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: $380 a month against $2,785 in the United States, rent and utilities included – about $28,900 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

$380

/mo nomad

🇺🇸 United States

$2,785

/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: $380 in India versus $2,784 in the United States.

India $380
United States $2,784

Estimated couple costs with rent: $614 in India versus $3,982 in the United States.

India $614
United States $3,982

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $848 in India versus $5,179 in the United States.

India $848
United States $5,179

Internal cost variation is higher in the United States: monthly costs span $979 to $5,174, compared to $227–$806 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 (72% below) and the United States (108% above) straddle the global median.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.13 ₹206

$20.22 $20.22

-89.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$10.48 ₹1,014

$81.1 $81.1

-87.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.61 ₹350

$12.12 $12.12

-70.21%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ₹161

$5.36 $5.36

-69.03%

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

$0.37 ₹36.11

$2.77 $2.77

-86.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.17 ₹16.12

$2.09 $2.09

-91.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.83 ₹177

$5.84 $5.84

-68.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 ₹298

$7.92 $7.92

-61.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.66 ₹63.8

$1.04 $1.04

-36.54%

White Bread (500g)

$0.45 ₹43.99

$3.56 $3.56

-87.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.62 ₹59.6

$4.69 $4.69

-86.78%

Eggs

$0.94 ₹91.4

$4.43 $4.43

-78.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.58 ₹443

$12.91 $12.91

-64.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.88 ₹279

$12.20 $12.20

-76.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.00 $17.00

Apples (1kg)

$1.95 ₹189

$5.31 $5.31

-63.28%

Banana (1kg)

$0.64 ₹61.8

$1.67 $1.67

-61.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.00 ₹96.6

$4.49 $4.49

-77.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.46 ₹44.92

$5.05 $5.05

-90.89%

Potato (1kg)

$0.36 ₹35.18

$2.83 $2.83

-87.28%

Onion (1kg)

$0.38 ₹36.95

$3.00 $3.00

-87.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.46 ₹44.94

$2.28 $2.28

-79.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.29 ₹27.89

$2.27 $2.27

-87.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.05 ₹489

$10.33 $10.33

-51.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.17 ₹694

$14.72 $14.72

-51.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 ₹161

$2.05 $2.05

-19.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 ₹259

$3.66 $3.66

-27.05%

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

$5.31 ₹514

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₹24.15

$2.33 $2.33

-89.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.09 ₹783

$65.1 $65.1

-87.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.03 ₹99.8

$3.60 $3.60

-71.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.25 ₹24.02

$1.90 $1.90

-86.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.53 ₹148

$29.81 $29.81

-94.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.07 ₹104

$1.03 $1.03

3.88%

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

$12.7K ₹1.2M

$35.1K $35.1K

-63.79%

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

$20.0K ₹1.9M

$26.3K $26.3K

-23.91%

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

$36.77 ₹3,558

$216 $216

-82.98%

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

$3.57 ₹346

$62.3 $62.3

-94.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$6.84 ₹662

$74.6 $74.6

-90.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$14.46 ₹1,399

$44.70 $44.70

-67.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.98 ₹676

$22.55 $22.55

-69.05%

Cinema Ticket

$3.04 ₹294

$15.19 $15.19

-79.99%

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

$56.5 ₹5,472

$1,440 $1,440

-96.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,659 ₹160.5K

$25.2K $25.2K

-93.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$22.79 ₹2,206

$53.7 $53.7

-57.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.15 ₹2,338

$42.44 $42.44

-43.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$40.49 ₹3,919

$93.4 $93.4

-56.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$30.25 ₹2,928

$115 $115

-73.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$140 ₹13.5K

$1,622 $1,622

-91.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$87.6 ₹8,474

$1,357 $1,357

-93.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$328 ₹31.7K

$2,681 $2,681

-87.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$209 ₹20.2K

$2,170 $2,170

-90.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,217 ₹117.8K

$3,294 $3,294

-63.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$626 ₹60.6K

$2,674 $2,674

-76.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$429 ₹41.5K

$4,242 $4,242

-89.89%

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 3, 2026

Last update for the United States: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

India

$101 26.1%

United States

$411 15% 308% $310

Accommodation & Living

India

$88 22.7%

United States

$1.4K 49.4% 1449% $1.3K

Eating Out

India

$65 17%

United States

$327 11.9% 400% $262

Clothing & Footwear

India

$53 13.7%

United States

$137 5% 159% $84

Monthly Utilities & Internet

India

$47 12.2%

United States

$353 12.9% 648% $306

Sport & Entertainment

India

$21 5.3%

United States

$75 2.7% 266% $55

Getting Around

India

$11 3%

United States

$87 3.2% 670% $76

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $118 in India, $1,605 in the United States. Capital cities: $264 in Delhi vs $2,726 in Washington, DC.

National salary averages: $408 in India, $4,534 in the United States. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 1260% 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 1011% higher in the United States, and purchasing power comes out stronger in the United States.

Good to know

🇮🇳 India

🇺🇸 United States

🕒 Local time

08:12 8:12 AM

22:42 10:42 PM

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 = 10.33 USD

1,000 INR = 9.21 EUR

1 USD = 0.892 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 96.78 INR (100 INR = 1.03 USD). 1 EUR = 109 INR (1,000 INR = 9.21 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to INR in detail →

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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 $380 per month in India and $2,784 in the United States, there's a 632% 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 $1,605 in the United States and $118 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.