Cost of Living in India
Compare prices across 54 major Indian cities. From PG double sharing to 3BHK rent, chai to biryani — find out what life really costs.
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Cost of Living Index
All items relative to Mumbai = 100
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Rent Index
Rent & PG prices relative to Mumbai = 100
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Mumbai
Maharashtra
Financial capital of India, home to Bollywood and the busiest local train network in the world.
Delhi
Delhi NCR
National capital with a blend of historic monuments and modern infrastructure.
Bangalore
Karnataka
India's Silicon Valley and IT hub, known for pleasant weather and startup culture.
Chennai
Tamil Nadu
Cultural capital of South India with a thriving auto and IT industry.
Hyderabad
Telangana
City of Pearls and Biryani, a growing IT and pharma hub.
Pune
Maharashtra
Oxford of the East with top educational institutions and a booming IT sector.
Kolkata
West Bengal
City of Joy, known for its cultural heritage, sweets, and affordable living.
Ahmedabad
Gujarat
Textile city with a growing startup ecosystem and rich Gujarati food culture.
Jaipur
Rajasthan
The Pink City, famous for palaces, forts, and an affordable cost of living.
Lucknow
Uttar Pradesh
City of Nawabs, famous for its cuisine, tehzeeb, and rapidly growing infrastructure.
Gurgaon
Haryana
India's millennium city and corporate hub, home to 300+ Fortune 500 offices. Part of Delhi NCR.
Noida
Uttar Pradesh
Planned city in Delhi NCR known for IT parks, film studios, and modern infrastructure.
Navi Mumbai
Maharashtra
India's largest planned city across the harbour from Mumbai. Growing IT and corporate hub.
Thane
Maharashtra
Lake city adjacent to Mumbai with better affordability and growing commercial districts.
Chandigarh
Chandigarh
India's first planned city designed by Le Corbusier. Cleanest city award winner multiple times.
Indore
Madhya Pradesh
India's cleanest city (7 times running). Known for incredible street food and growing IT sector.
Bhopal
Madhya Pradesh
City of Lakes and Madhya Pradesh's capital. Blend of Mughal heritage and modern development.
Surat
Gujarat
Diamond capital of the world, processing 90% of global diamonds. India's fastest growing city.
Vadodara
Gujarat
Cultural capital of Gujarat. Home to Laxmi Vilas Palace, one of the largest private residences in the world.
Nagpur
Maharashtra
Orange City and geographic centre of India. Emerging smart city with new metro and MIHAN SEZ.
Nashik
Maharashtra
Wine capital of India and sacred Kumbh Mela city. Growing IT hub on Mumbai-Agra highway.
Coimbatore
Tamil Nadu
Manchester of South India. Major industrial and IT city with pleasant weather year-round.
Kochi
Kerala
Queen of the Arabian Sea. Kerala's commercial capital with a thriving tech and tourism sector.
Thiruvananthapuram
Kerala
Kerala's capital, home to Technopark — India's first IT park. Known as the evergreen city.
Visakhapatnam
Andhra Pradesh
Port city of destiny with India's oldest shipyard. IT hub and major naval base.
Vijayawada
Andhra Pradesh
Business capital of Andhra Pradesh, near the new state capital Amaravati.
Mysuru
Karnataka
Palace city and cultural heart of Karnataka. One of India's cleanest and most liveable cities.
Mangalore
Karnataka
Port city on Karnataka's coast known for banking, education, and incredibly diverse cuisine.
Madurai
Tamil Nadu
Temple city and one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world (2,500+ years).
Trichy
Tamil Nadu
Temple city on the Cauvery river. Major educational hub with NIT and BHEL.
Varanasi
Uttar Pradesh
World's oldest living city and spiritual capital of India. Sacred Ganges ghats draw millions annually.
Agra
Uttar Pradesh
Home to the Taj Mahal. Major tourist city with leather and stone carving industries.
Kanpur
Uttar Pradesh
Leather capital of India with a major IIT campus. Industrial powerhouse of Uttar Pradesh.
Patna
Bihar
One of the oldest continuously inhabited places in the world. Bihar's capital on the Ganges.
Ranchi
Jharkhand
Jharkhand's capital, known for waterfalls and pleasant climate. Birthplace of MS Dhoni.
Bhubaneswar
Odisha
Temple City with 700+ ancient temples. Smart City and emerging IT hub of eastern India.
Guwahati
Assam
Gateway to Northeast India. Growing city on the banks of the mighty Brahmaputra.
Dehradun
Uttarakhand
Gateway to the Himalayas. Known for premier institutions (ISRO, IMA, FRI) and pleasant weather.
Amritsar
Punjab
Holy city of the Golden Temple. Famous for its unparalleled food culture and warm hospitality.
Ludhiana
Punjab
Manchester of India for its textile industry. Largest city in Punjab and major industrial centre.
Jodhpur
Rajasthan
The Blue City with the majestic Mehrangarh Fort. Gateway to the Thar Desert.
Udaipur
Rajasthan
City of Lakes, Venice of the East. One of India's most romantic and picturesque cities.
Kota
Rajasthan
India's coaching capital. 2 lakh+ students migrate here annually for IIT/medical exam prep.
Goa
Goa
India's smallest state but biggest party destination. Unique Portuguese heritage and beach culture.
Siliguri
West Bengal
Gateway to Northeast India, Darjeeling, and Sikkim. Major trade hub on the Chicken's Neck corridor.
Jamshedpur
Jharkhand
India's first planned industrial city, built by Tata. One of the cleanest and greenest cities.
Aurangabad
Maharashtra
Tourism capital of Maharashtra with Ajanta and Ellora caves nearby. Growing auto manufacturing hub.
Kolhapur
Maharashtra
Known for Kolhapuri chappals, spicy misal pav, and the Mahalaxmi temple. Sugar belt capital.
Hubli-Dharwad
Karnataka
Twin cities of North Karnataka. Commercial hub with growing IT and education sectors.
Warangal
Telangana
Ancient Kakatiya capital with UNESCO heritage sites. Emerging IT city of Telangana.
Raipur
Chhattisgarh
Chhattisgarh's capital and one of the fastest developing cities in Central India.
Gwalior
Madhya Pradesh
City of the magnificent Gwalior Fort. Known for music heritage and Tansen's legacy.
Prayagraj
Uttar Pradesh
Confluence of three rivers (Triveni Sangam). Host of the world's largest gathering — Kumbh Mela.
Meerut
Uttar Pradesh
Sports goods capital of India. Birthplace of the 1857 revolt and major NCR satellite city.
Understanding Cost of Living in India
India's cost of living varies dramatically across cities. Mumbai, the financial capital, consistently tops the list as the most expensive city, with 1BHK rents in the city centre exceeding ₹35,000 per month. In contrast, cities like Lucknow and Jaipur offer a much more affordable lifestyle, with similar apartments available for ₹10,000-12,000.
For young professionals and students, PG (Paying Guest) accommodation is a popular and affordable option unique to India. Double sharing PGs with meals range from ₹5,500 in Lucknow to ₹12,000 in Mumbai. Triple sharing rooms are even more budget-friendly, starting at ₹3,000 per month in tier-2 cities.
Food costs also vary significantly. A simple veg thali can cost as little as ₹80 in Jaipur or Lucknow, while the same meal in Mumbai costs around ₹150. Street food remains remarkably affordable across all cities, with samosas and vada pav available for ₹10-20.
Our data covers 54 major Indian cities across 7 categories including restaurants, groceries, transportation, utilities, apartment rent, PG accommodation, and lifestyle expenses. All prices are in Indian Rupees (₹) and updated regularly.