Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shillong and Kanpur

For one person, living is cheaper in Kanpur: $340 a month against $402 in Shillong, rent and utilities included – about $740 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Shillong outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

20

Cost of Living Index in Shillong
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Shillong Living Index
17

Cost of Living Index in Kanpur
Learn more

Kanpur Living Index

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Shillong

🇮🇳 India

$402

/mo nomad

Kanpur

🇮🇳 India

$340

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Shillong and in Kanpur

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 Kanpur actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $402 in Shillong versus $340 in Kanpur.

Shillong $402
Kanpur $340

Estimated couple costs with rent: $638 in Shillong versus $540 in Kanpur.

Shillong $638
Kanpur $540

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $874 in Shillong versus $741 in Kanpur.

Shillong $874
Kanpur $741

Living in Shillong is roughly 18% more expensive than in Kanpur, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Shillong 70% lower, Kanpur 75% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.35 ₹318

$2.12 ₹201

58.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$11.44 ₹1,086

$8.39 ₹797

36.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.81 ₹457

$3.12 ₹296

54.17%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ₹157

$1.51 ₹143

9.93%

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

$0.41 ₹38.89

$0.31 ₹29.57

32.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.15 ₹13.94

$0.10 ₹9.27

50.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.22 ₹116

$1.30 ₹123

-6.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.49 ₹331

$2.55 ₹242

36.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.61 ₹57.9

$0.72 ₹68.7

-15.28%

White Bread (500g)

$0.31 ₹29.07

$0.48 ₹45.11

-35.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.58 ₹55.4

$0.81 ₹77.3

-28.40%

Eggs

$0.92 ₹86.9

$0.90 ₹85.7

2.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.86 ₹366

$3.65 ₹347

5.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.43 ₹231

$2.52 ₹239

-3.57%

Apples (1kg)

$2.16 ₹205

$1.62 ₹154

33.33%

Banana (1kg)

$0.68 ₹64.4

$0.60 ₹56.7

13.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.93 ₹88.4

$1.01 ₹96.0

-7.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.52 ₹49.22

$0.49 ₹46.38

6.12%

Potato (1kg)

$0.31 ₹29.25

$0.25 ₹23.90

24.00%

Onion (1kg)

$0.35 ₹32.78

$0.38 ₹35.76

-7.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.22 ₹20.91

$0.50 ₹47.07

-56.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.25 ₹23.68

$0.29 ₹27.54

-13.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.11 ₹485

$4.49 ₹426

13.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.83 ₹458

$7.51 ₹713

-35.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 ₹121

$1.57 ₹149

-18.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 ₹187

$2.43 ₹231

-18.93%

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

$4.78 ₹454

$6.29 ₹597

-24.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.44 ₹41.78

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$6.42 ₹610

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.74 ₹70.3

$0.65 ₹61.4

13.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 ₹26.52

$0.28 ₹26.70

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.29 ₹123

$1.06 ₹101

21.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.09 ₹104

$1.11 ₹105

-1.80%

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

$12.6K ₹1.2M

$9,285 ₹881.7K

36.01%

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

$16.0K ₹1.5M

$19.5K ₹1.9M

-17.66%

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

$34.74 ₹3,299

$42.64 ₹4,049

-18.53%

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

$3.29 ₹313

$3.13 ₹298

5.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$6.12 ₹581

$5.30 ₹503

15.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$9.99 ₹948

$13.32 ₹1,265

-25.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.11 ₹486

$6.16 ₹585

-17.05%

Cinema Ticket

$3.10 ₹294

$3.05 ₹289

1.64%

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

$27.65 ₹2,626

$53.6 ₹5,086

-48.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,164 ₹110.5K

$6,135 ₹582.6K

-81.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$17.41 ₹1,653

$25.38 ₹2,411

-31.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$22.11 ₹2,100

$28.42 ₹2,698

-22.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$36.74 ₹3,489

$36.26 ₹3,443

1.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$27.45 ₹2,606

$15.84 ₹1,504

73.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$210 ₹19.9K

$110 ₹10.4K

91.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$131 ₹12.4K

$58.9 ₹5,590

121.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$727 ₹69.0K

$315 ₹29.9K

131.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$284 ₹27.0K

$156 ₹14.8K

81.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,142 ₹108.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$531 ₹50.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$442 ₹41.9K

$298 ₹28.3K

48.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.38

8.55

-13.68%

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

Last update for Shillong: October 11, 2026

Last update for Kanpur: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Shillong

$131 32.5%

Kanpur

$59 17.3% 54.9% $72

Groceries & Markets

Shillong

$86 21.3%

Kanpur

$95 28% 11.3% $9.7

Eating Out

Shillong

$76 19%

Kanpur

$58 16.9% 24.6% $19

Clothing & Footwear

Shillong

$47 11.6%

Kanpur

$48 14% 2.1% $1

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shillong

$44 11%

Kanpur

$51 15% 15.7% $6.9

Sport & Entertainment

Shillong

$16 4%

Kanpur

$19 5.7% 20% $3.2

Getting Around

Shillong

$2.1 * 0.5%

Kanpur

$10 3% 378% $8.1

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $210 in Shillong and $110 in Kanpur. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Shillong pays 48% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $11.00 in Shillong vs $8.00 in Kanpur. Groceries flip the comparison at $86.0 vs $95.0, with Shillong cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇮🇳 Shillong

🇮🇳 Kanpur

🕒 Local time

07:07 7:07 AM

Same time as Shillong

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

143,000

2,767,031

💱 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 Kanpur 1,160 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Shillong
Kanpur

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 Kanpur: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kanpur is cheaper overall, especially in eating out and utilities. The 18% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 48% higher in Shillong, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $210 in Shillong versus $110 in Kanpur. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $27.65 in Shillong versus $53.6 in Kanpur. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Kanpur – a meal for two runs $8.00 versus $11.00 in Shillong. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Either city works on $1,000 a month, though Kanpur gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Kanpur gentler on the wallet – expenses run 18% less than in Shillong. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.