Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between India and the United States

Name: United States
Address: US

For one person, living is cheaper in India: $391 a month against $2,701 in the United States, rent and utilities included – about $27,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

19

Cost of Living Index in India
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India Living Index
133

Cost of Living Index in the United States
Learn more

United States Living Index

Jump to prices

🇮🇳 India

$391

/mo nomad

🇺🇸 United States

$2,701

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $391 in India versus $2,701 in the United States.

India $391
United States $2,701

Estimated couple costs with rent: $620 in India versus $3,980 in the United States.

India $620
United States $3,980

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $849 in India versus $5,258 in the United States.

India $849
United States $5,258

Internal cost variation is higher in the United States: monthly costs span $980 to $5,162, compared to $228–$812 in India. City choice carries more weight in the United States.

Living in India costs about 86% less than in the United States on average.

India (71% below) and the United States (100% above) straddle the global median.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.14 ₹203

$19.92 $19.92

-89.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$10.52 ₹999

$81.0 $81.0

-87.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.58 ₹340

$12.07 $12.07

-70.34%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ₹158

$5.55 $5.55

-69.91%

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

$0.37 ₹35.48

$2.67 $2.67

-86.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.15 ₹14.18

$2.09 $2.09

-92.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.84 ₹175

$5.96 $5.96

-69.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 ₹292

$7.76 $7.76

-60.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.62 ₹58.8

$1.05 $1.05

-40.95%

White Bread (500g)

$0.49 ₹46.73

$3.55 $3.55

-86.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.63 ₹60.1

$4.64 $4.64

-86.42%

Eggs

$0.96 ₹90.7

$4.18 $4.18

-77.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.71 ₹447

$12.76 $12.76

-63.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.92 ₹277

$12.63 $12.63

-76.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.22 $17.22

Apples (1kg)

$1.98 ₹188

$5.15 $5.15

-61.55%

Banana (1kg)

$0.68 ₹64.4

$1.64 $1.64

-58.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.02 ₹97.2

$4.46 $4.46

-77.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.46 ₹43.78

$4.98 $4.98

-90.76%

Potato (1kg)

$0.34 ₹32.20

$2.84 $2.84

-88.03%

Onion (1kg)

$0.41 ₹39.00

$3.09 $3.09

-86.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.43 ₹40.66

$2.19 $2.19

-80.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.31 ₹29.73

$2.27 $2.27

-86.34%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.89 ₹464

$10.61 $10.61

-53.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.25 ₹688

$14.71 $14.71

-50.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 ₹162

$2.10 $2.10

-18.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 ₹260

$3.82 $3.82

-28.27%

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

$5.25 ₹499

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 ₹25.86

$2.35 $2.35

-88.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.39 ₹797

$64.1 $64.1

-86.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.03 ₹97.8

$3.57 $3.57

-71.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.25 ₹23.49

$1.85 $1.85

-86.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.60 ₹152

$30.19 $30.19

-94.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.13 ₹107

$1.07 $1.07

5.61%

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

$12.6K ₹1.2M

$35.3K $35.3K

-64.18%

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

$20.1K ₹1.9M

$25.9K $25.9K

-22.39%

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

$37.55 ₹3,566

$217 $217

-82.66%

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

$3.47 ₹330

$61.4 $61.4

-94.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$7.15 ₹679

$74.4 $74.4

-90.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$14.58 ₹1,385

$45.08 $45.08

-67.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.21 ₹684

$23.07 $23.07

-68.75%

Cinema Ticket

$3.18 ₹302

$14.79 $14.79

-78.50%

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

$56.8 ₹5,391

$1,480 $1,480

-96.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,651 ₹156.7K

$25.5K $25.5K

-93.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$22.55 ₹2,141

$53.0 $53.0

-57.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.54 ₹2,330

$42.75 $42.75

-42.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$39.69 ₹3,769

$94.3 $94.3

-57.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$29.84 ₹2,833

$115 $115

-74.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$141 ₹13.4K

$1,678 $1,678

-91.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$89.7 ₹8,515

$1,313 $1,313

-93.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$325 ₹30.9K

$2,649 $2,649

-87.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$207 ₹19.7K

$2,183 $2,183

-90.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,214 ₹115.3K

$3,374 $3,374

-64.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$638 ₹60.6K

$2,661 $2,661

-76.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$434 ₹41.2K

$4,404 $4,404

-90.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.92

6.55

36.18%

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 States: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

India

$102 26.2%

United States

$411 15.2% 302% $309

Accommodation & Living

India

$90 23%

United States

$1.3K 48.6% 1365% $1.2K

Eating Out

India

$65 16.7%

United States

$327 12.1% 400% $261

Clothing & Footwear

India

$52 13.4%

United States

$137 5.1% 162% $85

Monthly Utilities & Internet

India

$48 12.3%

United States

$352 13% 631% $304

Sport & Entertainment

India

$21 5.4%

United States

$75 2.8% 256% $54

Getting Around

India

$12 3%

United States

$86 3.2% 634% $75

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $119 in India, $1,609 in the United States. Capital cities: $267 in Delhi vs $2,730 in Washington, DC.

National salary averages: $411 in India, $4,533 in the United States. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 1252% higher in the United States.

Dining out costs 650% more in the United States.

Public transport is 286% more expensive in the United States.

Salaries are 1003% higher in the United States, and purchasing power comes out stronger in the United States.

Good to know

🇮🇳 India

🇺🇸 United States

🕒 Local time

17:30 5:30 PM

08:00 8:00 AM

9 h 30 min behind India

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,326,093,247

340,110,988

💱 Currency

Indian Rupee INR ₹

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 INR = 10.53 USD

1,000 INR = 9.37 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to INR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

India United States 12,680 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

India
United States

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 States: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $391 per month in India and $2,701 in the United States, there's a 591% 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 $1,609 in the United States 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 States 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 States may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.