Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Qingdao, Shandong and Delhi

For one person, living is cheaper in Delhi: $520 a month against $756 in Qingdao, Shandong, rent and utilities included – about $2,800 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

37

Cost of Living Index in Qingdao, Shandong
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Qingdao, Shandong Living Index
25

Cost of Living Index in Delhi
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Delhi Living Index

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Qingdao, Shandong

🇨🇳 China

$756

/mo nomad

Delhi

🇮🇳 India

$520

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $756 per month in Qingdao, Shandong vs $520 in Delhi, rent included.

Qingdao, Shandong $756
Delhi $520

A couple spends around $1,233 per month in Qingdao, Shandong vs $858 in Delhi, rent included.

Qingdao, Shandong $1,233
Delhi $858

A family of three spends $1,709 per month in Qingdao, Shandong vs $1,195 in Delhi, rent included.

Qingdao, Shandong $1,709
Delhi $1,195

Qingdao, Shandong costs about 45% more than Delhi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Qingdao, Shandong and Delhi are more affordable than the global median – Qingdao, Shandong 44% lower, Delhi 61% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.91 ¥19.43

$3.67 ₹355

-20.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$17.98 ¥120

$20.95 ₹2,027

-14.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.46 ¥29.79

$3.74 ₹362

19.25%

Cappuccino

$2.66 ¥17.78

$2.33 ₹226

14.16%

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

$0.54 ¥3.64

$0.37 ₹35.82

45.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 ¥2.15

$0.20 ₹18.91

60.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.11 ¥7.42

$2.02 ₹195

-45.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 ¥17.82

$3.19 ₹308

-16.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.91 ¥12.73

$0.68 ₹65.9

180.88%

White Bread (500g)

$1.35 ¥9.05

$0.52 ₹50.2

159.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.97 ¥6.50

$0.83 ₹80.0

16.87%

Eggs

$1.29 ¥8.63

$1.07 ₹104

20.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.27 ¥109

$4.43 ₹428

267.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.36 ¥29.12

$3.37 ₹326

29.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.66 ¥64.6

Apples (1kg)

$1.41 ¥9.43

$1.99 ₹192

-29.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.20 ¥7.99

$0.72 ₹70.1

66.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.73 ¥11.55

$1.02 ₹98.4

69.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.26 ¥8.39

$0.52 ₹50.1

142.31%

Potato (1kg)

$0.68 ¥4.53

$0.27 ₹25.96

151.85%

Onion (1kg)

$0.96 ¥6.44

$0.37 ₹35.42

159.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.94 ¥6.26

$0.43 ₹41.64

118.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.61 ¥4.09

$0.31 ₹30.39

96.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.79 ¥25.34

$4.92 ₹476

-22.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.69 ¥98.2

$8.34 ₹808

76.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 ¥6.75

$1.64 ₹159

-38.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 ¥10.50

$2.70 ₹261

-41.85%

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

$6.15 ₹596

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 ¥2.10

$0.46 ₹44.04

-32.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.25 ¥122

$15.29 ₹1,480

19.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.50 ¥10.03

$1.03 ₹99.8

45.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.41 ¥2.74

$0.27 ₹26.38

51.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.06 ¥60.5

$1.53 ₹148

492.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ¥8.74

$1.05 ₹102

24.76%

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

$19.1K ¥127.4K

$10.5K ₹1.0M

82.11%

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

$16.6K ¥110.7K

$18.4K ₹1.8M

-9.83%

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

$69.2 ¥463

$42.67 ₹4,129

62.25%

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

$6.73 ¥44.95

$4.04 ₹391

66.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$7.73 ¥51.7

$6.75 ₹653

14.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$20.95 ¥140

$19.40 ₹1,878

7.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.21 ¥122

$8.06 ₹780

125.93%

Cinema Ticket

$6.25 ¥41.79

$5.08 ₹492

23.03%

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

$365 ¥2,439

$100 ₹9,696

264.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.6K ¥117.4K

$2,268 ₹219.5K

674.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.5 ¥351

$24.14 ₹2,336

117.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.25 ¥329

$28.38 ₹2,747

73.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.9 ¥628

$53.3 ₹5,160

76.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.2 ¥609

$44.13 ₹4,271

106.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$353 ¥2,362

$264 ₹25.5K

33.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$199 ¥1,328

$154 ₹14.9K

28.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$757 ¥5,056

$736 ₹71.2K

2.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$418 ¥2,796

$397 ₹38.5K

5.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,573 ¥23.9K

$2,494 ₹241.4K

43.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,172 ¥14.5K

$1,017 ₹98.4K

113.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,196 ¥7,995

$585 ₹56.7K

104.36%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.37

8.33

-59.54%

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

Last update for Qingdao, Shandong: October 6, 2026

Last update for Delhi: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Qingdao, Shandong

$221 28.7%

Delhi

$108 20.8% 51.2% $113

Accommodation & Living

Qingdao, Shandong

$199 25.7%

Delhi

$154 29.7% 22.5% $45

Clothing & Footwear

Qingdao, Shandong

$129 16.7%

Delhi

$67 13% 47.7% $62

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Qingdao, Shandong

$84 10.8%

Delhi

$53 10.3% 36.1% $30

Eating Out

Qingdao, Shandong

$83 10.7%

Delhi

$87 16.8% 5.3% $4.4

Sport & Entertainment

Qingdao, Shandong

$33 4.3%

Delhi

$30 5.7% 11.6% $3.9

Getting Around

Qingdao, Shandong

$23 3%

Delhi

$20 3.8% 15.4% $3.5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $353 in Qingdao, Shandong versus $264 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 104% higher in Qingdao, Shandong, 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 $18.00 in Qingdao, Shandong versus $21.00 in Delhi. Groceries tell a different story – $221 in Qingdao, Shandong vs $108 in Delhi – so Delhi wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Qingdao, Shandong

🇮🇳 Delhi

🕒 Local time

17:50 5:50 PM

15:20 3:20 PM

2 h 30 min behind Qingdao, Shandong

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

10,071,722

16,787,941 Capital

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

Indian Rupee INR ₹

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.134 EUR

1,000 INR = 10.33 USD

1,000 INR = 9.22 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

INR, USD, EUR to CNY – Chinese Yuan Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇳 Chinese Yuan (¥)

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 6.68 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.49 CNY (1 CNY = 0.134 EUR).

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 96.78 INR (100 INR = 1.03 USD). 1 EUR = 108 INR (1,000 INR = 9.22 EUR).

USD to CNY in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Qingdao, Shandong Delhi 4,100 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Qingdao, Shandong
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

Qingdao, Shandong vs Delhi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $756 in Qingdao, Shandong, $520 in Delhi – roughly 45% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,134 per month in Qingdao, Shandong and $780 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 $18.00 in Qingdao, Shandong 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 $756 in Qingdao, Shandong and $520 in Delhi. That's a gap of about 45%.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $756 in Qingdao, Shandong and $520 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, Qingdao, Shandong makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.