Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Delhi and Tawau

For one person, living is cheaper in Delhi: $526 a month against $888 in Tawau, rent and utilities included – about $4,300 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
45

Cost of Living Index in Tawau
Learn more

Tawau Living Index

Jump to prices

Delhi

🇮🇳 India

$526

/mo nomad

Tawau

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$888

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Delhi and in Tawau

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

A single person spends $526 per month in Delhi vs $888 in Tawau, rent included.

Delhi $526
Tawau $888

A couple spends around $882 per month in Delhi vs $1,354 in Tawau, rent included.

Delhi $882
Tawau $1,354

A family of three spends $1,239 per month in Delhi vs $1,820 in Tawau, rent included.

Delhi $1,239
Tawau $1,820

Delhi is about 41% cheaper than Tawau, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Delhi and Tawau are more affordable than the global median – Delhi 61% lower, Tawau 34% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.70 ₹352

$3.14 MYR 12.80

17.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$21.33 ₹2,026

$19.22 MYR 78.4

10.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.69 ₹351

$4.21 MYR 17.19

-12.35%

Cappuccino

$2.30 ₹218

$3.15 MYR 12.86

-26.98%

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

$0.39 ₹36.82

$0.95 MYR 3.86

-58.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.15 ₹14.05

$0.36 MYR 1.46

-58.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.05 ₹195

$2.66 MYR 10.83

-22.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.13 ₹297

$4.52 MYR 18.45

-30.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.69 ₹65.9

$1.74 MYR 7.10

-60.34%

White Bread (500g)

$0.58 ₹54.6

$1.00 MYR 4.09

-42.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.78 ₹74.0

$1.49 MYR 6.06

-47.65%

Eggs

$1.15 ₹109

$2.16 MYR 8.80

-46.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.28 ₹407

$14.36 MYR 58.6

-70.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.52 ₹334

$4.35 MYR 17.75

-19.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.83 MYR 40.10

Apples (1kg)

$1.93 ₹184

$3.04 MYR 12.41

-36.51%

Banana (1kg)

$0.79 ₹75.1

$1.67 MYR 6.83

-52.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.01 ₹95.6

$2.48 MYR 10.13

-59.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.53 ₹50.0

$1.49 MYR 6.10

-64.43%

Potato (1kg)

$0.28 ₹26.21

$1.31 MYR 5.32

-78.63%

Onion (1kg)

$0.37 ₹35.46

$1.21 MYR 4.94

-69.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.44 ₹41.89

$1.07 MYR 4.37

-58.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.31 ₹29.89

$0.57 MYR 2.31

-45.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.95 ₹470

$4.48 MYR 18.30

10.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.57 ₹814

$19.05 MYR 77.7

-55.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ₹152

$3.02 MYR 12.32

-46.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₹253

$4.98 MYR 20.32

-46.59%

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

$6.40 ₹608

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 ₹48.63

$0.70 MYR 2.84

-27.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.59 ₹1,481

$12.41 MYR 50.6

25.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.04 ₹98.4

$1.25 MYR 5.11

-16.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.27 ₹25.79

$0.48 MYR 1.97

-43.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.54 ₹146

$6.98 MYR 28.49

-77.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 ₹106

$0.87 MYR 3.57

27.59%

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

$11.5K ₹1.1M

$50.2K MYR 204.8K

-77.14%

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

$18.9K ₹1.8M

$36.0K MYR 146.9K

-47.63%

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

$42.45 ₹4,031

$49.37 MYR 201

-14.02%

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

$4.20 ₹399

$10.55 MYR 43.02

-60.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$6.89 ₹654

$28.74 MYR 117

-76.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$20.09 ₹1,908

$43.34 MYR 177

-53.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.89 ₹749

$6.82 MYR 27.83

15.69%

Cinema Ticket

$5.31 ₹504

$3.77 MYR 15.39

40.85%

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

$101 ₹9,571

$183 MYR 746

-44.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,315 ₹219.8K

$7,623 MYR 31.1K

-69.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$24.64 ₹2,340

$58.9 MYR 240

-58.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.82 ₹2,737

$33.06 MYR 135

-12.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$53.6 ₹5,088

$74.3 MYR 303

-27.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$44.17 ₹4,194

$88.2 MYR 360

-49.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$271 ₹25.8K

$387 MYR 1,578

-29.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$157 ₹14.9K

$253 MYR 1,030

-37.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$744 ₹70.6K

$596 MYR 2,433

24.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$405 ₹38.4K

$447 MYR 1,823

-9.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,574 ₹244.4K

$1,936 MYR 7,900

32.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,003 ₹95.2K

$1,216 MYR 4,962

-17.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$615 ₹58.4K

$418 MYR 1,707

47.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.33

4.06

105.17%

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

Last update for Delhi: October 18, 2026

Last update for Tawau: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Delhi

$157 29.9%

Tawau

$253 28.4% 60.9% $96

Groceries & Markets

Delhi

$110 20.8%

Tawau

$260 29.2% 137% $150

Eating Out

Delhi

$87 16.5%

Tawau

$103 11.6% 18.6% $16

Clothing & Footwear

Delhi

$68 12.9%

Tawau

$114 12.9% 68.2% $46

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Delhi

$54 10.2%

Tawau

$89 10% 65.6% $35

Sport & Entertainment

Delhi

$31 5.8%

Tawau

$51 5.7% 65.7% $20

Getting Around

Delhi

$20 3.8%

Tawau

$19 2.1% 5.9% $1.2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $271 in Delhi versus $387 in Tawau. 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 47% 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 $21.00 in Delhi versus $19.00 in Tawau. Groceries tell a different story – $110 in Delhi vs $260 in Tawau – so Delhi wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇮🇳 Delhi

🇲🇾 Tawau

🕒 Local time

02:57 2:57 AM

05:27 5:27 AM

2 h 30 min ahead of Delhi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

16,787,941 Capital

420,806

💱 Currency

Indian Rupee INR ₹

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 INR = 10.53 USD

1,000 INR = 9.37 EUR

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.218 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MYR, USD, EUR to INR – Indian Rupee Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇳 Indian Rupee (₹)

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 94.96 INR (100 INR = 1.05 USD). 1 EUR = 107 INR (1,000 INR = 9.37 EUR).

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 4.08 MYR (1 MYR = 0.245 USD). 1 EUR = 4.59 MYR (1 MYR = 0.218 EUR).

USD to INR in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Delhi Tawau 5,070 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Delhi
Tawau

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 Tawau: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $526 in Delhi, $888 in Tawau – roughly 69% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $789 per month in Delhi and $1,332 in Tawau. 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 $19.00 in Tawau. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $526 in Delhi and $888 in Tawau. That's a gap of about 69%.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $526 in Delhi and $888 in Tawau, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

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