For one person, living is cheaper in Delhi: $526 a month against $776 in Sanya, rent and utilities included – about $3,000 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.
Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Sanya and in Delhi actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
A single person spends $776 per month in Sanya vs $526 in Delhi, rent included.
Sanya $776
Delhi $526
A couple spends around $1,250 per month in Sanya vs $882 in Delhi, rent included.
Sanya $1,250
Delhi $882
A family of three spends $1,723 per month in Sanya vs $1,239 in Delhi, rent included.
Sanya $1,723
Delhi $1,239
😐
Sanya costs about 48% more than Delhi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.
📊
Both Sanya and Delhi are more affordable than the global median – Sanya43% lower, Delhi61% lower.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Sanya
Delhi
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.33¥22.29
$3.70₹352
-10.00%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$22.31¥149
$21.33₹2,026
4.59%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$6.19¥41.37
$3.69₹351
67.75%
Cappuccino
$2.15¥14.37
$2.30₹218
-6.52%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.53¥3.56
$0.39₹36.82
35.90%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.43¥2.87
$0.15₹14.05
186.67%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$1.31¥8.75
$2.05₹195
-36.10%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.74¥11.61
$3.13₹297
-44.41%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Sanya
Delhi
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$2.14¥14.33
$0.69₹65.9
210.14%
White Bread(500g)
$1.36¥9.12
$0.58₹54.6
134.48%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$1.53¥10.22
$0.78₹74.0
96.15%
Eggs
$1.68¥11.21
$1.15₹109
46.09%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$23.02¥154
$4.28₹407
437.85%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$4.57¥30.59
$3.52₹334
29.83%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$11.46¥76.6
-
-
Apples(1kg)
$2.27¥15.17
$1.93₹184
17.62%
Banana(1kg)
$1.53¥10.24
$0.79₹75.1
93.67%
Oranges(1kg)
$2.46¥16.44
$1.01₹95.6
143.56%
Tomato(1kg)
$1.99¥13.31
$0.53₹50.0
275.47%
Potato(1kg)
$0.91¥6.11
$0.28₹26.21
225.00%
Onion(1kg)
$0.73¥4.87
$0.37₹35.46
97.30%
Lettuce(1 head)
$0.55¥3.65
$0.44₹41.89
25.00%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.59¥3.92
$0.31₹29.89
90.32%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$3.65¥24.42
$4.95₹470
-26.26%
Wine(Bottle)
$7.67¥51.3
$8.57₹814
-10.50%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$0.87¥5.83
$1.61₹152
-45.96%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.60¥10.69
$2.66₹253
-39.85%
Buffalo Round(or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat)(1kg)
-
$6.40₹608
-
🚌 Getting Around
Sanya
Delhi
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$0.31¥2.05
$0.51₹48.63
-39.22%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$18.12¥121
$15.59₹1,481
16.23%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$1.46¥9.76
$1.04₹98.4
40.38%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$0.35¥2.32
$0.27₹25.79
29.63%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$7.51¥50.2
$1.54₹146
387.66%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.25¥8.34
$1.11₹106
12.61%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$22.0K¥147.2K
$11.5K₹1.1M
91.87%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$17.2K¥114.9K
$18.9K₹1.8M
-8.86%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Sanya
Delhi
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$56.0¥374
$42.45₹4,031
31.92%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$6.60¥44.16
$4.20₹399
57.14%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$4.41¥29.52
$6.89₹654
-35.99%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Sanya
Delhi
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$40.87¥273
$20.09₹1,908
103.43%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$14.90¥99.6
$7.89₹749
88.85%
Cinema Ticket
$6.25¥41.80
$5.31₹504
17.70%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Sanya
Delhi
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$403¥2,695
$101₹9,571
299.89%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$17.0K¥113.9K
$2,315₹219.8K
636.15%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Sanya
Delhi
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$43.83¥293
$24.64₹2,340
77.88%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$33.64¥225
$28.82₹2,737
16.72%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$73.6¥492
$53.6₹5,088
37.33%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$85.9¥574
$44.17₹4,194
94.41%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Sanya
Delhi
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$298¥1,994
$271₹25.8K
9.91%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$191¥1,276
$157₹14.9K
21.51%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$624¥4,173
$744₹70.6K
-16.06%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$381¥2,547
$405₹38.4K
-5.85%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$3,393¥22.7K
$2,574₹244.4K
31.80%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$1,946¥13.0K
$1,003₹95.2K
94.07%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Sanya
Delhi
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$903¥6,038
$615₹58.4K
46.76%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
3.36
8.33
-59.66%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Sanya: October 18, 2026
Last update for Delhi: October 18, 2026
Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Share of the monthly basket for a family of three, rent included.
🛒Groceries & Markets
Sanya
$251 32.3%
Delhi
$110 20.8% ↓ 56.3%$141
🏠Accommodation & Living
Sanya
$191 24.6%
Delhi
$157 29.9% ↓ 17.7%$34
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Sanya
$107 13.7%
Delhi
$68 12.9% ↓ 36.2%$39
🍽Eating Out
Sanya
$85 10.9%
Delhi
$87 16.5% ↑ 2.4%$2
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Sanya
$67 8.6%
Delhi
$54 10.2% ↓ 20.1%$13
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Sanya
$53 6.9%
Delhi
$31 5.8% ↓ 42.5%$23
🚌Getting Around
Sanya
$23 2.9%
Delhi
$20 3.8% ↓ 11.1%$2.5
🛒Groceries & Markets
Sanya
$587 34.1%
Delhi
$236 19.1% ↓ 59.8%$351
🏠Accommodation & Living
Sanya
$381 22.1%
Delhi
$405 32.7% ↑ 6.2%$24
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Sanya
$237 13.8%
Delhi
$151 12.2% ↓ 36.2%$86
🍽Eating Out
Sanya
$277 16.1%
Delhi
$279 22.5% ↑ 0.7%$1.8
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Sanya
$74 4.3%
Delhi
$58 4.7% ↓ 21.6%$16
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Sanya
$122 7.1%
Delhi
$69 5.6% ↓ 43%$52
🚌Getting Around
Sanya
$46 2.7%
Delhi
$41 3.3% ↓ 10%$4.6
Cost Breakdown
🏠A central one-bedroom costs $298 in Sanya versus $271 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 47% higher in Sanya, 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 $22.00 in Sanya versus $21.00 in Delhi. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $251 vs $110 – making Delhi the more affordable choice for daily food spending.
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
Sanya vs Delhi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Sanya and in Delhi compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $776 in Sanya, $526 in Delhi – roughly 48% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.
What salary covers living expenses in Sanya compared to Delhi?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,164 per month in Sanya and $789 in Delhi. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Sanya and Delhi?
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.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $22.00 in Sanya and $21.00 in Delhi. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Which city is more expensive overall: Sanya or Delhi?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $776 in Sanya and $526 in Delhi. That's a gap of about 48%.
How far does $1,200 go in Sanya compared to Delhi?
$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $776 in Sanya and $526 in Delhi, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
Where should families live: Sanya or Delhi?
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.
How do I decide between Sanya and Delhi?
If budget matters most, go with Delhi. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Sanya makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.