Cost of Living Comparison Between Kolkata (Calcutta) and Delhi Cost of Living Comparison Between Kolkata (Calcutta) and Delhi

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $433 per month in Kolkata (Calcutta) vs $540 in Delhi, rent included.

A couple spends around $673 per month in Kolkata (Calcutta) vs $865 in Delhi, rent included.

A family of three spends $914 per month in Kolkata (Calcutta) vs $1,190 in Delhi, rent included.

Kolkata (Calcutta) is about 20% cheaper than Delhi, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Kolkata (Calcutta) and Delhi are more affordable than the global median – Kolkata (Calcutta) 68% lower, Delhi 60% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.29 ₹313

$4.62 ₹439

-28.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$11.48 ₹1,092

$19.58 ₹1,862

-41.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.95 ₹471

$3.97 ₹378

24.69%

Cappuccino

$1.81 ₹173

$2.09 ₹199

-13.40%

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

$0.37 ₹35.25

$0.44 ₹41.91

-15.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.13 ₹12.10

$0.15 ₹14.33

-13.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.70 ₹162

$2.07 ₹197

-17.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 ₹282

$3.51 ₹333

-15.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.67 ₹63.9

$0.79 ₹74.8

-15.19%

White Bread (500g)

$0.39 ₹37.37

$0.55 ₹52.6

-29.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.66 ₹63.0

$0.87 ₹83.1

-24.14%

Eggs

$0.98 ₹93.0

$1.17 ₹111

-16.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.31 ₹505

$4.71 ₹448

12.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.88 ₹274

$3.54 ₹337

-18.64%

Apples (1kg)

$2.46 ₹234

$2.05 ₹195

20.00%

Banana (1kg)

$0.81 ₹77.0

$0.84 ₹79.9

-3.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.32 ₹125

$0.96 ₹91.6

37.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.66 ₹62.8

$0.64 ₹61.1

3.13%

Potato (1kg)

$0.38 ₹35.73

$0.41 ₹39.30

-7.32%

Onion (1kg)

$0.60 ₹57.1

$0.51 ₹48.41

17.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.44 ₹42.31

$0.56 ₹52.8

-21.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.31 ₹29.12

$0.36 ₹34.68

-13.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.05 ₹385

$3.97 ₹378

2.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.59 ₹817

$9.20 ₹875

-6.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 ₹165

$1.79 ₹171

-2.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.52 ₹239

$2.85 ₹272

-11.58%

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

$7.66 ₹728

$5.62 ₹534

36.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.22 ₹20.87

$0.51 ₹48.36

-56.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$2.93 ₹279

$11.76 ₹1,118

-75.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.55 ₹52.7

$0.61 ₹57.8

-9.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.33 ₹30.92

$0.30 ₹28.87

10.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.99 ₹189

$1.26 ₹120

57.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 ₹118

$1.18 ₹113

5.08%

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

$15.8K ₹1.5M

$17.1K ₹1.6M

-7.75%

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

$22.3K ₹2.1M

$24.4K ₹2.3M

-8.75%

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

$42.63 ₹4,054

$67.9 ₹6,454

-37.18%

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

$3.91 ₹371

$4.33 ₹412

-9.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$7.30 ₹694

$7.93 ₹754

-7.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$15.82 ₹1,504

$20.19 ₹1,920

-21.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.78 ₹1,120

$10.14 ₹965

16.17%

Cinema Ticket

$3.96 ₹376

$4.69 ₹446

-15.57%

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

$44.30 ₹4,212

$78.7 ₹7,479

-43.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,564 ₹148.7K

$2,045 ₹194.5K

-23.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$28.62 ₹2,722

$27.58 ₹2,623

3.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.83 ₹2,837

$31.66 ₹3,011

-5.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$49.98 ₹4,753

$50.0 ₹4,758

-0.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$31.68 ₹3,013

$35.96 ₹3,420

-11.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$161 ₹15.3K

$236 ₹22.4K

-31.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$90.1 ₹8,571

$138 ₹13.1K

-34.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$377 ₹35.8K

$584 ₹55.5K

-35.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$192 ₹18.3K

$326 ₹31.0K

-41.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,156 ₹110.0K

$2,453 ₹233.3K

-52.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$580 ₹55.2K

$932 ₹88.6K

-37.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$464 ₹44.1K

$529 ₹50.3K

-12.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.9

10.00%

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

Last update for Kolkata (Calcutta): June 7, 2026

Last update for Delhi: June 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $161 in Kolkata (Calcutta) versus $236 in Delhi. 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 14% higher in Delhi, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $11.00 in Kolkata (Calcutta) versus $20.00 in Delhi. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $112 vs $118 – making Kolkata (Calcutta) the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

Kolkata (Calcutta) vs Delhi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $433 in Kolkata (Calcutta), $540 in Delhi – roughly 25% apart. Delhi costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $650 per month in Kolkata (Calcutta) and $809 in Delhi. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Kolkata (Calcutta), especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $11.00 in Kolkata (Calcutta) and $20.00 in Delhi. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $433 in Kolkata (Calcutta) and $540 in Delhi. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $433 in Kolkata (Calcutta) and $540 in Delhi, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Kolkata (Calcutta) – 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 Kolkata (Calcutta). If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Delhi makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.