Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hyderabad and Shimla

For one person, living is cheaper in Shimla: $310 a month against $491 in Hyderabad, rent and utilities included – about $2,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

24

Cost of Living Index in Hyderabad
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Hyderabad Living Index
15

Cost of Living Index in Shimla
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Shimla Living Index

Jump to prices

Hyderabad

🇮🇳 India

$491

/mo nomad

Shimla

🇮🇳 India

$310

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Hyderabad and in Shimla

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

A single person spends $491 per month in Hyderabad vs $310 in Shimla, rent included.

Hyderabad $491
Shimla $310

A couple spends around $809 per month in Hyderabad vs $504 in Shimla, rent included.

Hyderabad $809
Shimla $504

A family of three spends $1,127 per month in Hyderabad vs $698 in Shimla, rent included.

Hyderabad $1,127
Shimla $698

Hyderabad costs about 58% more than Shimla, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Hyderabad and Shimla are more affordable than the global median – Hyderabad 64% lower, Shimla 77% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.58 ₹246

$1.56 ₹149

65.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$15.95 ₹1,519

$10.47 ₹997

52.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.10 ₹486

$3.09 ₹295

65.05%

Cappuccino

$2.27 ₹217

$0.92 ₹87.3

146.74%

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

$0.45 ₹42.56

$0.34 ₹32.20

32.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.15 ₹14.13

$0.11 ₹10.42

36.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.12 ₹202

$1.64 ₹156

29.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.29 ₹409

$2.07 ₹197

107.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.83 ₹79.2

$0.67 ₹64.2

23.88%

White Bread (500g)

$0.58 ₹55.7

$0.42 ₹40.36

38.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.70 ₹66.3

$0.63 ₹60.4

11.11%

Eggs

$0.99 ₹94.5

$0.89 ₹85.1

11.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.10 ₹676

$4.33 ₹412

63.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.38 ₹322

$3.18 ₹303

6.29%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 ₹223

$1.87 ₹178

25.13%

Banana (1kg)

$0.68 ₹65.2

$0.76 ₹72.1

-10.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.14 ₹109

$0.63 ₹60.1

80.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.44 ₹42.17

$0.48 ₹45.51

-8.33%

Potato (1kg)

$0.43 ₹40.47

$0.30 ₹28.72

43.33%

Onion (1kg)

$0.39 ₹37.58

$0.36 ₹34.35

8.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.51 ₹48.79

$0.22 ₹20.99

131.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.32 ₹30.91

$0.27 ₹25.62

18.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₹493

$3.38 ₹322

53.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.37 ₹797

$8.57 ₹816

-2.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ₹173

$1.54 ₹147

18.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.72 ₹259

$2.04 ₹194

33.33%

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

$6.16 ₹586

$3.80 ₹362

62.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 ₹51.5

$0.22 ₹20.98

145.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$14.95 ₹1,423

$7.84 ₹747

90.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.92 ₹87.2

$1.07 ₹102

-14.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.55 ₹52.3

$0.34 ₹31.93

61.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.19 ₹113

$1.02 ₹97.4

16.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.12 ₹106

$1.09 ₹104

2.75%

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

$11.4K ₹1.1M

$8,462 ₹805.8K

34.53%

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

$22.7K ₹2.2M

$18.1K ₹1.7M

25.47%

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

$35.06 ₹3,339

$18.17 ₹1,730

92.96%

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

$4.30 ₹409

$3.13 ₹298

37.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$7.89 ₹751

$7.02 ₹669

12.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.12 ₹2,297

$13.85 ₹1,319

74.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.43 ₹708

$10.63 ₹1,012

-30.10%

Cinema Ticket

$3.07 ₹292

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

$145 ₹13.8K

$42.11 ₹4,010

244.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,836 ₹270.0K

$2,173 ₹206.9K

30.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$21.57 ₹2,054

$24.76 ₹2,357

-12.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$21.03 ₹2,003

$21.97 ₹2,092

-4.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$42.00 ₹3,999

$39.31 ₹3,744

6.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$34.78 ₹3,312

$26.41 ₹2,515

31.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$231 ₹22.0K

$86.4 ₹8,222

167.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$133 ₹12.7K

$53.3 ₹5,075

149.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$624 ₹59.4K

$199 ₹18.9K

213.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$339 ₹32.3K

$125 ₹11.9K

171.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,354 ₹128.9K

$563 ₹53.6K

140.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$776 ₹73.9K

$563 ₹53.6K

37.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,260 ₹120.0K

$612 ₹58.3K

105.87%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.55

8.25

3.64%

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

Last update for Hyderabad: October 25, 2026

Last update for Shimla: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Hyderabad

$133 27.1%

Shimla

$53 17.2% 59.9% $80

Groceries & Markets

Hyderabad

$121 24.7%

Shimla

$99 32.1% 17.8% $22

Eating Out

Hyderabad

$85 17.3%

Shimla

$47 15.1% 44.7% $38

Clothing & Footwear

Hyderabad

$54 10.9%

Shimla

$51 16.3% 5.8% $3.1

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hyderabad

$47 9.6%

Shimla

$28 9.1% 40.1% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Hyderabad

$30 6.2%

Shimla

$20 6.5% 33.9% $10

Getting Around

Hyderabad

$21 4.2%

Shimla

$11 3.7% 44.8% $9.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $231 in Hyderabad versus $86 in Shimla. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Hyderabad are about 2.1 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $16 in Hyderabad versus $10 in Shimla. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $121 vs $99 – making Shimla the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇳 Hyderabad

🇮🇳 Shimla

🕒 Local time

02:50 2:50 AM

Same time as Hyderabad

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

6,809,970

170,000

💱 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

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Between locations

Hyderabad Shimla 1,530 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Hyderabad
Shimla

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

Hyderabad vs Shimla: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hyderabad costs about 58% more than Shimla, 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 $465 in Shimla. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Shimla, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $86 there versus $231 in Hyderabad.

Public transport costs about 48% less in Shimla. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $145 per month in Hyderabad and $42 in Shimla. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $491 in Hyderabad and $310 in Shimla, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Shimla – 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 Shimla. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Hyderabad makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.