Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lucknow and Delhi

For one person, living is cheaper in Lucknow: $396 a month against $536 in Delhi, rent and utilities included – about $1,700 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

19

Cost of Living Index in Lucknow
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Lucknow Living Index
26

Cost of Living Index in Delhi
Learn more

Delhi Living Index

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Lucknow

🇮🇳 India

$396

/mo nomad

Delhi

🇮🇳 India

$536

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lucknow 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 Lucknow and in Delhi actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $396 per month in Lucknow vs $536 in Delhi, rent included.

Lucknow $396
Delhi $536

A couple spends around $621 per month in Lucknow vs $901 in Delhi, rent included.

Lucknow $621
Delhi $901

A family of three spends $846 per month in Lucknow vs $1,266 in Delhi, rent included.

Lucknow $846
Delhi $1,266

Lucknow is about 26% cheaper than Delhi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Lucknow and Delhi are more affordable than the global median – Lucknow 71% lower, Delhi 61% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.86 ₹176

$3.66 ₹348

-49.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$10.62 ₹1,009

$20.76 ₹1,971

-48.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.23 ₹307

$3.74 ₹355

-13.64%

Cappuccino

$1.57 ₹149

$2.48 ₹236

-36.69%

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

$0.44 ₹41.97

$0.38 ₹36.11

15.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.13 ₹12.29

$0.17 ₹15.81

-23.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.56 ₹148

$2.04 ₹194

-23.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 ₹214

$3.07 ₹292

-26.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.70 ₹66.6

$0.70 ₹66.2

White Bread (500g)

$0.47 ₹44.92

$0.52 ₹49.11

-9.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.59 ₹55.9

$0.82 ₹78.0

-28.05%

Eggs

$1.02 ₹96.4

$1.17 ₹111

-12.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.32 ₹315

$4.31 ₹410

-22.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.51 ₹239

$3.36 ₹319

-25.30%

Apples (1kg)

$1.79 ₹170

$1.96 ₹186

-8.67%

Banana (1kg)

$0.66 ₹63.1

$0.74 ₹70.4

-10.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.96 ₹91.0

$0.99 ₹93.9

-3.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.47 ₹44.75

$0.49 ₹46.59

-4.08%

Potato (1kg)

$0.30 ₹28.11

$0.29 ₹27.21

3.45%

Onion (1kg)

$0.42 ₹39.45

$0.41 ₹38.52

2.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.42 ₹39.88

$0.44 ₹41.83

-4.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.30 ₹28.36

$0.31 ₹29.72

-3.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.90 ₹465

$5.03 ₹478

-2.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.57 ₹814

$8.37 ₹794

2.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 ₹158

$1.67 ₹158

-0.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.63 ₹249

$2.81 ₹267

-6.41%

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

$5.72 ₹543

$6.64 ₹631

-13.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.43 ₹41.10

$0.41 ₹38.47

4.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.07 ₹861

$15.60 ₹1,481

-41.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.98 ₹93.4

$1.08 ₹102

-9.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.20 ₹18.95

$0.25 ₹23.67

-20.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.14 ₹108

$1.57 ₹149

-27.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.14 ₹108

$1.11 ₹105

2.70%

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

$11.1K ₹1.1M

$11.1K ₹1.0M

0.49%

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

$22.0K ₹2.1M

$19.6K ₹1.9M

12.20%

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

$54.2 ₹5,149

$43.87 ₹4,166

23.62%

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

$3.74 ₹356

$4.27 ₹406

-12.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.66 ₹822

$6.82 ₹647

26.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$15.88 ₹1,508

$26.06 ₹2,474

-39.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.69 ₹635

$8.09 ₹768

-17.31%

Cinema Ticket

$3.20 ₹304

$5.34 ₹507

-40.07%

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

$38.90 ₹3,693

$100 ₹9,507

-61.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$979 ₹92.9K

$2,288 ₹217.2K

-57.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$23.41 ₹2,223

$24.84 ₹2,359

-5.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.07 ₹2,381

$29.18 ₹2,771

-14.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$38.75 ₹3,679

$53.2 ₹5,048

-27.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$25.60 ₹2,431

$44.74 ₹4,248

-42.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$133 ₹12.6K

$277 ₹26.3K

-52.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$87.7 ₹8,324

$159 ₹15.1K

-44.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$356 ₹33.8K

$798 ₹75.8K

-55.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$212 ₹20.1K

$420 ₹39.8K

-49.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,124 ₹106.7K

$2,558 ₹242.9K

-56.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$606 ₹57.5K

$1,172 ₹111.3K

-48.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$331 ₹31.5K

$598 ₹56.8K

-44.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.53

8.35

2.16%

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

Last update for Lucknow: October 25, 2026

Last update for Delhi: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Lucknow

$98 24.7%

Delhi

$108 20.2% 11.1% $11

Accommodation & Living

Lucknow

$88 22.2%

Delhi

$159 29.6% 81.1% $71

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lucknow

$67 16.8%

Delhi

$55 10.3% 17.5% $12

Eating Out

Lucknow

$58 14.7%

Delhi

$89 16.6% 53.1% $31

Clothing & Footwear

Lucknow

$51 12.8%

Delhi

$68 12.8% 34.6% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Lucknow

$22 5.6%

Delhi

$37 6.9% 64.9% $14

Getting Around

Lucknow

$13 3.2%

Delhi

$20 3.7% 52.9% $6.8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $133 in Lucknow versus $277 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 81% higher in Delhi. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $11 in Lucknow versus $21 in Delhi. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $98 vs $108 – making Lucknow the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇳 Lucknow

🇮🇳 Delhi

🕒 Local time

23:39 11:39 PM

Same time as Lucknow

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,588,455

16,787,941 Capital

💱 Currency

Indian Rupee INR ₹

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 INR = 10.53 USD

1,000 INR = 9.43 EUR

1,000 INR = 10.53 USD

1,000 INR = 9.43 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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

Lucknow vs Delhi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $396 in Lucknow, $536 in Delhi – Lucknow comes out roughly 26% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $594 per month in Lucknow and $803 in Delhi. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Lucknow, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $133 there versus $277 in Delhi.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $11 in Lucknow and $21 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 $396 in Lucknow and $536 in Delhi. That makes Lucknow about 26% cheaper.

$1,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $396 in Lucknow and $536 in Delhi, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

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