MigrantoCost of living in India
Average monthly spending, by standard of living, by category, and against other countries
Monthly cost
₹12,900
what a typical person spends
Spending by standard of living
₹7,430richest 20%
₹25,700
India is an inexpensive place to live, mostly because local food, labor, and services come cheap, and a vast home market holds prices down on nearly everything ordinary. The distance between a comfortable life and a bare one is small enough that daily living tends to look similar across the income range, even with extremes at either end.
Where people spend money in India
In a typical month here, groceries take the biggest bite of what you spend, with getting around and then a place to live following behind. Food is the cost you can't really dodge, though it stays cheap; rent sits somewhere in the middle, neither trivial nor crushing, which leaves you room to adjust how and where you live without the budget tipping over.
Living-cost calculator
What it costs to live in India
Tell us what you earn and spend today — we'll estimate what the same lifestyle would cost in India and how much you could have left each month
- What your lifestyle costs
- How much could be left each month
- How it compares with today
Cost of living in India
₹7,430/mo
vs ₹76,200 in your country
Take-home
₹19,900
vs ₹114,000 in your country
Potential savings
₹12,500
more than in your country
Standard of living
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How living costs in India compare
India lands on the cheaper side of Asia, and it under-prices most of the world too. The plain reason is scale — so much of what you eat, use, and pay for is made and grown at home that prices never have to climb to import levels.
Data source: household consumption 2024 (World Bank), International Comparison Program 2021 (World Bank), category breakdown 2020 (United Nations Statistics Division), adjusted to 2026 using IMF GDP-per-capita growth
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Frequently asked questions
What is the cost of living in India?
A typical person in India spends about ₹12,900 a month — around ₹154,000 a year — on housing, groceries, transport and other everyday costs. It's a nationwide average across different regions, cities and types of housing.
What is the cost of living in India in US dollars?
The cost of living in India is about $135 a month, or roughly $1,620 a year per person.
How much money do you need to live comfortably in India?
It all depends on your standard of living. A modest budget runs about ₹7,430 a month per person, a typical one around ₹12,900, and a comfortable life around ₹15,600. In big cities and for a family, costs are usually higher.
What do people spend the most on in India?
The biggest expense is groceries, at about ₹4,190 a month (33% of spending). Then come transport (₹1,910, 15%) and housing (₹1,810, 14%).
Is the average salary in India enough to live on?
Yes, with room to spare. Average spending is about ₹12,900 a month, while the average take-home pay in India is about ₹22,700. For more on incomes, see salaries in India.
Is India an expensive country to live in?
No. India is more expensive than 23% of countries worldwide and ranks 21st of 27 in Asia by cost of living.
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Living in India
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