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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Average salary in Chennai: ₹5,80,000/year — ₹85,357 above the India median. Cost index 112, purchasing power 517857/100. Compare incomes across Tamil Nadu below.
Average salary in Chennai: ₹5,80,000/year — ₹85,357 above the India median. Cost index 112, purchasing power 517857/100. Compare incomes across Tamil Nadu below.
Chennai: cost index 112 (+19 vs national avg 93), rent ₹18,000/month.
Tamil Nadu region average cost index: 93. Chennai is +19 vs region peers.
Quality of life: 55/100 — safety 62, healthcare 85, walkability 50.
Safety score: 62/100 (crime rate 45.2/1k). National average: 62/100.
One stat flips the usual narrative: Chennai has a cost index of 112 — 19 points above the India national average of 93. Median income is ₹5,80,000 with rent at ₹18,000/month, putting the rent-to-income ratio at 37%. Financially, that's significant.
Layer in taxes, though, and the math changes. looking at Tamil Nadu as a whole, the spread across all 28 cities is 44 points on the cost index. Patna sits at the other end with index 68 and rent of ₹7,500/mo. This combination is rare — and valuable.
On quality of life, Chennai scores a composite score of 55/100 — reflecting its safety (62), healthcare (85), and walkability (50) metrics. Context matters here. affordability and QoL don't always move in the same direction, and India is a good example of that tension.
| # | City | Cost Index | Rent/mo | Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chennai | 112 | ₹18,000 | ₹5,80,000 |
| 2 | Bengaluru | 132 | ₹25,000 | ₹8,50,000 |
| 3 | Gurugram | 125 | ₹22,000 | ₹7,80,000 |
| 4 | Mumbai | 142 | ₹35,000 | ₹7,20,000 |
| 5 | New Delhi | 128 | ₹22,000 | ₹6,80,000 |
| 6 | Hyderabad | 110 | ₹18,000 | ₹6,80,000 |
| 7 | Noida | 110 | ₹16,000 | ₹6,50,000 |
| 8 | Pune | 108 | ₹18,000 | ₹6,20,000 |
| 9 | Chandigarh | 98 | ₹14,000 | ₹5,20,000 |
| 10 | Ahmedabad | 88 | ₹12,000 | ₹4,80,000 |
| 11 | Kochi | 95 | ₹12,000 | ₹4,80,000 |
| 12 | Panaji | 105 | ₹15,000 | ₹4,80,000 |
| 13 | Kolkata | 88 | ₹12,000 | ₹4,50,000 |
| 14 | Surat | 82 | ₹10,000 | ₹4,50,000 |
| 15 | Thiruvananthapuram | 88 | ₹10,000 | ₹4,40,000 |
| 16 | Nagpur | 78 | ₹10,000 | ₹4,20,000 |
| 17 | Coimbatore | 82 | ₹10,000 | ₹4,20,000 |
| 18 | Jaipur | 85 | ₹11,000 | ₹4,20,000 |
| 19 | Visakhapatnam | 82 | ₹10,000 | ₹4,20,000 |
| 20 | Dehradun | 82 | ₹10,000 | ₹4,20,000 |
Chennai — cost index 112, rent ₹18,000/mo, income ₹5,80,000, QoL 55/100.
Bengaluru — cost index 132, rent ₹25,000/mo, income ₹8,50,000, QoL 50/100.
Gurugram — cost index 125, rent ₹22,000/mo, income ₹7,80,000, QoL 44/100.
Mumbai — cost index 142, rent ₹35,000/mo, income ₹7,20,000, QoL 43/100.
New Delhi — cost index 128, rent ₹22,000/mo, income ₹6,80,000, QoL 46/100.
The median gross income in Chennai is ₹5,80,000/year — above the India national average of ₹4,94,643.
The Tamil Nadu region of average QoL score is 57/100. Chennai leads with 55/100, reflecting safety, healthcare access, walkability, and green space.
Our index is benchmarked to 100 (national median). Sub-categories cover housing, food, transport, utilities, and healthcare. Data sources include MoSPI CPI, RBI, NHB RESIDEX, PLFS.
Chennai: cost index 112, rent ₹18,000/mo, income ₹5,80,000/yr, QoL 55/100. Bengaluru: cost index 132, rent ₹25,000/mo, income ₹8,50,000/yr, QoL 50/100.
This analysis uses data from MoSPI CPI, RBI, NHB RESIDEX, PLFS to rank cities in India. The cost of living index is benchmarked to 100 (national median). Quality of life scores combine safety, healthcare, walkability, air quality, green space, and transit metrics. Salary ranges use national occupation data adjusted for local cost differences. Data is updated regularly to reflect current market conditions.