Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Delhi and Southern Cross

For one person, living is cheaper in Delhi: $522 a month against $2,347 in Southern Cross, rent and utilities included – about $21,900 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
120

Cost of Living Index in Southern Cross
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Southern Cross Living Index

Jump to prices

Delhi

🇮🇳 India

$522

/mo nomad

Southern Cross

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,347

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Delhi and in Southern Cross

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

A single person spends $522 per month in Delhi vs $2,347 in Southern Cross, rent included.

Delhi $522
Southern Cross $2,347

A couple spends around $872 per month in Delhi vs $3,547 in Southern Cross, rent included.

Delhi $872
Southern Cross $3,547

A family of three spends $1,222 per month in Delhi vs $4,747 in Southern Cross, rent included.

Delhi $1,222
Southern Cross $4,747

Delhi is about 78% cheaper than Southern Cross, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Delhi sits 61% below the global median, while Southern Cross is 74% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.70 ₹351

$19.67 A$28.30

-81.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$21.05 ₹1,999

$61.9 A$89.1

-65.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.73 ₹354

$10.52 A$15.13

-64.54%

Cappuccino

$2.35 ₹223

$3.57 A$5.14

-34.17%

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

$0.37 ₹35.21

$2.47 A$3.55

-85.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.15 ₹13.93

$1.70 A$2.44

-91.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.14 ₹203

$7.08 A$10.19

-69.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.06 ₹291

$8.22 A$11.83

-62.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.69 ₹65.1

$1.57 A$2.26

-56.05%

White Bread (500g)

$0.53 ₹50.0

$2.64 A$3.80

-79.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.77 ₹73.1

$2.18 A$3.14

-64.68%

Eggs

$1.11 ₹105

$2.72 A$3.92

-59.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.63 ₹440

$9.42 A$13.55

-50.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.52 ₹334

$9.15 A$13.16

-61.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.68 A$21.13

Apples (1kg)

$2.00 ₹190

$3.83 A$5.51

-47.78%

Banana (1kg)

$0.74 ₹70.5

$3.11 A$4.48

-76.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.97 ₹92.6

$3.32 A$4.78

-70.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.53 ₹49.92

$4.76 A$6.85

-88.87%

Potato (1kg)

$0.30 ₹28.61

$2.83 A$4.07

-89.40%

Onion (1kg)

$0.40 ₹37.82

$2.38 A$3.43

-83.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.42 ₹39.62

$2.40 A$3.46

-82.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.31 ₹29.81

$1.47 A$2.11

-78.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.94 ₹469

$34.77 A$50.0

-85.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.21 ₹779

$14.03 A$20.19

-41.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 ₹150

$4.63 A$6.67

-65.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.69 ₹255

$5.33 A$7.67

-49.53%

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

$6.19 ₹588

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.46 ₹43.46

$2.70 A$3.88

-82.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.78 ₹1,498

$92.3 A$133

-82.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.07 ₹102

$3.00 A$4.32

-64.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.27 ₹25.66

$1.66 A$2.40

-83.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.58 ₹150

$38.90 A$56.0

-95.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.07 ₹101

$1.25 A$1.80

-14.40%

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

$10.7K ₹1.0M

$24.1K A$34.7K

-55.81%

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

$18.9K ₹1.8M

$28.1K A$40.5K

-32.67%

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

$42.37 ₹4,024

$201 A$289

-78.89%

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

$4.03 ₹383

$28.18 A$40.56

-85.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$6.95 ₹660

$56.8 A$81.7

-87.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$19.18 ₹1,821

$49.78 A$71.6

-61.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.92 ₹752

$17.91 A$25.77

-55.78%

Cinema Ticket

$5.27 ₹500

$13.34 A$19.20

-60.49%

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

$100 ₹9,525

$2,080 A$2,994

-95.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,247 ₹213.4K

$18.0K A$25.9K

-87.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$24.11 ₹2,290

$81.0 A$116

-70.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.85 ₹2,645

$57.1 A$82.2

-51.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$52.4 ₹4,977

$98.1 A$141

-46.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$42.90 ₹4,074

$132 A$190

-67.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$267 ₹25.4K

$1,265 A$1,821

-78.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$156 ₹14.8K

$1,047 A$1,507

-85.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$734 ₹69.7K

$2,210 A$3,180

-66.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$394 ₹37.5K

$1,939 A$2,790

-79.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,507 ₹238.0K

$5,734 A$8,251

-56.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,020 ₹96.8K

$5,261 A$7,571

-80.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$608 ₹57.7K

$7,010 A$10.1K

-91.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.33

6.25

33.28%

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

Last update for Delhi: October 12, 2026

Last update for Southern Cross: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Delhi

$156 29.9%

Southern Cross

$1K 44.6% 572% $891

Groceries & Markets

Delhi

$109 20.9%

Southern Cross

$357 15.2% 228% $248

Eating Out

Delhi

$88 16.8%

Southern Cross

$300 12.8% 242% $212

Clothing & Footwear

Delhi

$66 12.7%

Southern Cross

$166 7.1% 150% $99

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Delhi

$53 10.2%

Southern Cross

$286 12.2% 435% $232

Sport & Entertainment

Delhi

$30 5.7%

Southern Cross

$76 3.3% 157% $47

Getting Around

Delhi

$20 3.8%

Southern Cross

$114 4.9% 471% $94

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $267 in Delhi versus $1,265 in Southern Cross. 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 1054% higher in Southern Cross, 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 $62.0 in Southern Cross. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $109 vs $357 – making Delhi the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇳 Delhi

🇦🇺 Southern Cross

🕒 Local time

17:28 5:28 PM

19:58 7:58 PM

2 h 30 min ahead of Delhi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

16,787,941 Capital

700

💱 Currency

Indian Rupee INR ₹

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 INR = 10.53 USD

1,000 INR = 9.37 EUR

1 AUD = 0.695 USD

1 AUD = 0.618 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AUD, USD, EUR to INR – Indian Rupee Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇳 Indian Rupee (₹)

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 94.96 INR (100 INR = 1.05 USD). 1 EUR = 107 INR (1,000 INR = 9.37 EUR).

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 1.44 AUD (1 AUD = 0.695 USD). 1 EUR = 1.62 AUD (1 AUD = 0.618 EUR).

USD to INR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Delhi Southern Cross 8,010 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Delhi
Southern Cross

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 Southern Cross: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $522 in Delhi, $2,347 in Southern Cross – roughly 350% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $783 per month in Delhi and $3,520 in Southern Cross. 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 $62.0 in Southern Cross. 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 $2,347 in Southern Cross. That's a gap of about 350%.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Delhi, where all-in costs run around $522, than in Southern Cross at $2,347. In Delhi it covers expenses comfortably, while in Southern Cross 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.

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, Southern Cross makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.