Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Vijayawada and Chennai (Madras)

For one person, living is cheaper in Vijayawada: $395 a month against $435 in Chennai (Madras), rent and utilities included – about $480 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Chennai (Madras) outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

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Cost of Living Index in Vijayawada
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Vijayawada Living Index
21

Cost of Living Index in Chennai (Madras)
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Chennai (Madras) Living Index

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Vijayawada

🇮🇳 India

$395

/mo nomad

Chennai (Madras)

🇮🇳 India

$435

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Vijayawada and in Chennai (Madras)

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

A single person spends $395 per month in Vijayawada vs $435 in Chennai (Madras), rent included.

Vijayawada $395
Chennai (Madras) $435

A couple spends around $639 per month in Vijayawada vs $725 in Chennai (Madras), rent included.

Vijayawada $639
Chennai (Madras) $725

A family of three spends $883 per month in Vijayawada vs $1,016 in Chennai (Madras), rent included.

Vijayawada $883
Chennai (Madras) $1,016

Vijayawada is about 9% cheaper than Chennai (Madras), and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Vijayawada and Chennai (Madras) are more affordable than the global median – Vijayawada 71% lower, Chennai (Madras) 68% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.55 ₹147

$2.04 ₹193

-24.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$8.75 ₹831

$12.50 ₹1,187

-30.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.52 ₹430

$4.14 ₹393

9.18%

Cappuccino

$3.63 ₹345

$1.82 ₹173

99.45%

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

$0.41 ₹38.80

$0.34 ₹31.87

20.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.16 ₹15.10

$0.17 ₹16.18

-5.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.92 ₹182

$1.55 ₹148

23.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 ₹217

$3.17 ₹301

-28.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.76 ₹72.5

$0.59 ₹55.9

28.81%

White Bread (500g)

$0.54 ₹51.1

$0.51 ₹48.04

5.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.62 ₹59.1

$0.69 ₹65.3

-10.14%

Eggs

$0.77 ₹73.0

$0.88 ₹83.8

-12.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.35 ₹602

$6.25 ₹593

1.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.57 ₹244

$3.12 ₹296

-17.63%

Apples (1kg)

$1.82 ₹172

$2.78 ₹264

-34.53%

Banana (1kg)

$0.72 ₹68.7

$0.83 ₹78.4

-13.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.80 ₹76.1

$1.39 ₹132

-42.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.43 ₹40.91

$0.43 ₹40.65

Potato (1kg)

$0.37 ₹35.42

$0.44 ₹42.20

-15.91%

Onion (1kg)

$0.46 ₹43.51

$0.42 ₹39.90

9.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.64 ₹61.1

$0.54 ₹51.7

18.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.31 ₹29.64

$0.28 ₹26.42

10.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.07 ₹481

$5.11 ₹486

-0.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.29 ₹692

$7.25 ₹689

0.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ₹176

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.12 ₹296

$2.76 ₹262

13.04%

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

$3.39 ₹322

$6.71 ₹637

-49.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 ₹29.76

$0.33 ₹31.72

-6.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$6.69 ₹635

$10.67 ₹1,013

-37.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.62 ₹154

$1.03 ₹97.8

57.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 ₹40.69

$0.30 ₹28.89

43.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.08 ₹197

$2.12 ₹201

-1.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.08 ₹102

$1.09 ₹103

-0.92%

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

$11.4K ₹1.1M

$11.1K ₹1.1M

2.35%

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

$20.5K ₹2.0M

$20.1K ₹1.9M

2.26%

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

$32.67 ₹3,102

$38.28 ₹3,634

-14.66%

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

$3.26 ₹309

$3.96 ₹376

-17.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$7.76 ₹737

$7.75 ₹736

0.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$16.02 ₹1,521

$14.18 ₹1,346

12.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.08 ₹1,051

$6.64 ₹630

66.87%

Cinema Ticket

$3.13 ₹297

$2.28 ₹217

37.28%

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

$69.2 ₹6,567

$87.7 ₹8,330

-21.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,951 ₹185.3K

$2,110 ₹200.3K

-7.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$17.87 ₹1,697

$19.99 ₹1,898

-10.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$18.78 ₹1,783

$17.11 ₹1,624

9.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$38.78 ₹3,682

$35.44 ₹3,365

9.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$35.32 ₹3,354

$30.77 ₹2,922

14.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$120 ₹11.4K

$190 ₹18.0K

-37.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$74.3 ₹7,058

$123 ₹11.7K

-39.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$273 ₹25.9K

$577 ₹54.8K

-52.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$206 ₹19.5K

$343 ₹32.5K

-39.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$680 ₹64.5K

$1,864 ₹176.9K

-63.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$418 ₹39.6K

$798 ₹75.8K

-47.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$305 ₹29.0K

$662 ₹62.9K

-53.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.2

9.99

2.10%

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

Last update for Vijayawada: October 27, 2026

Last update for Chennai (Madras): October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Vijayawada

$108 27.2%

Chennai (Madras)

$115 26.5% 6.9% $7.5

Eating Out

Vijayawada

$86 21.7%

Chennai (Madras)

$67 15.4% 22.4% $19

Accommodation & Living

Vijayawada

$74 18.8%

Chennai (Madras)

$123 28.3% 65.3% $49

Clothing & Footwear

Vijayawada

$50 12.6%

Chennai (Madras)

$46 10.7% 6.7% $3.4

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Vijayawada

$44 11.1%

Chennai (Madras)

$50 11.5% 14.4% $6.3

Sport & Entertainment

Vijayawada

$22 5.6%

Chennai (Madras)

$19 4.3% 15.9% $3.5

Getting Around

Vijayawada

$12 3%

Chennai (Madras)

$15 3.4% 24.3% $2.8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $120 in Vijayawada versus $190 in Chennai (Madras). Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Chennai (Madras) are about 2.2 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $9 in Vijayawada versus $13 in Chennai (Madras). Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $108 vs $115 – making Vijayawada the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇳 Vijayawada

🇮🇳 Chennai (Madras)

🕒 Local time

09:18 9:18 AM

Same time as Vijayawada

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,048,240

4,681,087

💱 Currency

Indian Rupee INR ₹

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 INR = 10.53 USD

1,000 INR = 9.43 EUR

1,000 INR = 10.53 USD

1,000 INR = 9.43 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Vijayawada vs Chennai (Madras): Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chennai (Madras) costs about 10% more than Vijayawada, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $593 per month in Vijayawada and $652 in Chennai (Madras). That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Vijayawada, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $120 there versus $190 in Chennai (Madras).

Monthly expenses with rent come to $395 in Vijayawada and $435 in Chennai (Madras). That makes Vijayawada about 9% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 37% less in Vijayawada. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $395 in Vijayawada and $435 in Chennai (Madras), leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Vijayawada – 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 Vijayawada. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Chennai (Madras) makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.