 per month in Delhi and $465 in Shimla. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Shimla, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $86 there versus $277 in Delhi.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $21 in Delhi and $10 in Shimla. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $536 in Delhi and $310 in Shimla. That makes Shimla about 42% cheaper.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $536 in Delhi and $310 in Shimla, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

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

For expats, Shimla is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 42% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.