Delhi world's cheapest for dates, buying properties among major cities; salary among lowest: report

NEW DELHI: Delhi is the world's cheapest major city for a romantic date and relatively cheaper to buy properties but salaries of its people are also among the lowest, according to a report tracking the cost of living and quality of life.

The report also found that Delhi offered the most inexpensive broadband internet globally, with a monthly connection costing USD 7.3 (around Rs 703), the lowest in the 69-city sample.

Deutsche Bank's 'Mapping the World's Prices 2026' report, which compares cities on parameters of prices, salaries and quality of life, said a "cheap date" in Delhi cost USD 103 (around Rs 9,920), compared with USD 475 (around Rs 45,750) in Geneva, the most expensive city on the index.

Delhi did not feature among the top 50 cities in the report's quality-of-life rankings, which consider purchasing power, safety, healthcare, cost of living, housing affordability, commute times, pollution and climate.

The "cheap date" index factors in the cost of a bottle of wine, a pair of jeans, a dress, two coffees, a meal for two, two cinema tickets, two one-way transport tickets and a 5-km taxi ride.

According to the report, property rates in the city centre remains low when compared to international markets, costing an average of USD 2,465 per square metre (around Rs 2,37,000) and ranking Delhi 65th globally.

In comparison to other major cities, the report suggested that property prices in Delhi have declined 9.8 per cent in dollar terms over the last decade but recovered 15.7 per cent since 2019.

Further, the report ranked Delhi 66th out of 69 cities in 2026, with a net monthly salary of USD 538 (around Rs 51,800) -- equivalent to 10 per cent of New York's level.

Historical monthly salary figures for Delhi were USD 633 in 2012, USD 653 in 2016, USD 556 in 2019, USD 607 in 2025 and USD 538 in 2026.

In comparison, Zurich topped the salary rankings with a monthly net pay of USD 8,363 (around Rs 8,05,200), the report said.

Delhi's salaries have fallen 17.7 per cent in dollar terms over the past decade and 3.3 per cent since 2019, according to the report.

The report, authored by Jim Reid and Galina Pozdnyakova of Deutsche Bank's Research Institute and published on July 13, draws primarily on crowdsourced data from Numbeo, which was crosschecked and cleaned by the bank's research team.

For coffee aficionados, Delhi remains among the cheapest cities tracked, with a regular cappuccino costing USD 2.40 (around Rs 231), placing it among the 10 cheapest cities in the index.

A three-bedroom apartment in the city centre rented for about USD 685 (around Rs 65,970) a month, the report said.

Delhi ranked 52nd among the 69 cities on its "Oasis" index, named after the famed British rock and roll music band, which measures the cost of five beers and two packs of cigarettes. The index cost USD 18.8 (around Rs 1,800) in the national capital, about 35 per cent of the price in New York.

Delhi's position on the Oasis index improved seven places from 2025 but slipped one place from 2016. The cost of the index rose 36 per cent in dollar terms over the past decade and 13.1 per cent since 2019.

The report also found that petrol prices in Delhi were nearly on par with New York in dollar terms, at USD 1.05 a litre compared with USD 1.08.

At the same time, several everyday expenses in the city have fallen sharply in dollar terms over the past decade. The cost of a monthly gym membership declined 38.3 per cent, a pair of jeans 36.9 per cent and a summer dress in a chain store 26.5 per cent, it said.

According to the report, the city also recorded some of the world's cheapest prices for basic utilities, mid-range restaurant dining and consumer clothing such as branded jeans.