Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shimla and Delhi

For one person, living is cheaper in Shimla: $310 a month against $536 in Delhi, rent and utilities included – about $2,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

15

Cost of Living Index in Shimla
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Shimla Living Index
26

Cost of Living Index in Delhi
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Delhi Living Index

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Shimla

🇮🇳 India

$310

/mo nomad

Delhi

🇮🇳 India

$536

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $310 per month in Shimla vs $536 in Delhi, rent included.

Shimla $310
Delhi $536

A couple spends around $504 per month in Shimla vs $901 in Delhi, rent included.

Shimla $504
Delhi $901

A family of three spends $698 per month in Shimla vs $1,266 in Delhi, rent included.

Shimla $698
Delhi $1,266

Shimla is about 42% cheaper than Delhi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Shimla and Delhi are more affordable than the global median – Shimla 77% lower, Delhi 61% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.56 ₹149

$3.66 ₹349

-57.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$10.47 ₹997

$20.76 ₹1,976

-49.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.09 ₹295

$3.74 ₹356

-17.38%

Cappuccino

$0.92 ₹87.3

$2.48 ₹237

-62.90%

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

$0.34 ₹32.20

$0.38 ₹36.21

-10.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.11 ₹10.42

$0.17 ₹15.85

-35.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.64 ₹156

$2.04 ₹195

-19.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.07 ₹197

$3.07 ₹293

-32.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.67 ₹64.2

$0.70 ₹66.4

-4.29%

White Bread (500g)

$0.42 ₹40.36

$0.52 ₹49.25

-19.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.63 ₹60.4

$0.82 ₹78.2

-23.17%

Eggs

$0.89 ₹85.1

$1.17 ₹112

-23.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.33 ₹412

$4.31 ₹411

0.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.18 ₹303

$3.36 ₹320

-5.36%

Apples (1kg)

$1.87 ₹178

$1.96 ₹186

-4.59%

Banana (1kg)

$0.76 ₹72.1

$0.74 ₹70.6

2.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.63 ₹60.1

$0.99 ₹94.1

-36.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.48 ₹45.51

$0.49 ₹46.72

-2.04%

Potato (1kg)

$0.30 ₹28.72

$0.29 ₹27.29

3.45%

Onion (1kg)

$0.36 ₹34.35

$0.41 ₹38.63

-12.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.22 ₹20.99

$0.44 ₹41.95

-50.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.27 ₹25.62

$0.31 ₹29.80

-12.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.38 ₹322

$5.03 ₹479

-32.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.57 ₹816

$8.37 ₹797

2.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 ₹147

$1.67 ₹159

-7.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 ₹194

$2.81 ₹268

-27.40%

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

$3.80 ₹362

$6.64 ₹633

-42.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.22 ₹20.98

$0.41 ₹38.58

-46.34%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$7.84 ₹747

$15.60 ₹1,485

-49.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.07 ₹102

$1.08 ₹102

-0.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.34 ₹31.93

$0.25 ₹23.74

36.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.02 ₹97.4

$1.57 ₹149

-35.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.09 ₹104

$1.11 ₹106

-1.80%

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

$8,462 ₹805.8K

$11.1K ₹1.1M

-23.45%

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

$18.1K ₹1.7M

$19.6K ₹1.9M

-7.79%

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

$18.17 ₹1,730

$43.87 ₹4,178

-58.58%

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

$3.13 ₹298

$4.27 ₹407

-26.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$7.02 ₹669

$6.82 ₹649

2.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$13.85 ₹1,319

$26.06 ₹2,481

-46.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.63 ₹1,012

$8.09 ₹771

31.40%

Cinema Ticket

$3.07 ₹292

$5.34 ₹509

-42.51%

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

$42.11 ₹4,010

$100 ₹9,534

-57.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,173 ₹206.9K

$2,288 ₹217.9K

-5.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$24.76 ₹2,357

$24.84 ₹2,366

-0.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$21.97 ₹2,092

$29.18 ₹2,779

-24.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$39.31 ₹3,744

$53.2 ₹5,063

-26.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$26.41 ₹2,515

$44.74 ₹4,260

-40.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$86.4 ₹8,222

$277 ₹26.4K

-68.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$53.3 ₹5,075

$159 ₹15.1K

-66.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$199 ₹18.9K

$798 ₹76.0K

-75.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$125 ₹11.9K

$420 ₹40.0K

-70.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$563 ₹53.6K

$2,558 ₹243.6K

-78.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$563 ₹53.6K

$1,172 ₹111.6K

-51.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$612 ₹58.3K

$598 ₹57.0K

2.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.25

8.35

-1.20%

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

Last update for Shimla: October 24, 2026

Last update for Delhi: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Shimla

$99 32.1%

Delhi

$108 20.2% 8.9% $8.9

Accommodation & Living

Shimla

$53 17.2%

Delhi

$159 29.6% 198% $105

Clothing & Footwear

Shimla

$51 16.3%

Delhi

$68 12.8% 35.1% $18

Eating Out

Shimla

$47 15.1%

Delhi

$89 16.6% 89.5% $42

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shimla

$28 9.1%

Delhi

$55 10.3% 94.1% $27

Sport & Entertainment

Shimla

$20 6.5%

Delhi

$37 6.9% 83.8% $17

Getting Around

Shimla

$11 3.7%

Delhi

$20 3.7% 70.4% $8.1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $86 in Shimla versus $277 in Delhi. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $10 in Shimla versus $21 in Delhi. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $99 vs $108 – making Shimla the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇳 Shimla

🇮🇳 Delhi

🕒 Local time

03:35 3:35 AM

Same time as Shimla

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

170,000

16,787,941 Capital

💱 Currency

Indian Rupee INR ₹

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 INR = 10.5 USD

1,000 INR = 9.43 EUR

1,000 INR = 10.5 USD

1,000 INR = 9.43 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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

Shimla vs Delhi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $310 in Shimla, $536 in Delhi – Shimla comes out roughly 42% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $465 per month in Shimla and $803 in Delhi. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Shimla, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $86 there versus $277 in Delhi.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $10 in Shimla and $21 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 $310 in Shimla and $536 in Delhi. That makes Shimla about 42% cheaper.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $310 in Shimla and $536 in Delhi, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Shimla – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

For expats, Shimla is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 42% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.