Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kolkata (Calcutta) and Delhi

For one person, living is cheaper in Kolkata (Calcutta): $428 a month against $522 in Delhi, rent and utilities included – about $1,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

21

Cost of Living Index in Kolkata (Calcutta)
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Kolkata (Calcutta) Living Index
25

Cost of Living Index in Delhi
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Delhi Living Index

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Kolkata (Calcutta)

🇮🇳 India

$428

/mo nomad

Delhi

🇮🇳 India

$522

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Kolkata (Calcutta) and in Delhi

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

A single person spends $428 per month in Kolkata (Calcutta) vs $522 in Delhi, rent included.

Kolkata (Calcutta) $428
Delhi $522

A couple spends around $676 per month in Kolkata (Calcutta) vs $872 in Delhi, rent included.

Kolkata (Calcutta) $676
Delhi $872

A family of three spends $924 per month in Kolkata (Calcutta) vs $1,222 in Delhi, rent included.

Kolkata (Calcutta) $924
Delhi $1,222

Kolkata (Calcutta) is about 18% cheaper than Delhi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Kolkata (Calcutta) and Delhi are more affordable than the global median – Kolkata (Calcutta) 68% lower, Delhi 61% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.10 ₹200

$3.70 ₹351

-43.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$14.69 ₹1,395

$21.05 ₹1,999

-30.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.28 ₹406

$3.73 ₹354

14.75%

Cappuccino

$1.64 ₹156

$2.35 ₹223

-30.21%

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

$0.45 ₹42.81

$0.37 ₹35.21

21.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.13 ₹12.23

$0.15 ₹13.93

-13.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.94 ₹184

$2.14 ₹203

-9.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.21 ₹305

$3.06 ₹291

4.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.71 ₹67.6

$0.69 ₹65.1

2.90%

White Bread (500g)

$0.47 ₹44.41

$0.53 ₹50.0

-11.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.70 ₹66.9

$0.77 ₹73.1

-9.09%

Eggs

$1.04 ₹98.6

$1.11 ₹105

-6.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.20 ₹494

$4.63 ₹440

12.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.06 ₹291

$3.52 ₹334

-13.07%

Apples (1kg)

$2.39 ₹227

$2.00 ₹190

19.50%

Banana (1kg)

$0.83 ₹78.8

$0.74 ₹70.5

12.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.47 ₹140

$0.97 ₹92.6

51.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.62 ₹58.8

$0.53 ₹49.92

16.98%

Potato (1kg)

$0.30 ₹28.62

$0.30 ₹28.61

Onion (1kg)

$0.44 ₹42.10

$0.40 ₹37.82

10.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.34 ₹32.68

$0.42 ₹39.62

-19.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.28 ₹26.62

$0.31 ₹29.81

-9.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.12 ₹486

$4.94 ₹469

3.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.30 ₹979

$8.21 ₹779

25.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 ₹174

$1.58 ₹150

15.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.81 ₹267

$2.69 ₹255

4.46%

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

$6.57 ₹624

$6.19 ₹588

6.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.16 ₹15.06

$0.46 ₹43.46

-65.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$3.13 ₹297

$15.78 ₹1,498

-80.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.66 ₹62.3

$1.07 ₹102

-38.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.32 ₹30.52

$0.27 ₹25.66

18.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.61 ₹153

$1.58 ₹150

1.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 ₹105

$1.07 ₹101

3.74%

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

$15.9K ₹1.5M

$10.7K ₹1.0M

49.18%

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

$22.5K ₹2.1M

$18.9K ₹1.8M

19.02%

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

$52.9 ₹5,021

$42.37 ₹4,024

24.78%

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

$4.97 ₹472

$4.03 ₹383

23.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$7.30 ₹693

$6.95 ₹660

5.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$15.66 ₹1,487

$19.18 ₹1,821

-18.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.55 ₹1,097

$7.92 ₹752

45.83%

Cinema Ticket

$3.42 ₹325

$5.27 ₹500

-35.10%

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

$47.35 ₹4,497

$100 ₹9,525

-52.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,072 ₹196.7K

$2,247 ₹213.4K

-7.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$27.13 ₹2,576

$24.11 ₹2,290

12.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.58 ₹2,524

$27.85 ₹2,645

-4.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$35.20 ₹3,343

$52.4 ₹4,977

-32.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$28.34 ₹2,691

$42.90 ₹4,074

-33.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$152 ₹14.5K

$267 ₹25.4K

-42.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$96.3 ₹9,143

$156 ₹14.8K

-38.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$393 ₹37.3K

$734 ₹69.7K

-46.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$212 ₹20.1K

$394 ₹37.5K

-46.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,115 ₹105.9K

$2,507 ₹238.0K

-55.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$597 ₹56.7K

$1,020 ₹96.8K

-41.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$392 ₹37.2K

$608 ₹57.7K

-35.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.04

8.33

8.52%

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

Last update for Kolkata (Calcutta): October 10, 2026

Last update for Delhi: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Kolkata (Calcutta)

$117 27.4%

Delhi

$109 20.9% 7.3% $8.6

Accommodation & Living

Kolkata (Calcutta)

$96 22.5%

Delhi

$156 29.9% 61.9% $60

Eating Out

Kolkata (Calcutta)

$68 15.8%

Delhi

$88 16.8% 29.7% $20

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kolkata (Calcutta)

$65 15.2%

Delhi

$53 10.2% 18.1% $12

Clothing & Footwear

Kolkata (Calcutta)

$53 12.3%

Delhi

$66 12.7% 25.6% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Kolkata (Calcutta)

$23 5.3%

Delhi

$30 5.7% 32% $7.2

Getting Around

Kolkata (Calcutta)

$6 1.4%

Delhi

$20 3.8% 232% $14

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $152 in Kolkata (Calcutta) versus $267 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 55% 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 $15.00 in Kolkata (Calcutta) versus $21.00 in Delhi. Groceries tell a different story – $118 in Kolkata (Calcutta) vs $109 in Delhi – so Delhi wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇮🇳 Kolkata (Calcutta)

🇮🇳 Delhi

🕒 Local time

05:39 5:39 AM

Same time as Kolkata (Calcutta)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,486,679

16,787,941 Capital

💱 Currency

Indian Rupee INR ₹

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 INR = 10.53 USD

1,000 INR = 9.37 EUR

1,000 INR = 10.53 USD

1,000 INR = 9.37 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Kolkata (Calcutta) Delhi 1,300 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

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Kolkata (Calcutta)
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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

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

Monthly costs with rent: $428 in Kolkata (Calcutta), $522 in Delhi – roughly 22% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $642 per month in Kolkata (Calcutta) and $783 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 $15.00 in Kolkata (Calcutta) and $21.00 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 $428 in Kolkata (Calcutta) and $522 in Delhi. That's a gap of about 22%.

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $428 in Kolkata (Calcutta) and $522 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.