Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between the United States and India

Name: India
Address: IN

For one person, living is cheaper in India: $391 a month against $2,701 in the United States, rent and utilities included – about $27,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

133

Cost of Living Index in the United States
Learn more

United States Living Index
19

Cost of Living Index in India
Learn more

India Living Index

Jump to prices

🇺🇸 United States

$2,701

/mo nomad

🇮🇳 India

$391

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in the United States and in India

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in the United States and in India actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,701 in the United States versus $391 in India.

United States $2,701
India $391

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,980 in the United States versus $620 in India.

United States $3,980
India $620

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,258 in the United States versus $849 in India.

United States $5,258
India $849

Internal cost variation is higher in the United States: monthly costs span $980 to $5,162, compared to $228–$812 in India. City choice carries more weight in the United States.

Living in the United States is roughly 591% more expensive than in India on average.

The United States (100% above) and India (71% below) straddle the global median.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.92 $19.92

$2.14 ₹203

830.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.0 $81.0

$10.52 ₹999

669.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.07 $12.07

$3.58 ₹340

237.15%

Cappuccino

$5.55 $5.55

$1.67 ₹158

232.34%

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

$2.67 $2.67

$0.37 ₹35.48

621.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.09 $2.09

$0.15 ₹14.18

1293.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.96 $5.96

$1.84 ₹175

223.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.76 $7.76

$3.07 ₹292

152.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 $1.05

$0.62 ₹58.8

69.35%

White Bread (500g)

$3.55 $3.55

$0.49 ₹46.73

624.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.64 $4.64

$0.63 ₹60.1

636.51%

Eggs

$4.18 $4.18

$0.96 ₹90.7

335.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.76 $12.76

$4.71 ₹447

170.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.63 $12.63

$2.92 ₹277

332.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.22 $17.22

Apples (1kg)

$5.15 $5.15

$1.98 ₹188

160.10%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 $1.64

$0.68 ₹64.4

141.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.46 $4.46

$1.02 ₹97.2

337.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.98 $4.98

$0.46 ₹43.78

982.61%

Potato (1kg)

$2.84 $2.84

$0.34 ₹32.20

735.29%

Onion (1kg)

$3.09 $3.09

$0.41 ₹39.00

653.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.19 $2.19

$0.43 ₹40.66

409.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.27 $2.27

$0.31 ₹29.73

632.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.61 $10.61

$4.89 ₹464

116.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.71 $14.71

$7.25 ₹688

102.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.10 $2.10

$1.71 ₹162

22.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.82 $3.82

$2.74 ₹260

39.42%

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

$5.25 ₹499

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.35 $2.35

$0.27 ₹25.86

770.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.1 $64.1

$8.39 ₹797

663.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.57 $3.57

$1.03 ₹97.8

246.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.85 $1.85

$0.25 ₹23.49

640.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.19 $30.19

$1.60 ₹152

1786.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.07 $1.07

$1.13 ₹107

-5.31%

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

$35.3K $35.3K

$12.6K ₹1.2M

179.15%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$20.1K ₹1.9M

28.84%

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

$217 $217

$37.55 ₹3,566

476.78%

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

$61.4 $61.4

$3.47 ₹330

1668.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$74.4 $74.4

$7.15 ₹679

940.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.08 $45.08

$14.58 ₹1,385

209.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.07 $23.07

$7.21 ₹684

219.97%

Cinema Ticket

$14.79 $14.79

$3.18 ₹302

365.09%

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

$1,480 $1,480

$56.8 ₹5,391

2507.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.5K $25.5K

$1,651 ₹156.7K

1442.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.0 $53.0

$22.55 ₹2,141

135.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.75 $42.75

$24.54 ₹2,330

74.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 $94.3

$39.69 ₹3,769

137.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 $115

$29.84 ₹2,833

286.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,678 $1,678

$141 ₹13.4K

1089.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,313 $1,313

$89.7 ₹8,515

1364.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,649 $2,649

$325 ₹30.9K

714.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,183 $2,183

$207 ₹19.7K

952.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,374 $3,374

$1,214 ₹115.3K

177.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,661 $2,661

$638 ₹60.6K

316.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,404 $4,404

$434 ₹41.2K

915.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.55

8.92

-26.57%

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

Last update for the United States: October 10, 2026

Last update for India: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

United States

$1.3K 48.6%

India

$90 23% 93.2% $1.2K

Groceries & Markets

United States

$411 15.2%

India

$102 26.2% 75.1% $309

Monthly Utilities & Internet

United States

$352 13%

India

$48 12.3% 86.3% $304

Eating Out

United States

$327 12.1%

India

$65 16.7% 80% $261

Clothing & Footwear

United States

$137 5.1%

India

$52 13.4% 61.8% $85

Getting Around

United States

$86 3.2%

India

$12 3% 86.4% $75

Sport & Entertainment

United States

$75 2.8%

India

$21 5.4% 71.9% $54

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $1,609 in the United States, $119 in India. Capital cities: $2,730 in Washington, DC vs $267 in Delhi.

National salary averages: $4,533 in the United States, $411 in India. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 1252% higher in the United States.

Dining out costs 650% more in the United States.

Public transport is 286% more expensive in the United States.

Salaries are 1003% higher in the United States, and purchasing power comes out stronger in the United States.

Good to know

🇺🇸 United States

🇮🇳 India

🕒 Local time

16:28 4:28 PM

01:58 1:58 AM

9 h 30 min ahead of the United States

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

340,110,988

1,326,093,247

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Indian Rupee INR ₹

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1,000 INR = 10.53 USD

1,000 INR = 9.37 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

INR, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇮🇳 Indian Rupee (₹)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 94.96 INR (100 INR = 1.05 USD). 1 EUR = 107 INR (1,000 INR = 9.37 EUR).

INR to USD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

United States India 12,680 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

United States
India

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

United States vs India: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $391 per month in India and $2,701 in the United States, there's a 591% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Day-to-day life is cheaper in India: lower grocery prices, cheaper commutes, and more affordable meals out. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent for a central one-bedroom averages $1,609 in the United States and $119 in India. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.

In India, $1,000 covers most cities easily; in the United States it stretches only to regional areas and falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.

It depends on what you're after: India wins on affordability; the United States may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.