Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hyderabad and Chennai (Madras)

For one person, living is cheaper in Chennai (Madras): $435 a month against $491 in Hyderabad, rent and utilities included – about $670 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

24

Cost of Living Index in Hyderabad
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Hyderabad Living Index
21

Cost of Living Index in Chennai (Madras)
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Chennai (Madras) Living Index

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Hyderabad

🇮🇳 India

$491

/mo nomad

Chennai (Madras)

🇮🇳 India

$435

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Hyderabad and in Chennai (Madras)

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Hyderabad and in Chennai (Madras) actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $491 per month in Hyderabad vs $435 in Chennai (Madras), rent included.

Hyderabad $491
Chennai (Madras) $435

A couple spends around $809 per month in Hyderabad vs $725 in Chennai (Madras), rent included.

Hyderabad $809
Chennai (Madras) $725

A family of three spends $1,127 per month in Hyderabad vs $1,016 in Chennai (Madras), rent included.

Hyderabad $1,127
Chennai (Madras) $1,016

Hyderabad costs about 13% more than Chennai (Madras), and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Hyderabad and Chennai (Madras) are more affordable than the global median – Hyderabad 64% lower, Chennai (Madras) 68% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.58 ₹245

$2.04 ₹193

26.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$15.95 ₹1,515

$12.50 ₹1,187

27.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.10 ₹484

$4.14 ₹393

23.19%

Cappuccino

$2.27 ₹216

$1.82 ₹173

24.73%

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

$0.45 ₹42.44

$0.34 ₹31.87

32.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.15 ₹14.09

$0.17 ₹16.18

-11.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.12 ₹201

$1.55 ₹148

36.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.29 ₹407

$3.17 ₹301

35.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.83 ₹79.0

$0.59 ₹55.9

40.68%

White Bread (500g)

$0.58 ₹55.5

$0.51 ₹48.05

13.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.70 ₹66.1

$0.69 ₹65.3

1.45%

Eggs

$0.99 ₹94.3

$0.88 ₹83.8

12.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.10 ₹674

$6.25 ₹593

13.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.38 ₹321

$3.12 ₹296

8.33%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 ₹222

$2.78 ₹264

-15.83%

Banana (1kg)

$0.68 ₹65.0

$0.83 ₹78.4

-18.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.14 ₹109

$1.39 ₹132

-17.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.44 ₹42.05

$0.43 ₹40.65

2.33%

Potato (1kg)

$0.43 ₹40.36

$0.44 ₹42.20

-2.27%

Onion (1kg)

$0.39 ₹37.47

$0.42 ₹39.90

-7.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.51 ₹48.66

$0.54 ₹51.7

-5.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.32 ₹30.82

$0.28 ₹26.42

14.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₹492

$5.11 ₹486

1.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.37 ₹795

$7.25 ₹689

15.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ₹173

$1.86 ₹176

-2.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.72 ₹259

$2.76 ₹262

-1.45%

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

$6.16 ₹584

$6.71 ₹637

-8.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 ₹51.4

$0.33 ₹31.72

63.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$14.95 ₹1,419

$10.67 ₹1,013

40.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.92 ₹87.0

$1.03 ₹97.8

-10.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.55 ₹52.1

$0.30 ₹28.90

83.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.19 ₹113

$2.12 ₹201

-43.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.12 ₹106

$1.09 ₹103

2.75%

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

$11.4K ₹1.1M

$11.1K ₹1.1M

2.30%

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

$22.7K ₹2.2M

$20.1K ₹1.9M

12.79%

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

$35.06 ₹3,329

$38.28 ₹3,635

-8.41%

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

$4.30 ₹408

$3.96 ₹376

8.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$7.89 ₹749

$7.75 ₹736

1.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.12 ₹2,290

$14.18 ₹1,347

70.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.43 ₹706

$6.64 ₹630

11.90%

Cinema Ticket

$3.07 ₹291

$2.28 ₹217

34.65%

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

$145 ₹13.8K

$87.7 ₹8,331

65.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,836 ₹269.2K

$2,110 ₹200.4K

34.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$21.57 ₹2,049

$19.99 ₹1,898

7.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$21.03 ₹1,997

$17.11 ₹1,624

22.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$42.00 ₹3,988

$35.44 ₹3,365

18.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$34.78 ₹3,303

$30.77 ₹2,922

13.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$231 ₹21.9K

$190 ₹18.0K

21.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$133 ₹12.6K

$123 ₹11.7K

8.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$624 ₹59.3K

$577 ₹54.8K

8.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$339 ₹32.2K

$343 ₹32.5K

-0.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,354 ₹128.5K

$1,864 ₹177.0K

-27.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$776 ₹73.7K

$798 ₹75.8K

-2.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,260 ₹119.6K

$662 ₹62.9K

90.28%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.55

9.99

-14.41%

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

Last update for Hyderabad: October 25, 2026

Last update for Chennai (Madras): October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Hyderabad

$133 27.1%

Chennai (Madras)

$123 28.3% 7.6% $10

Groceries & Markets

Hyderabad

$121 24.7%

Chennai (Madras)

$115 26.5% 4.9% $5.9

Eating Out

Hyderabad

$85 17.3%

Chennai (Madras)

$67 15.4% 21.3% $18

Clothing & Footwear

Hyderabad

$54 10.9%

Chennai (Madras)

$46 10.7% 13.5% $7.2

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hyderabad

$47 9.6%

Chennai (Madras)

$50 11.5% 5.8% $2.7

Sport & Entertainment

Hyderabad

$30 6.2%

Chennai (Madras)

$19 4.3% 38.1% $12

Getting Around

Hyderabad

$21 4.2%

Chennai (Madras)

$15 3.4% 29.9% $6.2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $231 in Hyderabad versus $190 in Chennai (Madras). 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 90% higher in Hyderabad. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $16 in Hyderabad versus $13 in Chennai (Madras). Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $121 vs $115 – making Chennai (Madras) the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇳 Hyderabad

🇮🇳 Chennai (Madras)

🕒 Local time

23:43 11:43 PM

Same time as Hyderabad

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

6,809,970

4,681,087

💱 Currency

Indian Rupee INR ₹

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 INR = 10.53 USD

1,000 INR = 9.43 EUR

1,000 INR = 10.53 USD

1,000 INR = 9.43 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Hyderabad Chennai (Madras) 510 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

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Hyderabad
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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Hyderabad vs Chennai (Madras): Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hyderabad costs about 13% more than Chennai (Madras), and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $736 per month in Hyderabad and $652 in Chennai (Madras). That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Chennai (Madras), especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $190 there versus $231 in Hyderabad.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $491 in Hyderabad and $435 in Chennai (Madras). That makes Chennai (Madras) about 11% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 29% less in Chennai (Madras). For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $491 in Hyderabad and $435 in Chennai (Madras), leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chennai (Madras) costs $435 versus $491 in Hyderabad. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Chennai (Madras). If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Hyderabad makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.