Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shah Alam and Delhi

For one person, living is cheaper in Delhi: $522 a month against $933 in Shah Alam, rent and utilities included – about $4,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

46

Cost of Living Index in Shah Alam
Learn more

Shah Alam Living Index
25

Cost of Living Index in Delhi
Learn more

Delhi Living Index

Jump to prices

Shah Alam

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$933

/mo nomad

Delhi

🇮🇳 India

$522

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $933 per month in Shah Alam vs $522 in Delhi, rent included.

Shah Alam $933
Delhi $522

A couple spends around $1,429 per month in Shah Alam vs $872 in Delhi, rent included.

Shah Alam $1,429
Delhi $872

A family of three spends $1,925 per month in Shah Alam vs $1,222 in Delhi, rent included.

Shah Alam $1,925
Delhi $1,222

Shah Alam costs about 79% more than Delhi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Shah Alam and Delhi are more affordable than the global median – Shah Alam 31% lower, Delhi 61% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.72 MYR 15.19

$3.70 ₹351

0.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.34 MYR 78.9

$21.05 ₹1,999

-8.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.21 MYR 17.16

$3.73 ₹354

12.87%

Cappuccino

$2.87 MYR 11.70

$2.35 ₹223

22.13%

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

$0.78 MYR 3.17

$0.37 ₹35.21

110.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 MYR 1.58

$0.15 ₹13.93

160.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 MYR 13.85

$2.14 ₹203

58.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.33 MYR 17.65

$3.06 ₹291

41.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 MYR 7.29

$0.69 ₹65.1

159.42%

White Bread (500g)

$1.06 MYR 4.31

$0.53 ₹50.0

100.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.47 MYR 6.01

$0.77 ₹73.1

90.91%

Eggs

$2.17 MYR 8.85

$1.11 ₹105

95.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.59 MYR 55.4

$4.63 ₹440

193.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.36 MYR 17.78

$3.52 ₹334

23.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.51 MYR 38.79

Apples (1kg)

$3.53 MYR 14.38

$2.00 ₹190

76.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 MYR 6.61

$0.74 ₹70.5

118.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.62 MYR 10.67

$0.97 ₹92.6

170.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.73 MYR 7.05

$0.53 ₹49.92

226.42%

Potato (1kg)

$1.25 MYR 5.08

$0.30 ₹28.61

316.67%

Onion (1kg)

$2.04 MYR 8.33

$0.40 ₹37.82

410.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.43 MYR 5.82

$0.42 ₹39.62

240.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 MYR 2.19

$0.31 ₹29.81

74.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.33 MYR 17.66

$4.94 ₹469

-12.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.85 MYR 76.9

$8.21 ₹779

129.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.76 MYR 11.26

$1.58 ₹150

74.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.64 MYR 18.94

$2.69 ₹255

72.49%

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

$6.19 ₹588

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.75 MYR 3.05

$0.46 ₹43.46

63.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.11 MYR 65.7

$15.78 ₹1,498

2.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.20 MYR 4.90

$1.07 ₹102

12.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.41 MYR 1.67

$0.27 ₹25.66

51.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.48 MYR 30.52

$1.58 ₹150

373.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.81 MYR 3.32

$1.07 ₹101

-24.30%

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

$42.1K MYR 171.7K

$10.7K ₹1.0M

294.82%

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

$34.9K MYR 142.5K

$18.9K ₹1.8M

84.42%

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

$36.85 MYR 150

$42.37 ₹4,024

-13.03%

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

$9.64 MYR 39.32

$4.03 ₹383

139.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.94 MYR 118

$6.95 ₹660

316.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.19 MYR 164

$19.18 ₹1,821

109.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.88 MYR 19.92

$7.92 ₹752

-38.38%

Cinema Ticket

$6.58 MYR 26.86

$5.27 ₹500

24.86%

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

$199 MYR 812

$100 ₹9,525

98.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,548 MYR 18.6K

$2,247 ₹213.4K

102.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.6 MYR 235

$24.11 ₹2,290

138.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.52 MYR 161

$27.85 ₹2,645

41.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$67.8 MYR 277

$52.4 ₹4,977

29.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.0 MYR 285

$42.90 ₹4,074

63.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$340 MYR 1,386

$267 ₹25.4K

27.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$308 MYR 1,255

$156 ₹14.8K

97.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$564 MYR 2,301

$734 ₹69.7K

-23.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$560 MYR 2,283

$394 ₹37.5K

41.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,502 MYR 6,128

$2,507 ₹238.0K

-40.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,165 MYR 4,753

$1,020 ₹96.8K

14.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,264 MYR 5,156

$608 ₹57.7K

107.98%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.04

8.33

-51.50%

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

Last update for Shah Alam: October 13, 2026

Last update for Delhi: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Shah Alam

$308 33%

Delhi

$156 29.9% 49.3% $152

Groceries & Markets

Shah Alam

$261 28%

Delhi

$109 20.9% 58.3% $152

Eating Out

Shah Alam

$107 11.5%

Delhi

$88 16.8% 17.9% $19

Clothing & Footwear

Shah Alam

$106 11.3%

Delhi

$66 12.7% 37.3% $39

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shah Alam

$75 8.1%

Delhi

$53 10.2% 29.3% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Shah Alam

$53 5.7%

Delhi

$30 5.7% 44.3% $24

Getting Around

Shah Alam

$22 2.4%

Delhi

$20 3.8% 10.3% $2.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $340 in Shah Alam 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 108% higher in Shah Alam, 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 $19.00 in Shah Alam versus $21.00 in Delhi. Groceries tell a different story – $261 in Shah Alam vs $109 in Delhi – so Delhi wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Shah Alam

🇮🇳 Delhi

🕒 Local time

17:56 5:56 PM

15:26 3:26 PM

2 h 30 min behind Shah Alam

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

812,327

16,787,941 Capital

💱 Currency

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

Indian Rupee INR ₹

📈 Exchange rate

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.218 EUR

1,000 INR = 10.53 USD

1,000 INR = 9.37 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

INR, USD, EUR to MYR – Malaysian Ringgit Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇾 Malaysian Ringgit (RM)

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 4.08 MYR (1 MYR = 0.245 USD). 1 EUR = 4.59 MYR (1 MYR = 0.218 EUR).

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 94.96 INR (100 INR = 1.05 USD). 1 EUR = 107 INR (1,000 INR = 9.37 EUR).

USD to MYR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Shah Alam Delhi 3,830 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Shah Alam
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

Shah Alam vs Delhi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $933 in Shah Alam, $522 in Delhi – roughly 79% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,399 per month in Shah Alam 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 $19.00 in Shah Alam 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 $933 in Shah Alam and $522 in Delhi. That's a gap of about 79%.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $933 in Shah Alam 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.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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