Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shillong and Hyderabad

For one person, living is cheaper in Shillong: $402 a month against $491 in Hyderabad, rent and utilities included – about $1,100 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

20

Cost of Living Index in Shillong
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Shillong Living Index
24

Cost of Living Index in Hyderabad
Learn more

Hyderabad Living Index

Jump to prices

Shillong

🇮🇳 India

$402

/mo nomad

Hyderabad

🇮🇳 India

$491

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Shillong and in Hyderabad

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Shillong and in Hyderabad actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $402 per month in Shillong vs $491 in Hyderabad, rent included.

Shillong $402
Hyderabad $491

A couple spends around $638 per month in Shillong vs $806 in Hyderabad, rent included.

Shillong $638
Hyderabad $806

A family of three spends $874 per month in Shillong vs $1,121 in Hyderabad, rent included.

Shillong $874
Hyderabad $1,121

Shillong is about 18% cheaper than Hyderabad, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Shillong and Hyderabad are more affordable than the global median – Shillong 70% lower, Hyderabad 64% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.35 ₹318

$2.65 ₹251

26.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$11.44 ₹1,086

$15.86 ₹1,506

-27.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.81 ₹457

$5.29 ₹502

-9.07%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ₹157

$2.31 ₹219

-28.14%

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

$0.41 ₹38.89

$0.46 ₹43.39

-10.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.15 ₹13.94

$0.15 ₹14.46

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.22 ₹116

$2.04 ₹194

-40.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.49 ₹331

$4.27 ₹405

-18.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.61 ₹57.9

$0.83 ₹78.5

-26.51%

White Bread (500g)

$0.31 ₹29.07

$0.57 ₹54.5

-45.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.58 ₹55.4

$0.72 ₹68.5

-19.44%

Eggs

$0.92 ₹86.9

$1.02 ₹96.9

-9.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.86 ₹366

$6.95 ₹660

-44.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.43 ₹231

$3.31 ₹314

-26.59%

Apples (1kg)

$2.16 ₹205

$2.28 ₹216

-5.26%

Banana (1kg)

$0.68 ₹64.4

$0.71 ₹67.0

-4.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.93 ₹88.4

$1.12 ₹106

-16.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.52 ₹49.22

$0.47 ₹44.19

10.64%

Potato (1kg)

$0.31 ₹29.25

$0.39 ₹36.70

-20.51%

Onion (1kg)

$0.35 ₹32.78

$0.39 ₹36.70

-10.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.22 ₹20.91

$0.52 ₹49.52

-57.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.25 ₹23.68

$0.30 ₹28.03

-16.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.11 ₹485

$5.16 ₹490

-0.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.83 ₹458

$8.54 ₹811

-43.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 ₹121

$1.75 ₹166

-26.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 ₹187

$2.62 ₹249

-24.81%

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

$4.78 ₹454

$6.46 ₹614

-26.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.50 ₹47.11

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$14.88 ₹1,413

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.74 ₹70.3

$0.96 ₹91.3

-22.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 ₹26.52

$0.53 ₹50.3

-47.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.29 ₹123

$1.13 ₹108

14.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.09 ₹104

$1.17 ₹111

-6.84%

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

$12.6K ₹1.2M

$15.3K ₹1.5M

-17.44%

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

$16.0K ₹1.5M

$22.8K ₹2.2M

-29.63%

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

$34.74 ₹3,299

$35.47 ₹3,368

-2.06%

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

$3.29 ₹313

$4.20 ₹399

-21.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$6.12 ₹581

$7.92 ₹752

-22.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$9.99 ₹948

$24.75 ₹2,350

-59.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.11 ₹486

$7.27 ₹691

-29.71%

Cinema Ticket

$3.10 ₹294

$3.08 ₹293

0.65%

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

$27.65 ₹2,626

$103 ₹9,768

-73.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,164 ₹110.5K

$2,753 ₹261.4K

-57.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$17.41 ₹1,653

$22.36 ₹2,123

-22.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$22.11 ₹2,100

$21.36 ₹2,028

3.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$36.74 ₹3,489

$43.24 ₹4,106

-15.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$27.45 ₹2,606

$35.07 ₹3,331

-21.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$210 ₹19.9K

$229 ₹21.7K

-8.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$131 ₹12.4K

$132 ₹12.5K

-1.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$727 ₹69.0K

$614 ₹58.3K

18.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$284 ₹27.0K

$332 ₹31.5K

-14.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,349 ₹128.1K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$766 ₹72.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$442 ₹41.9K

$1,209 ₹114.8K

-63.49%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.38

8.46

-12.77%

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

Last update for Shillong: October 11, 2026

Last update for Hyderabad: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Shillong

$131 32.5%

Hyderabad

$132 26.9% 1% $1.3

Groceries & Markets

Shillong

$86 21.3%

Hyderabad

$119 24.3% 39.6% $34

Eating Out

Shillong

$76 19%

Hyderabad

$86 17.5% 12.5% $9.5

Clothing & Footwear

Shillong

$47 11.6%

Hyderabad

$55 11.2% 17.7% $8.3

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shillong

$44 11%

Hyderabad

$48 9.7% 7.8% $3.4

Sport & Entertainment

Shillong

$16 4%

Hyderabad

$31 6.3% 91% $15

Getting Around

Shillong

$2.1 * 0.5%

Hyderabad

$20 4.2% 857% $18

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $210 in Shillong versus $229 in Hyderabad. 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 174% higher in Hyderabad, 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 $11.00 in Shillong versus $16.00 in Hyderabad. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $86.0 vs $119 – making Shillong the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇳 Shillong

🇮🇳 Hyderabad

🕒 Local time

19:19 7:19 PM

Same time as Shillong

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

143,000

6,809,970

💱 Currency

Indian Rupee INR ₹

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 INR = 10.53 USD

1,000 INR = 9.37 EUR

1,000 INR = 10.53 USD

1,000 INR = 9.37 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Shillong Hyderabad 1,660 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Shillong
Hyderabad

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

Shillong vs Hyderabad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hyderabad costs about 22% more than Shillong, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $603 per month in Shillong and $737 in Hyderabad. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Shillong, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $402 in Shillong and $491 in Hyderabad. That's a gap of about 22%.

Kindergarten costs $27.65 per month in Shillong and $103 in Hyderabad. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $402 in Shillong and $491 in Hyderabad, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Shillong costs $402 versus $491 in Hyderabad. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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