An individual in rural India on an average spends less than Rs 21 a day for survival, of which more than half is consumed for food requirements. While an average urban citizen spends just about Rs 39 a day, the expenses on cereals, milk, beverages, vegetables and refreshment etc account for about Rs 16 compared to just over Rs 11 spent on food by rural India.

According to the data released by National Sample Survey on Household Consumer Expenditure, the expenditure per capita is least in urban Bihar at Rs 684 per head, while it is lowest at Rs 429 for rural Chhattisgarh. "

Average monthly per capita consumer expenditure in 2005-06 was Rs 625 in rural India and Rs 1,171 in urban India prices," the 62nd NSSO survey, conducted during July 2005-June 2006, said.

Nearly 19 per cent of rural population was below the monthly per capita consumption expenditure as they spent less than Rs 12 a day.

Kerala topped the list in terms of expenditure with its urban population averaging Rs 1566 per month, followed by Punjab at Rs 1520. Per capita expenditure for rural population in these two states was Rs 1056 and Rs 1010 respectively.