Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mumbai (Bombay) and Delhi

For one person, living is cheaper in Delhi: $522 a month against $782 in Mumbai (Bombay), rent and utilities included – about $3,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

38

Cost of Living Index in Mumbai (Bombay)
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Mumbai (Bombay) Living Index
25

Cost of Living Index in Delhi
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Delhi Living Index

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Mumbai (Bombay)

🇮🇳 India

$782

/mo nomad

Delhi

🇮🇳 India

$522

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $782 per month in Mumbai (Bombay) vs $522 in Delhi, rent included.

Mumbai (Bombay) $782
Delhi $522

A couple spends around $1,299 per month in Mumbai (Bombay) vs $872 in Delhi, rent included.

Mumbai (Bombay) $1,299
Delhi $872

A family of three spends $1,816 per month in Mumbai (Bombay) vs $1,222 in Delhi, rent included.

Mumbai (Bombay) $1,816
Delhi $1,222

Mumbai (Bombay) costs about 50% more than Delhi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Mumbai (Bombay) and Delhi are more affordable than the global median – Mumbai (Bombay) 42% lower, Delhi 61% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.38 ₹511

$3.70 ₹351

45.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$20.76 ₹1,971

$21.05 ₹1,998

-1.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.19 ₹398

$3.73 ₹354

12.33%

Cappuccino

$2.74 ₹260

$2.35 ₹223

16.60%

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

$0.41 ₹38.76

$0.37 ₹35.21

10.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.16 ₹15.04

$0.15 ₹13.93

6.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.59 ₹246

$2.14 ₹203

21.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.17 ₹396

$3.06 ₹291

36.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.75 ₹71.2

$0.69 ₹65.0

8.70%

White Bread (500g)

$0.53 ₹50.5

$0.53 ₹50.0

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.73 ₹69.5

$0.77 ₹73.1

-5.19%

Eggs

$0.96 ₹91.4

$1.11 ₹105

-13.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.52 ₹524

$4.63 ₹440

19.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.58 ₹340

$3.52 ₹334

1.70%

Apples (1kg)

$2.14 ₹203

$2.00 ₹190

7.00%

Banana (1kg)

$0.69 ₹65.5

$0.74 ₹70.5

-6.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.23 ₹116

$0.97 ₹92.6

26.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.46 ₹43.76

$0.53 ₹49.92

-13.21%

Potato (1kg)

$0.36 ₹34.23

$0.30 ₹28.61

20.00%

Onion (1kg)

$0.39 ₹37.12

$0.40 ₹37.81

-2.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.40 ₹38.05

$0.42 ₹39.62

-4.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.31 ₹29.46

$0.31 ₹29.80

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.10 ₹485

$4.94 ₹469

3.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.12 ₹771

$8.21 ₹779

-1.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.95 ₹185

$1.58 ₹150

23.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 ₹302

$2.69 ₹255

18.22%

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

$6.17 ₹586

$6.19 ₹588

-0.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.20 ₹18.99

$0.46 ₹43.46

-56.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$5.39 ₹512

$15.78 ₹1,498

-65.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.31 ₹29.39

$1.07 ₹102

-71.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.29 ₹28.01

$0.27 ₹25.66

7.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.59 ₹151

$1.58 ₹150

0.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.10 ₹104

$1.07 ₹101

2.80%

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

$15.9K ₹1.5M

$10.7K ₹1.0M

48.73%

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

$22.7K ₹2.2M

$18.9K ₹1.8M

20.05%

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

$61.6 ₹5,845

$42.37 ₹4,023

45.29%

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

$4.25 ₹404

$4.03 ₹383

5.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.01 ₹855

$6.95 ₹660

29.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$27.24 ₹2,587

$19.18 ₹1,821

42.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.31 ₹1,263

$7.92 ₹752

68.06%

Cinema Ticket

$4.38 ₹415

$5.27 ₹500

-16.89%

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

$116 ₹11.0K

$100 ₹9,524

15.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,968 ₹471.7K

$2,247 ₹213.3K

121.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$37.16 ₹3,529

$24.11 ₹2,290

54.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.88 ₹3,786

$27.85 ₹2,645

43.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$55.9 ₹5,306

$52.4 ₹4,976

6.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$48.19 ₹4,576

$42.90 ₹4,073

12.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$611 ₹58.0K

$267 ₹25.4K

128.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$354 ₹33.6K

$156 ₹14.8K

127.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,829 ₹173.6K

$734 ₹69.7K

149.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$877 ₹83.3K

$394 ₹37.5K

122.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,877 ₹558.0K

$2,507 ₹238.0K

134.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,448 ₹232.4K

$1,020 ₹96.8K

140.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 ₹72.0K

$608 ₹57.7K

24.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.29

8.33

-0.48%

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

Last update for Mumbai (Bombay): October 12, 2026

Last update for Delhi: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mumbai (Bombay)

$354 45.3%

Delhi

$156 29.9% 56% $198

Groceries & Markets

Mumbai (Bombay)

$116 14.8%

Delhi

$109 20.9% 5.8% $6.7

Eating Out

Mumbai (Bombay)

$112 14.3%

Delhi

$88 16.8% 21.6% $24

Clothing & Footwear

Mumbai (Bombay)

$82 10.4%

Delhi

$66 12.7% 18.7% $15

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mumbai (Bombay)

$75 9.6%

Delhi

$53 10.2% 28.7% $21

Sport & Entertainment

Mumbai (Bombay)

$36 4.6%

Delhi

$30 5.7% 17.4% $6.3

Getting Around

Mumbai (Bombay)

$8 1%

Delhi

$20 3.8% 151% $12

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $611 in Mumbai (Bombay) 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 25% higher in Mumbai (Bombay), 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 $21.00 in Mumbai (Bombay) versus $21.00 in Delhi. Groceries tell a different story – $116 in Mumbai (Bombay) vs $109 in Delhi – so Delhi wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇮🇳 Mumbai (Bombay)

🇮🇳 Delhi

🕒 Local time

14:14 2:14 PM

Same time as Mumbai (Bombay)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

12,442,373

16,787,941 Capital

💱 Currency

Indian Rupee INR ₹

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 INR = 10.53 USD

1,000 INR = 9.35 EUR

1,000 INR = 10.53 USD

1,000 INR = 9.35 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Mumbai (Bombay) Delhi 1,150 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Mumbai (Bombay)
Delhi

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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Mumbai (Bombay) vs Delhi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $782 in Mumbai (Bombay), $522 in Delhi – roughly 50% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,173 per month in Mumbai (Bombay) 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 $21.00 in Mumbai (Bombay) 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 $782 in Mumbai (Bombay) and $522 in Delhi. That's a gap of about 50%.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $782 in Mumbai (Bombay) and $522 in Delhi, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Mumbai (Bombay) has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $522 in Delhi to $782 in Mumbai (Bombay). Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Delhi. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Mumbai (Bombay) makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.