Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between India and the United Kingdom

Name: United Kingdom
Address: GB

For one person, living is cheaper in India: $391 a month against $2,453 in the United Kingdom, rent and utilities included – about $24,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

19

Cost of Living Index in India
Learn more

India Living Index
119

Cost of Living Index in the United Kingdom
Learn more

United Kingdom Living Index

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🇮🇳 India

$391

/mo nomad

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,453

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in India and in the United Kingdom

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $391 in India versus $2,453 in the United Kingdom.

India $391
United Kingdom $2,453

Estimated couple costs with rent: $620 in India versus $3,548 in the United Kingdom.

India $620
United Kingdom $3,548

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $849 in India versus $4,643 in the United Kingdom.

India $849
United Kingdom $4,643

Internal cost variation is higher in the United Kingdom: monthly costs span $1,131 to $3,986, compared to $228–$812 in India. City choice carries more weight in the United Kingdom.

Living in India costs about 84% less than in the United Kingdom on average.

India (71% below) and the United Kingdom (82% above) straddle the global median.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.14 ₹203

$20.82 £15.62

-89.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$10.52 ₹999

$86.3 £64.7

-87.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.58 ₹340

$10.76 £8.07

-66.73%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ₹158

$4.87 £3.65

-65.71%

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

$0.37 ₹35.48

$2.55 £1.91

-85.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.15 ₹14.18

$1.85 £1.39

-91.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.84 ₹175

$6.75 £5.06

-72.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 ₹292

$6.49 £4.87

-52.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.62 ₹58.8

$1.64 £1.23

-62.20%

White Bread (500g)

$0.49 ₹46.73

$1.66 £1.24

-70.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.63 ₹60.1

$2.17 £1.63

-70.97%

Eggs

$0.96 ₹90.7

$4.02 £3.01

-76.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.71 ₹447

$9.40 £7.05

-49.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.92 ₹277

$8.99 £6.74

-67.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.55 £10.92

Apples (1kg)

$1.98 ₹188

$2.90 £2.17

-31.72%

Banana (1kg)

$0.68 ₹64.4

$1.60 £1.20

-57.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.02 ₹97.2

$2.78 £2.08

-63.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.46 ₹43.78

$3.39 £2.54

-86.43%

Potato (1kg)

$0.34 ₹32.20

$1.78 £1.34

-80.90%

Onion (1kg)

$0.41 ₹39.00

$1.62 £1.21

-74.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.43 ₹40.66

$1.23 £0.92

-65.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.31 ₹29.73

$1.66 £1.24

-81.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.89 ₹464

$23.67 £17.76

-79.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.25 ₹688

$10.67 £8.00

-32.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 ₹162

$3.06 £2.30

-44.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 ₹260

$3.33 £2.50

-17.72%

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

$5.25 ₹499

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 ₹25.86

$3.34 £2.51

-91.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.39 ₹797

$103 £77.1

-91.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.03 ₹97.8

$5.44 £4.08

-81.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.25 ₹23.49

$2.36 £1.77

-89.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.60 ₹152

$26.17 £19.63

-93.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.13 ₹107

$1.95 £1.46

-42.05%

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

$12.6K ₹1.2M

$38.0K £28.5K

-66.70%

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

$20.1K ₹1.9M

$40.6K £30.5K

-50.52%

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

$37.55 ₹3,566

$315 £236

-88.07%

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

$3.47 ₹330

$17.88 £13.41

-80.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$7.15 ₹679

$42.77 £32.09

-83.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$14.58 ₹1,385

$44.93 £33.71

-67.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.21 ₹684

$17.98 £13.49

-59.90%

Cinema Ticket

$3.18 ₹302

$13.06 £9.80

-75.65%

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

$56.8 ₹5,391

$1,753 £1,315

-96.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,651 ₹156.7K

$22.5K £16.9K

-92.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$22.55 ₹2,141

$90.4 £67.8

-75.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.54 ₹2,330

$45.49 £34.13

-46.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$39.69 ₹3,769

$101 £75.9

-60.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$29.84 ₹2,833

$102 £76.4

-70.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$141 ₹13.4K

$1,339 £1,005

-89.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$89.7 ₹8,515

$1,096 £822

-91.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$325 ₹30.9K

$2,152 £1,615

-84.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$207 ₹19.7K

$1,699 £1,275

-87.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,214 ₹115.3K

$5,551 £4,165

-78.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$638 ₹60.6K

$4,374 £3,282

-85.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$434 ₹41.2K

$3,324 £2,494

-86.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.92

5.32

67.67%

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

Last update for India: October 10, 2026

Last update for the United Kingdom: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

India

$102 26.2%

United Kingdom

$303 12.4% 196% $201

Accommodation & Living

India

$90 23%

United Kingdom

$1.1K 44.7% 1123% $1K

Eating Out

India

$65 16.7%

United Kingdom

$322 13.1% 393% $256

Clothing & Footwear

India

$52 13.4%

United Kingdom

$153 6.2% 191% $100

Monthly Utilities & Internet

India

$48 12.3%

United Kingdom

$375 15.3% 679% $327

Sport & Entertainment

India

$21 5.4%

United Kingdom

$71 2.9% 239% $50

Getting Around

India

$12 3%

United Kingdom

$133 5.4% 1035% $122

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $119 in India, $1,252 in the United Kingdom. Capital cities: $267 in Delhi vs $2,869 in London.

National salary averages: $411 in India, $3,228 in the United Kingdom. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 952% higher in the United Kingdom.

Dining out costs 730% more in the United Kingdom.

Public transport is 1143% more expensive in the United Kingdom.

Salaries are 685% higher in the United Kingdom, and purchasing power comes out stronger in the United Kingdom.

Good to know

🇮🇳 India

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

🕒 Local time

02:50 2:50 AM

22:20 10:20 PM

4 h 30 min behind India

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,326,093,247

67,326,569

💱 Currency

Indian Rupee INR ₹

British Pound GBP £

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 INR = 10.53 USD

1,000 INR = 9.37 EUR

1 GBP = 1.33 USD

1 GBP = 1.19 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

GBP, USD, EUR to INR – Indian Rupee Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇳 Indian Rupee (₹)

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 94.96 INR (100 INR = 1.05 USD). 1 EUR = 107 INR (1,000 INR = 9.37 EUR).

British Pound exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 0.75 GBP (1 GBP = 1.33 USD). 1 EUR = 0.843 GBP (1 GBP = 1.19 EUR).

USD to INR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

India United Kingdom 6,710 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

India
United Kingdom

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

India vs United Kingdom: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $391 per month in India and $2,453 in the United Kingdom, there's a 528% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Day-to-day life is cheaper in India: lower grocery prices, cheaper commutes, and more affordable meals out. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent for a central one-bedroom averages $1,252 in the United Kingdom and $119 in India. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.

In India, $1,000 covers most cities easily; in the United Kingdom it stretches only to regional areas and falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.

It depends on what you're after: India wins on affordability; the United Kingdom may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.