Varanasi at a glance
- Varanasi ranks 13th of 15 priced cities in India on cost: $480 a month in essentials, 94% above Kochi, the cheapest.
- The average net salary of $621 covers that 1.3×.
- 105.9 men per 100 women aged 20–39, measured at district level.
- PM2.5 averages 52.6 µg/m³ a year, 11× the WHO guideline of 5.
Green is the better side of each figure. Every line is computed from the tables below.
Monthly cost breakdown
Rent outside centre plus utilities, groceries, dining and local transport make up the essentials figure. Not a full lifestyle budget. The middle column is the median across the 15 India cities we track, so every row says whether Varanasi is the cheap side of its own market or the dear one. Green is the better side of each row.
| Essentials, monthlyrent outside centre + bills + food + transit | $480 | $368 | 1.30× as much |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent, 1-bed outside centremonthly, USD | $265 | $179 | 1.48× as much |
| Rent, 1-bed city centremonthly, USD | $484 | $263 | 1.84× as much |
| Groceriesmonthly, one person | $46 | $51 | $5 |
| Dining outmonthly, one person | $96 | $82 | $14 |
| Utilitiesmonthly: power, water, heating, internet | $65 | $54 | $11 |
| Local transportmonthly pass or fare equivalent | $8 | $8 | same |
| Average net salarymonthly, after tax; average, not median | $621 | $621 | same |
| Rent, 3-bed outside centremonthly, USD | $633 | $400 | 1.58× as much |
| Rent, 3-bed city centremonthly, USD | $1,492 | $702 | 2.13× as much |
Single person, USD. Data updated August 6, 2026.
Everyday prices
What single items cost in Varanasi, in USD. The monthly figures above are built from these. Cheaper side of each row in green.
Eating out
| Meal, inexpensive restaurant | $4.59 | $3.66 | 1.25× as much |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meal for 2, mid-range, three courses | $18.39 | $18.39 | same |
| McMeal at McDonald's | $3.68 | $3.68 | same |
| Cappuccino, regular | $2.44 | $2.34 | $0.10 |
| Domestic beer, 0.5 L draught | $2.30 | $2.30 | same |
| Imported beer, 0.33 L bottle | $3.68 | $3.68 | same |
| Coke/Pepsi, 0.33 L | $0.36 | $0.41 | $0.05 |
| Water, 0.33 L bottle | $0.12 | $0.14 | $0.02 |
Groceries
| Milk, 1 L | $0.61 | $0.61 | same |
|---|---|---|---|
| White bread, 500 g | $0.45 | $0.48 | $0.03 |
| White rice, 1 kg | $0.65 | $0.70 | $0.05 |
| Eggs, 12 | $0.86 | $0.93 | $0.07 |
| Local cheese, 1 kg | $4.94 | $4.94 | same |
| Chicken fillets, 1 kg | $3.12 | $3.24 | $0.12 |
| Apples, 1 kg | $2.09 | $2.11 | $0.02 |
| Bananas, 1 kg | $0.65 | $0.67 | $0.02 |
| Tomatoes, 1 kg | $0.48 | $0.48 | same |
| Potatoes, 1 kg | $0.32 | $0.32 | same |
| Onions, 1 kg | $0.36 | $0.36 | same |
| Water, 1.5 L bottle | $0.26 | $0.29 | $0.03 |
Transport & bills
| One-way ticket, local transport | $0.20 | $0.21 | $0.01 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly transit pass | $5.16 | $6.27 | $1.11 |
| Taxi start | $0.29 | $0.42 | 1.45× as much |
| Taxi, 1 km | $0.29 | $0.29 | same |
| Gasoline, 1 L | $1.04 | $1.09 | $0.05 |
| Basic utilities, 85 m² flat | $56.56 | $46.81 | $9.75 |
| Internet, 60 Mbps+ | $8.88 | $8.36 | $0.52 |
| Mobile plan, monthly | $4.21 | $4.21 | same |
Leisure
| Gym, monthly | $22.85 | $20.92 | $1.93 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cinema, one seat | $3.68 | $3.68 | same |
Dating-age sex ratio
Varanasi has 105.9 men per 100 women aged 20–39 (district level). That is the 9th-highest of 14 India cities we track. India's national figure is 109.4, so Varanasi runs 4 below the country as a whole.
Every India region by male-to-female ratio →
A supply figure, 20–39. The dating-pool model is in Pro.
How Varanasi ranks against every city we track
Varanasi sits ahead of 84% of the 998 cities we track on cost of living. On salary against local costs it is ahead of 69% of 991. Its weakest measure is clean air, ahead of only 2% of 1016.
Longer is better on every row: bar length is where Varanasi sits among all the cities carrying that measure, which is why the count differs by row.
Put Varanasi on the board
Ratio, cost and visa for Varanasi beside every other city we measure. Free, no sign-in.
Open Varanasi in the research deskOr unlock the India deep-dive: visa, tax, scams, and the sub-national map.
Photo: Saaremees, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Data updated