Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Varanasi and Delhi

For one person, living is cheaper in Varanasi: $289 a month against $522 in Delhi, rent and utilities included – about $2,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

14

Cost of Living Index in Varanasi
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Varanasi Living Index
25

Cost of Living Index in Delhi
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Delhi Living Index

Jump to prices

Varanasi

🇮🇳 India

$289

/mo nomad

Delhi

🇮🇳 India

$522

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $289 per month in Varanasi vs $522 in Delhi, rent included.

Varanasi $289
Delhi $522

A couple spends around $476 per month in Varanasi vs $872 in Delhi, rent included.

Varanasi $476
Delhi $872

A family of three spends $663 per month in Varanasi vs $1,222 in Delhi, rent included.

Varanasi $663
Delhi $1,222

Varanasi is about 45% cheaper than Delhi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Varanasi and Delhi are more affordable than the global median – Varanasi 79% lower, Delhi 61% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.82 ₹173

$3.70 ₹351

-50.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$7.99 ₹759

$21.05 ₹1,999

-62.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.10 ₹295

$3.73 ₹354

-16.89%

Cappuccino

$1.57 ₹149

$2.35 ₹223

-33.19%

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

$0.41 ₹39.31

$0.37 ₹35.21

10.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.11 ₹10.47

$0.15 ₹13.93

-26.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.60 ₹152

$2.14 ₹203

-25.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 ₹194

$3.06 ₹291

-33.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.62 ₹58.5

$0.69 ₹65.1

-10.14%

White Bread (500g)

$0.31 ₹29.90

$0.53 ₹50.0

-41.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.53 ₹50.5

$0.77 ₹73.1

-31.17%

Eggs

$0.81 ₹77.3

$1.11 ₹105

-27.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.20 ₹304

$4.63 ₹440

-30.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.19 ₹208

$3.52 ₹334

-37.78%

Apples (1kg)

$1.40 ₹133

$2.00 ₹190

-30.00%

Banana (1kg)

$0.60 ₹57.3

$0.74 ₹70.5

-18.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.87 ₹82.7

$0.97 ₹92.6

-10.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.32 ₹30.20

$0.53 ₹49.92

-39.62%

Potato (1kg)

$0.23 ₹21.68

$0.30 ₹28.61

-23.33%

Onion (1kg)

$0.25 ₹23.77

$0.40 ₹37.82

-37.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.44 ₹42.08

$0.42 ₹39.62

4.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.28 ₹26.68

$0.31 ₹29.81

-9.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.19 ₹303

$4.94 ₹469

-35.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.83 ₹553

$8.21 ₹779

-28.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 ₹150

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 ₹178

$2.69 ₹255

-30.48%

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

$4.19 ₹398

$6.19 ₹588

-32.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.53 ₹50.7

$0.46 ₹43.46

15.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.63 ₹914

$15.78 ₹1,498

-38.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.26 ₹24.88

$1.07 ₹102

-75.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.10 ₹9.62

$0.27 ₹25.66

-62.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.02 ₹96.9

$1.58 ₹150

-35.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.05 ₹100

$1.07 ₹101

-1.87%

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

$12.5K ₹1.2M

$10.7K ₹1.0M

17.45%

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

$21.8K ₹2.1M

$18.9K ₹1.8M

15.06%

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

$12.47 ₹1,185

$42.37 ₹4,024

-70.57%

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

$3.66 ₹348

$4.03 ₹383

-9.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$6.98 ₹663

$6.95 ₹660

0.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$12.63 ₹1,199

$19.18 ₹1,821

-34.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.92 ₹752

Cinema Ticket

$2.86 ₹271

$5.27 ₹500

-45.73%

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

$38.92 ₹3,696

$100 ₹9,525

-61.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,003 ₹95.2K

$2,247 ₹213.4K

-55.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$22.70 ₹2,156

$24.11 ₹2,290

-5.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.30 ₹2,403

$27.85 ₹2,645

-9.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$37.80 ₹3,589

$52.4 ₹4,977

-27.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$25.24 ₹2,397

$42.90 ₹4,074

-41.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$111 ₹10.5K

$267 ₹25.4K

-58.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$47.37 ₹4,499

$156 ₹14.8K

-69.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$196 ₹18.6K

$734 ₹69.7K

-73.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$140 ₹13.3K

$394 ₹37.5K

-64.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$569 ₹54.0K

$2,507 ₹238.0K

-77.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$333 ₹31.6K

$1,020 ₹96.8K

-67.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$578 ₹54.9K

$608 ₹57.7K

-4.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.53

8.33

2.40%

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

Last update for Varanasi: October 11, 2026

Last update for Delhi: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Varanasi

$81 27.9%

Delhi

$109 20.9% 35.2% $28

Eating Out

Varanasi

$57 19.7%

Delhi

$88 16.8% 54.7% $31

Clothing & Footwear

Varanasi

$50 17.3%

Delhi

$66 12.7% 32.6% $16

Accommodation & Living

Varanasi

$47 16.4%

Delhi

$156 29.9% 229% $109

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Varanasi

$23 8%

Delhi

$53 10.2% 131% $30

Sport & Entertainment

Varanasi

$18 6.4%

Delhi

$30 5.7% 62% $11

Getting Around

Varanasi

$13 4.3%

Delhi

$20 3.8% 59.9% $7.5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $111 in Varanasi versus $267 in Delhi. 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 5% higher in Delhi, 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 $8.00 in Varanasi versus $21.00 in Delhi. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $81.0 vs $109 – making Varanasi the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇳 Varanasi

🇮🇳 Delhi

🕒 Local time

08:54 8:54 AM

Same time as Varanasi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,100,000

16,787,941 Capital

💱 Currency

Indian Rupee INR ₹

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 INR = 10.53 USD

1,000 INR = 9.37 EUR

1,000 INR = 10.53 USD

1,000 INR = 9.37 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Varanasi Delhi 680 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Varanasi
Delhi

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

Varanasi vs Delhi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $289 in Varanasi, $522 in Delhi – roughly 81% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $433 per month in Varanasi and $783 in Delhi. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Varanasi, 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 $8.00 in Varanasi and $21.00 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 $289 in Varanasi and $522 in Delhi. That's a gap of about 81%.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $289 in Varanasi and $522 in Delhi, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

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