Cost of Living Comparison Between Shimla and Ujjain Cost of Living Comparison Between Shimla and Ujjain

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $336 per month in Shimla vs $284 in Ujjain, rent included.

A couple spends around $540 per month in Shimla vs $458 in Ujjain, rent included.

A family of three spends $744 per month in Shimla vs $633 in Ujjain, rent included.

Shimla costs about 18% more than Ujjain, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Shimla and Ujjain are more affordable than the global median – Shimla 75% lower, Ujjain 79% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.69 ₹161

$1.77 ₹168

-4.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$5.85 ₹556

$8.92 ₹849

-34.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.44 ₹327

$3.99 ₹379

-13.78%

Cappuccino

$0.95 ₹90.8

$0.79 ₹75.0

20.25%

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

$0.31 ₹29.95

$0.40 ₹37.77

-22.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.17 ₹15.75

$0.15 ₹13.85

13.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.59 ₹151

$1.76 ₹168

-9.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.35 ₹224

$3.35 ₹319

-29.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.70 ₹66.1

$0.65 ₹62.2

7.69%

White Bread (500g)

$0.41 ₹39.39

$0.31 ₹29.86

32.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.68 ₹64.4

$0.69 ₹65.4

-1.45%

Eggs

$0.93 ₹88.5

$0.92 ₹87.8

1.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.38 ₹417

$3.95 ₹375

10.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.70 ₹352

$3.03 ₹288

22.11%

Apples (1kg)

$1.98 ₹188

$1.49 ₹141

32.89%

Banana (1kg)

$0.75 ₹71.7

$0.51 ₹48.85

47.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.76 ₹72.8

$0.67 ₹64.0

13.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.56 ₹52.9

$0.33 ₹30.95

69.70%

Potato (1kg)

$0.37 ₹35.35

$0.32 ₹30.29

15.62%

Onion (1kg)

$0.44 ₹41.53

$0.27 ₹25.47

62.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.22 ₹20.81

$0.28 ₹26.33

-21.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.34 ₹32.12

$0.30 ₹28.62

13.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ₹423

$1.72 ₹164

158.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.73 ₹640

$5.36 ₹510

25.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 ₹166

$1.97 ₹187

-11.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 ₹221

$3.06 ₹291

-24.18%

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

$5.86 ₹558

$5.05 ₹480

16.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.24 ₹22.89

$0.43 ₹40.53

-44.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.93 ₹849

$6.54 ₹622

36.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.79 ₹75.2

$0.43 ₹40.58

83.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.25 ₹23.70

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.19 ₹113

$1.18 ₹113

0.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.19 ₹113

$1.26 ₹120

-5.56%

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

$15.0K ₹1.4M

$7,619 ₹724.5K

97.26%

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

$19.7K ₹1.9M

$15.9K ₹1.5M

23.88%

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

$19.70 ₹1,874

$11.49 ₹1,093

71.45%

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

$3.54 ₹337

$2.98 ₹283

18.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$7.79 ₹740

$7.14 ₹679

9.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$14.61 ₹1,389

$8.93 ₹849

63.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.04 ₹669

$6.94 ₹660

1.44%

Cinema Ticket

$3.45 ₹328

$2.39 ₹227

44.35%

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

$46.45 ₹4,418

$47.58 ₹4,525

-2.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,348 ₹223.3K

$815 ₹77.5K

188.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$34.14 ₹3,247

$18.24 ₹1,735

87.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.64 ₹2,723

$24.79 ₹2,358

15.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$47.27 ₹4,496

$41.26 ₹3,924

14.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$29.50 ₹2,805

$31.48 ₹2,993

-6.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$93.2 ₹8,865

$91.3 ₹8,679

2.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$57.5 ₹5,464

$47.24 ₹4,492

21.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$225 ₹21.4K

$174 ₹16.6K

28.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$139 ₹13.2K

$104 ₹9,876

33.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$958 ₹91.1K

$4,091 ₹389.0K

-76.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$522 ₹49.7K

$515 ₹49.0K

1.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$546 ₹51.9K

$336 ₹31.9K

62.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.25

8.37

-1.43%

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

Last update for Shimla: June 9, 2026

Last update for Ujjain: June 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $93.2 in Shimla versus $91.3 in Ujjain. 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 63% higher in Shimla, 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 $6.00 in Shimla versus $9.00 in Ujjain. Groceries tell a different story – $103 in Shimla vs $91.0 in Ujjain – so Ujjain wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 Ujjain: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $336 in Shimla, $284 in Ujjain – roughly 18% apart. Shimla costs more across the board, with Groceries & Markets showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $504 per month in Shimla and $426 in Ujjain. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Ujjain, 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 $6.00 in Shimla and $9.00 in Ujjain. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $336 in Shimla and $284 in Ujjain. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $336 in Shimla and $284 in Ujjain, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Ujjain – 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 Ujjain. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Shimla makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.