Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shimla and Hyderabad

For one person, living is cheaper in Shimla: $310 a month against $491 in Hyderabad, rent and utilities included – about $2,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

15

Cost of Living Index in Shimla
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Shimla Living Index
24

Cost of Living Index in Hyderabad
Learn more

Hyderabad Living Index

Jump to prices

Shimla

🇮🇳 India

$310

/mo nomad

Hyderabad

🇮🇳 India

$491

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $310 per month in Shimla vs $491 in Hyderabad, rent included.

Shimla $310
Hyderabad $491

A couple spends around $504 per month in Shimla vs $809 in Hyderabad, rent included.

Shimla $504
Hyderabad $809

A family of three spends $698 per month in Shimla vs $1,127 in Hyderabad, rent included.

Shimla $698
Hyderabad $1,127

Shimla is about 37% cheaper than Hyderabad, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Shimla and Hyderabad are more affordable than the global median – Shimla 77% lower, Hyderabad 64% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.56 ₹149

$2.58 ₹246

-39.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$10.47 ₹997

$15.95 ₹1,519

-34.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.09 ₹295

$5.10 ₹486

-39.41%

Cappuccino

$0.92 ₹87.3

$2.27 ₹217

-59.47%

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

$0.34 ₹32.20

$0.45 ₹42.56

-24.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.11 ₹10.42

$0.15 ₹14.13

-26.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.64 ₹156

$2.12 ₹202

-22.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.07 ₹197

$4.29 ₹409

-51.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.67 ₹64.2

$0.83 ₹79.2

-19.28%

White Bread (500g)

$0.42 ₹40.36

$0.58 ₹55.7

-27.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.63 ₹60.4

$0.70 ₹66.3

-10.00%

Eggs

$0.89 ₹85.1

$0.99 ₹94.5

-10.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.33 ₹412

$7.10 ₹676

-39.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.18 ₹303

$3.38 ₹322

-5.92%

Apples (1kg)

$1.87 ₹178

$2.34 ₹223

-20.09%

Banana (1kg)

$0.76 ₹72.1

$0.68 ₹65.2

11.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.63 ₹60.1

$1.14 ₹109

-44.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.48 ₹45.51

$0.44 ₹42.17

9.09%

Potato (1kg)

$0.30 ₹28.72

$0.43 ₹40.47

-30.23%

Onion (1kg)

$0.36 ₹34.35

$0.39 ₹37.58

-7.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.22 ₹20.99

$0.51 ₹48.79

-56.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.27 ₹25.62

$0.32 ₹30.91

-15.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.38 ₹322

$5.18 ₹493

-34.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.57 ₹816

$8.37 ₹797

2.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 ₹147

$1.82 ₹173

-15.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 ₹194

$2.72 ₹259

-25.00%

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

$3.80 ₹362

$6.16 ₹586

-38.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.22 ₹20.98

$0.54 ₹51.5

-59.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$7.84 ₹747

$14.95 ₹1,423

-47.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.07 ₹102

$0.92 ₹87.2

16.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.34 ₹31.93

$0.55 ₹52.3

-38.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.02 ₹97.4

$1.19 ₹113

-14.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.09 ₹104

$1.12 ₹106

-2.68%

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

$8,462 ₹805.8K

$11.4K ₹1.1M

-25.67%

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

$18.1K ₹1.7M

$22.7K ₹2.2M

-20.30%

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

$18.17 ₹1,730

$35.06 ₹3,339

-48.17%

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

$3.13 ₹298

$4.30 ₹409

-27.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$7.02 ₹669

$7.89 ₹751

-11.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$13.85 ₹1,319

$24.12 ₹2,297

-42.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.63 ₹1,012

$7.43 ₹708

43.07%

Cinema Ticket

$3.07 ₹292

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

$42.11 ₹4,010

$145 ₹13.8K

-71.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,173 ₹206.9K

$2,836 ₹270.0K

-23.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$24.76 ₹2,357

$21.57 ₹2,054

14.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$21.97 ₹2,092

$21.03 ₹2,003

4.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$39.31 ₹3,744

$42.00 ₹3,999

-6.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$26.41 ₹2,515

$34.78 ₹3,312

-24.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$86.4 ₹8,222

$231 ₹22.0K

-62.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$53.3 ₹5,075

$133 ₹12.7K

-59.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$199 ₹18.9K

$624 ₹59.4K

-68.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$125 ₹11.9K

$339 ₹32.3K

-63.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$563 ₹53.6K

$1,354 ₹128.9K

-58.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$563 ₹53.6K

$776 ₹73.9K

-27.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$612 ₹58.3K

$1,260 ₹120.0K

-51.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.25

8.55

-3.51%

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

Last update for Shimla: October 24, 2026

Last update for Hyderabad: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Shimla

$99 32.1%

Hyderabad

$121 24.7% 21.6% $22

Accommodation & Living

Shimla

$53 17.2%

Hyderabad

$133 27.1% 150% $80

Clothing & Footwear

Shimla

$51 16.3%

Hyderabad

$54 10.9% 6.1% $3.1

Eating Out

Shimla

$47 15.1%

Hyderabad

$85 17.3% 80.8% $38

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shimla

$28 9.1%

Hyderabad

$47 9.6% 66.8% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Shimla

$20 6.5%

Hyderabad

$30 6.2% 51.4% $10

Getting Around

Shimla

$11 3.7%

Hyderabad

$21 4.2% 81.1% $9.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $86 in Shimla versus $231 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 in Hyderabad are about 2.1 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $10 in Shimla versus $16 in Hyderabad. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $99 vs $121 – making Shimla the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇳 Shimla

🇮🇳 Hyderabad

🕒 Local time

02:04 2:04 AM

Same time as Shimla

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

170,000

6,809,970

💱 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

On the map

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Between locations

Shimla Hyderabad 1,530 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Shimla
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

Shimla vs Hyderabad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hyderabad costs about 58% more than Shimla, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $465 per month in Shimla and $736 in Hyderabad. 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 $231 in Hyderabad.

Public transport costs about 48% less in Shimla. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $42 per month in Shimla and $145 in Hyderabad. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $310 in Shimla and $491 in Hyderabad, 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.

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