Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Delhi and Varanasi

For one person, living is cheaper in Varanasi: $289 a month against $522 in Delhi, rent and utilities included – about $2,800 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
14

Cost of Living Index in Varanasi
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Varanasi Living Index

Jump to prices

Delhi

🇮🇳 India

$522

/mo nomad

Varanasi

🇮🇳 India

$289

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Delhi and in Varanasi

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

A single person spends $522 per month in Delhi vs $289 in Varanasi, rent included.

Delhi $522
Varanasi $289

A couple spends around $872 per month in Delhi vs $476 in Varanasi, rent included.

Delhi $872
Varanasi $476

A family of three spends $1,222 per month in Delhi vs $663 in Varanasi, rent included.

Delhi $1,222
Varanasi $663

Delhi costs about 81% more than Varanasi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.70 ₹351

$1.82 ₹173

103.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$21.05 ₹1,999

$7.99 ₹759

163.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.73 ₹354

$3.10 ₹295

20.32%

Cappuccino

$2.35 ₹223

$1.57 ₹149

49.68%

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

$0.37 ₹35.21

$0.41 ₹39.31

-9.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.15 ₹13.93

$0.11 ₹10.47

36.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.14 ₹203

$1.60 ₹152

33.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.06 ₹291

$2.04 ₹194

50.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.69 ₹65.1

$0.62 ₹58.5

11.29%

White Bread (500g)

$0.53 ₹50.0

$0.31 ₹29.90

70.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.77 ₹73.1

$0.53 ₹50.5

45.28%

Eggs

$1.11 ₹105

$0.81 ₹77.3

37.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.63 ₹440

$3.20 ₹304

44.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.52 ₹334

$2.19 ₹208

60.73%

Apples (1kg)

$2.00 ₹190

$1.40 ₹133

42.86%

Banana (1kg)

$0.74 ₹70.5

$0.60 ₹57.3

23.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.97 ₹92.6

$0.87 ₹82.7

11.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.53 ₹49.92

$0.32 ₹30.20

65.63%

Potato (1kg)

$0.30 ₹28.61

$0.23 ₹21.68

30.43%

Onion (1kg)

$0.40 ₹37.82

$0.25 ₹23.77

60.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.42 ₹39.62

$0.44 ₹42.08

-4.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.31 ₹29.81

$0.28 ₹26.68

10.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.94 ₹469

$3.19 ₹303

54.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.21 ₹779

$5.83 ₹553

40.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 ₹150

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.69 ₹255

$1.87 ₹178

43.85%

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

$6.19 ₹588

$4.19 ₹398

47.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.46 ₹43.46

$0.53 ₹50.7

-13.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.78 ₹1,498

$9.63 ₹914

63.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.07 ₹102

$0.26 ₹24.88

311.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.27 ₹25.66

$0.10 ₹9.62

170.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.58 ₹150

$1.02 ₹96.9

54.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.07 ₹101

$1.05 ₹100

1.90%

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

$10.7K ₹1.0M

$12.5K ₹1.2M

-14.86%

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

$18.9K ₹1.8M

$21.8K ₹2.1M

-13.09%

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

$42.37 ₹4,024

$12.47 ₹1,185

239.78%

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

$4.03 ₹383

$3.66 ₹348

10.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$6.95 ₹660

$6.98 ₹663

-0.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$19.18 ₹1,821

$12.63 ₹1,199

51.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.92 ₹752

Cinema Ticket

$5.27 ₹500

$2.86 ₹271

84.27%

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

$100 ₹9,525

$38.92 ₹3,696

157.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,247 ₹213.4K

$1,003 ₹95.2K

124.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$24.11 ₹2,290

$22.70 ₹2,156

6.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.85 ₹2,645

$25.30 ₹2,403

10.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$52.4 ₹4,977

$37.80 ₹3,589

38.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$42.90 ₹4,074

$25.24 ₹2,397

69.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$267 ₹25.4K

$111 ₹10.5K

141.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$156 ₹14.8K

$47.37 ₹4,499

229.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$734 ₹69.7K

$196 ₹18.6K

275.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$394 ₹37.5K

$140 ₹13.3K

180.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,507 ₹238.0K

$569 ₹54.0K

340.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,020 ₹96.8K

$333 ₹31.6K

206.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$608 ₹57.7K

$578 ₹54.9K

5.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.33

8.53

-2.34%

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

Last update for Delhi: October 12, 2026

Last update for Varanasi: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Delhi

$156 29.9%

Varanasi

$47 16.4% 69.6% $109

Groceries & Markets

Delhi

$109 20.9%

Varanasi

$81 27.9% 26% $28

Eating Out

Delhi

$88 16.8%

Varanasi

$57 19.7% 35.3% $31

Clothing & Footwear

Delhi

$66 12.7%

Varanasi

$50 17.3% 24.6% $16

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Delhi

$53 10.2%

Varanasi

$23 8% 56.7% $30

Sport & Entertainment

Delhi

$30 5.7%

Varanasi

$18 6.4% 38.3% $11

Getting Around

Delhi

$20 3.8%

Varanasi

$13 4.3% 37.4% $7.5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $267 in Delhi versus $111 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 5% 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: $109 vs $81.0 – making Varanasi the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇳 Delhi

🇮🇳 Varanasi

🕒 Local time

09:49 9:49 AM

Same time as Delhi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

16,787,941 Capital

3,100,000

💱 Currency

Indian Rupee INR ₹

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 INR = 10.53 USD

1,000 INR = 9.37 EUR

1,000 INR = 10.53 USD

1,000 INR = 9.37 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Delhi Varanasi 680 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Delhi vs Varanasi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $522 in Delhi, $289 in Varanasi – roughly 81% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $783 per month in Delhi and $433 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 $522 in Delhi and $289 in Varanasi. That's a gap of about 81%.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $522 in Delhi and $289 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.