Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Delhi and Surat

For one person, living is cheaper in Delhi: $536 a month against $799 in Surat, rent and utilities included – about $3,200 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Surat outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

26

Cost of Living Index in Delhi
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Delhi Living Index
39

Cost of Living Index in Surat
Learn more

Surat Living Index

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Delhi

🇮🇳 India

$536

/mo nomad

Surat

🇮🇳 India

$799

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Delhi and in Surat

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

A single person spends $536 per month in Delhi vs $799 in Surat, rent included.

Delhi $536
Surat $799

A couple spends around $901 per month in Delhi vs $853 in Surat, rent included.

Delhi $901
Surat $853

A family of three spends $1,266 per month in Delhi vs $906 in Surat, rent included.

Delhi $1,266
Surat $906

Delhi is about 33% cheaper than Surat.

Both Delhi and Surat are more affordable than the global median – Delhi 61% lower, Surat 41% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.66 ₹349

$3.14 ₹299

16.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$20.76 ₹1,976

$10.59 ₹1,008

96.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.74 ₹356

$3.22 ₹306

16.15%

Cappuccino

$2.48 ₹237

$1.76 ₹167

40.91%

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

$0.38 ₹36.21

$0.39 ₹37.24

-2.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.17 ₹15.85

$0.14 ₹13.62

21.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.04 ₹195

$3.21 ₹306

-36.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 ₹293

$3.39 ₹323

-9.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.70 ₹66.4

$0.72 ₹68.3

-2.78%

White Bread (500g)

$0.52 ₹49.25

$0.46 ₹43.91

13.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.82 ₹78.2

$0.72 ₹68.7

13.89%

Eggs

$1.17 ₹112

$0.90 ₹85.8

30.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.31 ₹411

$4.63 ₹441

-6.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.36 ₹320

$2.74 ₹261

22.63%

Apples (1kg)

$1.96 ₹186

$1.67 ₹159

17.37%

Banana (1kg)

$0.74 ₹70.6

$0.57 ₹54.7

29.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.99 ₹94.1

$0.76 ₹72.1

30.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.49 ₹46.72

$0.55 ₹52.3

-10.91%

Potato (1kg)

$0.29 ₹27.29

$0.39 ₹36.89

-25.64%

Onion (1kg)

$0.41 ₹38.63

$0.43 ₹41.11

-4.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.44 ₹41.95

$0.46 ₹44.28

-4.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.31 ₹29.80

$0.30 ₹28.13

3.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.03 ₹479

$4.94 ₹470

1.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.37 ₹797

$7.81 ₹744

7.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 ₹159

$1.86 ₹178

-10.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.81 ₹268

$3.05 ₹290

-7.87%

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

$6.64 ₹633

$6.18 ₹589

7.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.41 ₹38.58

$0.20 ₹19.04

105.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.60 ₹1,485

$3.21 ₹306

385.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.08 ₹102

$0.56 ₹53.7

92.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.25 ₹23.74

$0.22 ₹20.96

13.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.57 ₹149

$1.08 ₹103

45.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 ₹106

$1.13 ₹108

-1.77%

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

$11.1K ₹1.1M

$11.4K ₹1.1M

-2.78%

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

$19.6K ₹1.9M

$18.3K ₹1.7M

6.91%

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

$43.87 ₹4,178

$36.87 ₹3,511

18.99%

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

$4.27 ₹407

$3.56 ₹339

19.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$6.82 ₹649

$7.44 ₹708

-8.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.06 ₹2,481

$18.56 ₹1,767

40.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.09 ₹771

$5.45 ₹519

48.44%

Cinema Ticket

$5.34 ₹509

$2.98 ₹284

79.19%

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

$100 ₹9,534

$32.79 ₹3,122

205.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,288 ₹217.9K

$937 ₹89.2K

144.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$24.84 ₹2,366

$22.65 ₹2,157

9.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.18 ₹2,779

$24.76 ₹2,357

17.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$53.2 ₹5,063

$40.73 ₹3,878

30.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$44.74 ₹4,260

$32.31 ₹3,077

38.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$277 ₹26.4K

$208 ₹19.8K

33.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$159 ₹15.1K

$484 ₹46.1K

-67.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$798 ₹76.0K

$387 ₹36.9K

106.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$420 ₹40.0K

$241 ₹23.0K

73.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,558 ₹243.6K

$645 ₹61.4K

296.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,172 ₹111.6K

$364 ₹34.6K

222.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$598 ₹57.0K

$319 ₹30.4K

87.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.35

9.17

-8.94%

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

Last update for Delhi: October 25, 2026

Last update for Surat: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Delhi

$159 29.6%

Surat

$484 60.6% 205% $325

Groceries & Markets

Delhi

$108 20.2%

Surat

$102 12.8% 6% $6.5

Eating Out

Delhi

$89 16.6%

Surat

$81 10.1% 9.1% $8.1

Clothing & Footwear

Delhi

$68 12.8%

Surat

$54 6.8% 20.7% $14

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Delhi

$55 10.3%

Surat

$48 6% 12.9% $7.1

Sport & Entertainment

Delhi

$37 6.9%

Surat

$25 3.1% 33.3% $12

Getting Around

Delhi

$20 3.7%

Surat

$5.7 0.7% 70.9% $14

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $277 in Delhi versus $208 in Surat. 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 88% higher in Delhi, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $21 in Delhi versus $11 in Surat. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $108 vs $102 – making Surat the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇳 Delhi

🇮🇳 Surat

🕒 Local time

00:10 12:10 AM

Same time as Delhi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

16,787,941 Capital

6,936,534

💱 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

On the map

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Between locations

Delhi Surat 940 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Delhi
Surat

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 Surat: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

For a comfortable life, plan on about $803 per month in Delhi and $1,199 in Surat. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Surat, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $208 there versus $277 in Delhi.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $21 in Delhi and $11 in Surat. 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 $799 in Surat. That’s a gap of about 49%.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $536 in Delhi and $799 in Surat, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Surat has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $536 in Delhi to $799 in Surat. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.