What does life cost in Delhi?
Monthly costs by household and lifestyle, what salary covers them, and how Delhi compares with 12 other cities.
About ₹5,52,000 a year. Break-even salary (saving nothing): ₹6.24L. Moderate lifestyle, estimates.
Your Kitnaaa rating
AAA
Fully charged
- Saves 20% or moreSavings rate 72%. The 50/30/20 rule of thumb sets aside 20% of take-home.Met
- Rent within 30% of take-homeRent is 12% of take-home. A widely used guide keeps housing at or under 30%.Met
- Builds a 6-month cushion within a yearA year of saving covers 30.1 months of costs. Planners often suggest 3–6 months of expenses as an emergency fund.Met
A fun summary of three rules of thumb, based on estimates. Not a credit score or financial advice.
Category breakdown
Where every ₹100 goes
Of every ₹100 you take home, about ₹12 goes on housing and ₹71 is left to save.
- Housing Estimate₹19,600
- Food Estimate₹11,300
- Transport Estimate₹2,400
- Utilities Estimate₹3,000
- Healthcare Estimate₹1,300
- Entertainment Estimate₹5,900
- Other Estimate₹2,500
- Kitna bachega₹1,15,426
The same life in other cities
Estimated monthly cost
See as a table
| City | Est. monthly cost | vs Delhi |
|---|---|---|
| Jaipur | ₹33,200 | -28% |
| Kolkata | ₹35,000 | -24% |
| Greater Noida | ₹36,400 | -21% |
| Ahmedabad | ₹36,800 | -20% |
| Kochi | ₹39,100 | -15% |
| Pune | ₹40,500 | -12% |
| Chennai | ₹40,700 | -12% |
| Noida | ₹43,400 | -6% |
| Delhi | ₹46,000 | — |
| Bangalore | ₹50,700 | +10% |
| Hyderabad | ₹51,500 | +12% |
| Gurgaon | ₹51,800 | +13% |
| Mumbai | ₹63,800 | +39% |
Your Delhi Money Report ₹299
Salary analysis, a monthly budget, savings projection, city and housing scenarios, written for your numbers. Everything above stays free.
See what's in the reportRent in Delhi, by area
Monthly rent for a 2BHK. Where you live changes your budget more than anything else.
| Area | Type | 2BHK rent | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| South Delhi (Greater Kailash, Saket, Vasant Vihar) | Posh | ₹35K–50K | CirclePe Delhi rent guide, Sep 2025 |
| Pitampura / Shalimar Bagh | Mid-range | ₹25K–45K | Knewspaper Delhi rent guide, Feb 2025 |
| Dwarka | Mid-range | ₹33K | Anarock (₹28,000 in 2024), projected to Sep 2026 at 10%/yr, Sep 2026 |
Listing-site estimates are less rigorous than research-firm data; projected figures assume 10% rent growth a year. Pick your area in the calculator above, or enter your own rent.
Salary needed in Delhi, by household
| Household | Lifestyle | Monthly cost | CTC to save 20% |
|---|---|---|---|
| Single | Moderate | ₹46,000 | ₹7.8L |
| Single | Comfortable | ₹63,930 | ₹10.84L |
| Couple | Moderate | ₹67,980 | ₹11.53L |
| Couple | Comfortable | ₹94,408 | ₹17.31L |
| Family (1 child) | Moderate | ₹85,200 | ₹15.44L |
| Family (1 child) | Comfortable | ₹1,14,136 | ₹21.55L |
Typical rent, salaried, new regime. Delhi professional tax: none assumed.
Questions people ask
How much does it cost to live in Delhi?
For one person on a moderate lifestyle with typical rent, KITNA estimates about ₹46,000 a month. 8 of the 12 other cities KITNA covers come out cheaper on the same assumptions. These city figures are placeholders we're replacing with sourced data.
What salary do you need to live comfortably in Delhi?
If comfortably means a comfortable lifestyle while saving 20% of take-home, a single person would need a CTC of roughly ₹10.84L under our assumptions.