Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medan and Delhi

For one person, living is cheaper in Delhi: $522 a month against $613 in Medan, rent and utilities included – about $1,100 less a year. The total is higher in Medan despite lower rent and utilities.

30

Cost of Living Index in Medan
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Medan Living Index
25

Cost of Living Index in Delhi
Learn more

Delhi Living Index

Jump to prices

Medan

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$613

/mo nomad

Delhi

🇮🇳 India

$522

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $613 per month in Medan vs $522 in Delhi, rent included.

Medan $613
Delhi $522

A couple spends around $940 per month in Medan vs $872 in Delhi, rent included.

Medan $940
Delhi $872

A family of three spends $1,266 per month in Medan vs $1,222 in Delhi, rent included.

Medan $1,266
Delhi $1,222

Medan costs about 17% more than Delhi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Medan and Delhi are more affordable than the global median – Medan 55% lower, Delhi 61% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.71 Rp 30.8K

$3.70 ₹351

-53.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$8.30 Rp 149.4K

$21.05 ₹1,999

-60.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.95 Rp 53.0K

$3.73 ₹354

-20.91%

Cappuccino

$1.53 Rp 27.5K

$2.35 ₹223

-34.89%

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

$0.35 Rp 6,215

$0.37 ₹35.21

-5.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.25 Rp 4,534

$0.15 ₹13.93

66.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.66 Rp 29.9K

$2.14 ₹203

-22.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.59 Rp 64.6K

$3.06 ₹291

17.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 Rp 20.0K

$0.69 ₹65.1

60.87%

White Bread (500g)

$1.18 Rp 21.2K

$0.53 ₹50.0

122.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.81 Rp 14.7K

$0.77 ₹73.1

5.19%

Eggs

$1.32 Rp 23.8K

$1.11 ₹105

18.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.12 Rp 146.2K

$4.63 ₹440

75.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.59 Rp 64.6K

$3.52 ₹334

1.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.36 Rp 114.5K

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 Rp 43.1K

$2.00 ₹190

20.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.05 Rp 18.9K

$0.74 ₹70.5

41.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.42 Rp 25.5K

$0.97 ₹92.6

46.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.93 Rp 16.7K

$0.53 ₹49.92

75.47%

Potato (1kg)

$0.84 Rp 15.1K

$0.30 ₹28.61

180.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 Rp 32.3K

$0.40 ₹37.82

350.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.38 Rp 6,905

$0.42 ₹39.62

-9.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.44 Rp 7,872

$0.31 ₹29.81

41.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.87 Rp 51.7K

$4.94 ₹469

-41.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.72 Rp 282.9K

$8.21 ₹779

91.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 Rp 32.9K

$1.58 ₹150

15.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 Rp 54.1K

$2.69 ₹255

11.90%

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

$6.19 ₹588

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,816

$0.46 ₹43.46

-41.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$5.93 Rp 106.7K

$15.78 ₹1,498

-62.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.51 Rp 9,186

$1.07 ₹102

-52.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.19 Rp 3,465

$0.27 ₹25.66

-29.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.58 ₹150

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.80 Rp 14.4K

$1.07 ₹101

-25.23%

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

$24.7K Rp 444.1M

$10.7K ₹1.0M

131.46%

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

$32.2K Rp 579.9M

$18.9K ₹1.8M

70.10%

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

$84.8 Rp 1.5M

$42.37 ₹4,024

100.24%

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

$3.17 Rp 57.0K

$4.03 ₹383

-21.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.57 Rp 424.3K

$6.95 ₹660

239.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$16.95 Rp 305.0K

$19.18 ₹1,821

-11.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.41 Rp 151.5K

$7.92 ₹752

6.19%

Cinema Ticket

$3.29 Rp 59.3K

$5.27 ₹500

-37.57%

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

$112 Rp 2.0M

$100 ₹9,525

11.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,692 Rp 30.5M

$2,247 ₹213.4K

-24.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.2 Rp 975.9K

$24.11 ₹2,290

124.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.53 Rp 693.6K

$27.85 ₹2,645

38.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 Rp 1.9M

$52.4 ₹4,977

106.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 Rp 2.0M

$42.90 ₹4,074

158.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$233 Rp 4.2M

$267 ₹25.4K

-12.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$89.8 Rp 1.6M

$156 ₹14.8K

-42.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$494 Rp 8.9M

$734 ₹69.7K

-32.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$212 Rp 3.8M

$394 ₹37.5K

-46.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,158 Rp 20.8M

$2,507 ₹238.0K

-53.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$560 Rp 10.1M

$1,020 ₹96.8K

-45.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$215 Rp 3.9M

$608 ₹57.7K

-64.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.25

8.33

11.04%

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

Last update for Medan: October 12, 2026

Last update for Delhi: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Medan

$181 29.5%

Delhi

$109 20.9% 39.8% $72

Clothing & Footwear

Medan

$140 22.9%

Delhi

$66 12.7% 52.8% $74

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medan

$112 18.2%

Delhi

$53 10.2% 52.2% $58

Accommodation & Living

Medan

$90 14.6%

Delhi

$156 29.9% 73.7% $66

Eating Out

Medan

$59 9.6%

Delhi

$88 16.8% 49.7% $29

Sport & Entertainment

Medan

$24 3.8%

Delhi

$30 5.7% 26.3% $6.2

Getting Around

Medan

$8.5 1.4%

Delhi

$20 3.8% 137% $12

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $233 in Medan 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 182% higher in Delhi, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $8.00 in Medan versus $21.00 in Delhi. Groceries tell a different story – $181 in Medan vs $109 in Delhi – so Delhi wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇮🇩 Medan

🇮🇳 Delhi

🕒 Local time

06:20 6:20 AM

04:50 4:50 AM

1 h 30 min behind Medan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,097,610

16,787,941 Capital

💱 Currency

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

Indian Rupee INR ₹

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR

1,000 INR = 10.53 USD

1,000 INR = 9.37 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

INR, USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇩 Indonesian Rupiah (Rp)

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 18,000 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD). 1 EUR = 20,236 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 94.96 INR (100 INR = 1.05 USD). 1 EUR = 107 INR (1,000 INR = 9.37 EUR).

USD to IDR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Medan Delhi 3,590 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Medan
Delhi

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

Medan vs Delhi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $613 in Medan, $522 in Delhi – roughly 17% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $920 per month in Medan 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 Delhi, 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 $8.00 in Medan 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 $613 in Medan and $522 in Delhi. That's a gap of about 17%.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $613 in Medan and $522 in Delhi, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

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