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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $337 per month in Shimla vs $287 in Ujjain, rent included.

A couple spends around $539 per month in Shimla vs $468 in Ujjain, rent included.

A family of three spends $742 per month in Shimla vs $649 in Ujjain, rent included.

Shimla costs about 17% more than Ujjain, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.78 ₹167

$1.69 ₹159

5.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$5.90 ₹554

$8.78 ₹824

-32.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.56 ₹334

$4.10 ₹385

-13.17%

Cappuccino

$0.93 ₹87.2

$0.79 ₹74.1

17.72%

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

$0.31 ₹29.53

$0.40 ₹37.37

-22.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.15 ₹14.11

$0.13 ₹12.07

15.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.62 ₹152

$1.72 ₹161

-5.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 ₹216

$3.24 ₹305

-29.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.75 ₹70.7

$0.65 ₹60.8

15.38%

White Bread (500g)

$0.44 ₹41.38

$0.34 ₹31.96

29.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.64 ₹59.8

$0.75 ₹70.5

-14.67%

Eggs

$0.86 ₹80.3

$0.93 ₹86.9

-7.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.36 ₹409

$4.01 ₹376

8.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.70 ₹347

$3.03 ₹284

22.11%

Apples (1kg)

$1.97 ₹185

$1.46 ₹137

34.93%

Banana (1kg)

$0.70 ₹65.5

$0.56 ₹52.4

25.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.82 ₹76.7

$0.67 ₹62.6

22.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.56 ₹52.3

$0.29 ₹27.67

93.10%

Potato (1kg)

$0.35 ₹32.54

$0.31 ₹29.50

12.90%

Onion (1kg)

$0.44 ₹41.34

$0.29 ₹27.45

51.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.22 ₹20.63

$0.28 ₹26.24

-21.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.34 ₹31.54

$0.30 ₹28.19

13.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.46 ₹418

$1.76 ₹166

153.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.26 ₹494

$5.24 ₹491

0.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 ₹159

$1.95 ₹183

-13.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 ₹211

$3.11 ₹292

-27.65%

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

$5.91 ₹555

$4.93 ₹463

19.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.22 ₹20.53

$0.45 ₹42.59

-51.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.78 ₹824

$6.30 ₹591

39.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.83 ₹77.8

$0.39 ₹36.95

112.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.25 ₹23.24

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.18 ₹110

$1.18 ₹111

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.19 ₹111

$1.26 ₹118

-5.56%

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

$15.0K ₹1.4M

$7,422 ₹696.6K

101.44%

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

$19.7K ₹1.8M

$15.4K ₹1.4M

27.68%

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

$19.05 ₹1,788

$11.77 ₹1,105

61.85%

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

$3.45 ₹324

$2.97 ₹279

16.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$7.69 ₹721

$6.83 ₹641

12.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$14.60 ₹1,370

$8.68 ₹815

68.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.20 ₹676

$6.82 ₹640

5.57%

Cinema Ticket

$3.44 ₹323

$2.36 ₹221

45.76%

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

$46.07 ₹4,324

$47.97 ₹4,503

-3.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,352 ₹220.8K

$818 ₹76.7K

187.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$33.31 ₹3,127

$18.48 ₹1,735

80.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.80 ₹2,704

$24.72 ₹2,320

16.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$46.18 ₹4,334

$41.30 ₹3,877

11.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$29.10 ₹2,731

$31.79 ₹2,984

-8.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$94.6 ₹8,878

$94.6 ₹8,877

0.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$58.3 ₹5,467

$46.93 ₹4,405

24.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$223 ₹20.9K

$177 ₹16.6K

25.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$138 ₹13.0K

$103 ₹9,713

33.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$955 ₹89.6K

$958 ₹89.9K

-0.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$515 ₹48.3K

$519 ₹48.7K

-0.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$577 ₹54.1K

$334 ₹31.3K

72.85%

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: April 20, 2026

Last update for Ujjain: April 22, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $95 in Shimla versus $95 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 73% 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 in Shimla versus $9 in Ujjain. Groceries tell a different story – $100 in Shimla vs $91 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: $337 in Shimla, $287 in Ujjain – roughly 17% apart. Shimla costs more across the board, with Clothing & Footwear showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $506 per month in Shimla and $431 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 $337 in Shimla and $287 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 $337 in Shimla and $287 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.