Cost of Living Comparison Between Delhi and Varanasi Cost of Living Comparison Between Delhi and Varanasi

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $531 per month in Delhi vs $288 in Varanasi, rent included.

A couple spends around $875 per month in Delhi vs $470 in Varanasi, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,219 per month in Delhi vs $653 in Varanasi, rent included.

Delhi costs about 84% more than Varanasi, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Delhi and Varanasi are more affordable than the global median – Delhi 61% lower, Varanasi 79% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.09 ₹388

$1.87 ₹177

118.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$21.13 ₹2,006

$7.80 ₹741

170.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.96 ₹376

$3.16 ₹300

25.32%

Cappuccino

$2.37 ₹225

$1.60 ₹152

48.13%

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

$0.36 ₹34.00

$0.35 ₹33.01

2.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.17 ₹15.87

$0.10 ₹9.07

70.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.13 ₹202

$1.55 ₹147

37.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.19 ₹303

$2.05 ₹195

55.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.73 ₹69.8

$0.66 ₹62.3

10.61%

White Bread (500g)

$0.52 ₹49.53

$0.29 ₹27.34

79.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.74 ₹70.0

$0.56 ₹53.4

32.14%

Eggs

$1.10 ₹104

$0.82 ₹77.5

34.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.29 ₹407

$3.13 ₹297

37.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.46 ₹329

$2.25 ₹213

53.78%

Apples (1kg)

$2.05 ₹195

$1.43 ₹135

43.36%

Banana (1kg)

$0.74 ₹70.6

$0.61 ₹57.9

21.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.04 ₹98.5

$0.89 ₹84.5

16.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.52 ₹49.68

$0.31 ₹29.79

67.74%

Potato (1kg)

$0.28 ₹26.45

$0.24 ₹22.75

16.67%

Onion (1kg)

$0.37 ₹34.71

$0.24 ₹22.58

54.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.45 ₹43.07

$0.46 ₹43.58

-2.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.31 ₹29.90

$0.28 ₹26.90

10.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.13 ₹487

$3.07 ₹291

67.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.18 ₹777

$5.63 ₹535

45.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 ₹151

$1.64 ₹156

-3.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.63 ₹250

$2.44 ₹232

7.79%

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

$6.29 ₹597

$4.03 ₹382

56.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.44 ₹41.77

$0.51 ₹48.65

-13.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.04 ₹1,523

$9.74 ₹925

64.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.02 ₹96.4

$0.18 ₹16.71

466.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.27 ₹25.66

$0.10 ₹9.12

170.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.54 ₹146

$1.03 ₹98.0

49.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.05 ₹99.4

$1.09 ₹104

-3.67%

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

$11.8K ₹1.1M

$12.7K ₹1.2M

-6.88%

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

$19.4K ₹1.8M

$18.9K ₹1.8M

3.08%

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

$42.31 ₹4,018

$12.54 ₹1,191

237.40%

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

$4.21 ₹400

$3.57 ₹339

17.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$6.91 ₹656

$6.73 ₹639

2.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$20.33 ₹1,931

$10.93 ₹1,038

86.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.17 ₹776

$5.11 ₹485

59.88%

Cinema Ticket

$5.22 ₹496

$2.95 ₹280

76.95%

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

$95.6 ₹9,075

$39.10 ₹3,713

144.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,099 ₹199.3K

$1,007 ₹95.6K

108.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$24.80 ₹2,355

$21.17 ₹2,010

17.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.61 ₹2,812

$25.46 ₹2,418

16.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$54.3 ₹5,151

$37.20 ₹3,532

45.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$47.37 ₹4,498

$25.59 ₹2,430

85.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$272 ₹25.9K

$113 ₹10.7K

141.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$154 ₹14.6K

$47.28 ₹4,490

225.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$720 ₹68.4K

$201 ₹19.1K

258.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$372 ₹35.3K

$139 ₹13.2K

167.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,550 ₹242.1K

$577 ₹54.8K

342.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$962 ₹91.4K

$339 ₹32.2K

183.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$605 ₹57.5K

$567 ₹53.9K

6.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.6

8.53

0.82%

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

Last update for Delhi: August 29, 2026

Last update for Varanasi: September 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $272 in Delhi versus $113 in Varanasi. 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 7% 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 $8.00 in Varanasi. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $108 vs $82.0 – making Varanasi the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Varanasi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $531 in Delhi, $288 in Varanasi – roughly 84% apart. Delhi costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $797 per month in Delhi and $432 in Varanasi. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Varanasi, 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 $8.00 in Varanasi. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $531 in Delhi and $288 in Varanasi. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $531 in Delhi and $288 in Varanasi, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Varanasi – 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 Varanasi. 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.