Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Manali and Shillong

For one person, living costs are similar in Manali and in Shillong: $411 and $407 a month, rent and utilities included.

20

Cost of Living Index in Manali
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Manali Living Index
20

Cost of Living Index in Shillong
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Shillong Living Index

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Manali

🇮🇳 India

$411

/mo nomad

Shillong

🇮🇳 India

$407

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Manali and in Shillong

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

A single person spends $411 per month in Manali vs $407 in Shillong, rent included.

Manali $411
Shillong $407

A couple spends around $642 per month in Manali vs $641 in Shillong, rent included.

Manali $642
Shillong $641

A family of three spends $873 per month in Manali vs $875 in Shillong, rent included.

Manali $873
Shillong $875

Manali and Shillong have comparable living costs – the differences are in the details.

Both Manali and Shillong are more affordable than the global median – Manali 70% lower, Shillong 70% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.05 ₹196

$3.37 ₹321

-39.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$6.11 ₹582

$11.58 ₹1,102

-47.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.29 ₹408

$4.59 ₹437

-6.54%

Cappuccino

$2.63 ₹250

$1.61 ₹153

63.35%

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

$0.25 ₹23.93

$0.41 ₹38.62

-39.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.13 ₹12.76

$0.16 ₹15.45

-18.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.34 ₹128

$1.24 ₹119

8.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.84 ₹175

$3.39 ₹323

-45.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.72 ₹68.4

$0.65 ₹62.0

10.77%

White Bread (500g)

$0.51 ₹48.23

$0.34 ₹32.84

50.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.87 ₹82.5

$0.59 ₹56.4

47.46%

Eggs

$0.91 ₹86.6

$0.99 ₹94.2

-8.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.97 ₹473

$3.94 ₹375

26.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.85 ₹272

$2.41 ₹229

18.26%

Apples (1kg)

$1.72 ₹164

$2.18 ₹207

-21.10%

Banana (1kg)

$0.71 ₹67.8

$0.72 ₹68.7

-1.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.09 ₹104

$0.97 ₹92.1

12.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.63 ₹60.4

$0.55 ₹52.7

14.55%

Potato (1kg)

$0.28 ₹26.32

$0.33 ₹31.53

-15.15%

Onion (1kg)

$0.32 ₹30.12

$0.34 ₹32.68

-5.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.70 ₹66.5

$0.20 ₹19.03

250.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.29 ₹28.05

$0.25 ₹23.72

16.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.15 ₹491

$5.17 ₹492

-0.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.73 ₹1,117

$4.70 ₹448

149.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 ₹158

$1.24 ₹118

33.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 ₹265

$1.89 ₹180

47.62%

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

$6.56 ₹624

$5.02 ₹478

30.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.20 ₹19.42

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$6.22 ₹592

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.03 ₹98.0

$0.68 ₹64.8

51.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.25 ₹23.93

$0.28 ₹26.44

-10.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.60 ₹152

$1.33 ₹127

20.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.09 ₹104

$1.09 ₹103

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

$11.2K ₹1.1M

$11.1K ₹1.1M

0.46%

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

$25.4K ₹2.4M

$16.4K ₹1.6M

54.73%

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

$38.25 ₹3,642

$34.49 ₹3,285

10.90%

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

$4.07 ₹388

$3.30 ₹315

23.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$6.80 ₹648

$6.39 ₹608

6.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$13.48 ₹1,284

$10.05 ₹957

34.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.68 ₹541

$5.32 ₹507

6.77%

Cinema Ticket

$3.18 ₹303

$3.09 ₹294

2.91%

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

$59.0 ₹5,621

$27.65 ₹2,633

113.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,465 ₹234.7K

$1,165 ₹111.0K

111.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$27.58 ₹2,626

$17.04 ₹1,623

61.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.10 ₹2,390

$21.75 ₹2,071

15.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$56.9 ₹5,419

$37.16 ₹3,538

53.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$44.45 ₹4,232

$27.25 ₹2,595

63.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$121 ₹11.5K

$209 ₹19.9K

-42.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$76.4 ₹7,276

$136 ₹12.9K

-43.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$271 ₹25.8K

$734 ₹69.9K

-63.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$190 ₹18.1K

$282 ₹26.8K

-32.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$810 ₹77.1K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$519 ₹49.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$523 ₹49.8K

$452 ₹43.0K

15.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.38

8.40%

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

Last update for Manali: October 27, 2026

Last update for Shillong: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Manali

$114 27.8%

Shillong

$87 21.3% 23.9% $27

Accommodation & Living

Manali

$76 18.6%

Shillong

$136 33.4% 77.8% $59

Eating Out

Manali

$73 17.7%

Shillong

$75 18.5% 3.6% $2.7

Clothing & Footwear

Manali

$69 16.9%

Shillong

$46 11.4% 33% $23

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Manali

$49 12%

Shillong

$44 10.9% 10.1% $4.9

Sport & Entertainment

Manali

$20 4.8%

Shillong

$16 4% 18.2% $3.6

Getting Around

Manali

$9.3 2.3%

Shillong

$2.1 * 0.5% 77.8% $7.3

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $121 in Manali versus $209 in Shillong. 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 16% higher in Manali. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $6 in Manali versus $12 in Shillong. Groceries tell a different story – $114 in Manali vs $87 in Shillong – so Shillong wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇮🇳 Manali

🇮🇳 Shillong

🕒 Local time

03:35 3:35 AM

Same time as Manali

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,000

143,000

💱 Currency

Indian Rupee INR ₹

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 INR = 10.5 USD

1,000 INR = 9.43 EUR

1,000 INR = 10.5 USD

1,000 INR = 9.43 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Manali Shillong 1,610 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Manali
Shillong

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

Manali vs Shillong: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

For a comfortable life, plan on about $616 per month in Manali and $610 in Shillong. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Manali, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $121 there versus $209 in Shillong.

Kindergarten costs $59 per month in Manali and $28 in Shillong. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 31% more in Manali, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $411 in Manali and $407 in Shillong, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Manali has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $407 in Shillong to $411 in Manali. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Shillong. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Manali makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.