Expenses for Civil Service Preparation in Delhi: Here’s the Fee Structure for Your Guidance

The capital of India, Delhi, is one of the best cities in the country to prepare for UPSC or civil service exams. It is certainly true that the hard work and determination of the candidate preparing for civil services are important. Still, the city or environment in which you prepare for the exam and infrastructure also has a significant part to play.

With top coaching institutes, instructors, and good study materials, Delhi is definitely one of the top and best hubs for all civil service aspirants. There are many pros and cons of moving to Delhi to prepare for UPSC. Lakhs of competitors relocate themselves to Delhi every year hoping to crack the civil services, one of the toughest in the country.

For candidates exploring the option of moving to Delhi in the hope of better infrastructure, the common doubt or question would be, “what is the total cost for the entire civil service preparation at Delhi?” Knowing the answer to it is quite important before deciding on moving to Delhi.

To help you, we have completely examined the expenses to live in Delhi, from the fee structure of coaching institutes to the cost of living, including food and accommodation.

Coaching Institutes

With a wide number of options to choose from, it is important to get into good institutes.

The packages vary based on many factors, like various packages for GS+Prelims, CSAT, and optional for different durations. Some packages combine all three, any two or single, according to the requirement of the candidate.

For GS+Prelims, an average package costs somewhere between one lakh to one and a half lakhs. For the CSAT training, institutes generally charge a fee of twenty thousand, and for the optional subjects, the fee will come around forty to fifty thousand.

For test series, i.e., mock tests, a fee of thirty of forty thousand will be charged for both prelims and mains.

GS+Prelims	1,40,000
CSAT	20,000
Optional	46,000
Mock tests(Prelims+Mains)	40,000
Total	2,50,000

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All the prices stated above are just approximate figures for one year and vary from institute to institute.

Cost Of Living

Accommodation

Delhi is home to several universities and coaching institutes. There are abundant places for students to stay like hostels, PGs, rooms, and flats. It is important to research well and take housing near your coaching institute. It will save a lot of time and travel expenses.

If you want to cut down costs here and are comfortable sharing your room with someone, then the cost can start from as low as 4,000 per month. If you want privacy and good infrastructures like furniture and air-conditioning, the rent can be somewhere around 8,000 per month.

Most landlords or in-charges will take a one-month advance payment, and if you inform them about vacating a month before, you don’t have to pay in the notice period.

Food

All over Delhi and especially in areas near coaching institutes and PGs, you can see many food stalls where you can get decent food at lower prices, and for a whole month, the cost could be around 4,000 to 5,000.

Eating outside food is not a healthier option, and with the hectic preparation, you won’t have time to cook. To solve this issue, many chefs are capable of cooking healthy and fresh food at your place. Also, the price is quite less than 4,000, but you will have to buy groceries and vegetables, making the expense for both options quite the same in the end.

As it is also important to take care of your health alongside preparation, hence hiring a cook is advisable than eating out regularly.

Travel

There are various means of transportation to travel in and around Delhi. Nevertheless, being one of the most populated cities in the country, living near your coaching institute will help you save money and, most importantly, your time and energy.

Travel expenses are relatively low in Delhi, with a metro station every 500m in every corner of the city. It is also considered the cheapest mode of transportation that can cost around 1000-1500 monthly. After Metro, local buses will cost you somewhere around 1500 per month.

With electric rickshaws, rickshaws, autos all around the city, these can cost you nearly 2000 monthly to travel to your institute every day.

You can find an adequate number of buses, autos, rickshaws at any time in the city, and there is no shortage of vehicles to commute. Travelling in your vehicle is also a good option.

Miscellaneous

Study Materials: Apart from the materials provided by institutes, in case you may buy some other materials and stationery, the price will be around 2,000 rupees a month.

Reading Room: If you are interested in studying alone, reading rooms are available in the city with a locker and a quiet place to concentrate well. This will cost you around 1,000 to 1,500 a month.

Wi-Fi: This essential amenity will cost you around 1,000 per month, and if you are sharing your room with friends, it will cost you even less.

Water: Delhi is a polluted city, and it is essential to consume purified water. Getting water cans every day will cost you around 1,500 per month.

Gym: If you have a habit of hitting the gym, the monthly cost will be around 1,000 to 2,000.

Entertainment : In order to relax, if you visit restaurants or go to the movies with your friends once in a while, the average cost will be around 2,000 per month but will completely depend upon the place and how often you visit.

Shopping: It depends on your necessity.

With all the mentioned expenses, the cost of living in Delhi can vary from person to person, but the average would be around 15,000 per month.

Combining average coaching fee structure and cost of living in Delhi for a year of civil service coaching would cost somewhere around 4,00,000 to 5,00,000.

Online Coaching

2020 may have changed the mode of education in India, but for a long time, candidates have preferred online coaching while preparing for the civil service exams.

The main reason is online coaching costs much less for the same services provided as offline coaching institutes. Online coaching has less or no expenses for food, accommodation, travelling, etc.

This may be because of many reasons like:

1. Moving to a new city can be challenging.
2. The fee structure for institutes in Delhi is relatively high and cannot be afforded by everyone.
3. The competition in Delhi may disturb and discourage you.

While taking online coaching with good institutes:

1. It will save a lot of time.
2. The total fee structure is relatively very less compared to offline coaching institutes.
3. Staying at your own place can help you cut down rent, food, and other expenses.

After evaluating the pros and cons, the decision of moving to Delhi, taking offline coaching in your own city, or enrolling for online coaching is completely dependent on the individual. While the best decision is subjective, studies say that the number of people choosing online coaching over offline is increasing year by year.

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