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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Average salary in Kolkata: ₹4,50,000/year — ₹44,643 below the India median. Cost index 88, purchasing power 511364/100. Compare incomes across West Bengal below.
Average salary in Kolkata: ₹4,50,000/year — ₹44,643 below the India median. Cost index 88, purchasing power 511364/100. Compare incomes across West Bengal below.
Kolkata: cost index 88 (-5 vs national avg 93), rent ₹12,000/month.
West Bengal region average cost index: 93. Kolkata is -5 vs region peers.
Quality of life: 56/100 — safety 52, healthcare 72, walkability 62.
Safety score: 52/100 (crime rate 55.8/1k). National average: 62/100.
The conventional wisdom says one thing. The data says another: Kolkata has a cost index of 88 — 5 points below the India national average of 93. Median income is ₹4,50,000 with rent at ₹12,000/month, putting the rent-to-income ratio at 32%. Financially, that's significant.
But here's the flip side: looking at West Bengal as a whole, the spread across all 28 cities is 20 points on the cost index. Patna sits at the other end with index 68 and rent of ₹7,500/mo. This stands out as genuinely impressive.
On quality of life, Kolkata scores a composite score of 56/100 — reflecting its safety (52), healthcare (72), and walkability (62) metrics. Layer in taxes, though, and the math changes. 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 | Kolkata | 88 | ₹12,000 | ₹4,50,000 |
| 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 | Chennai | 112 | ₹18,000 | ₹5,80,000 |
| 10 | Chandigarh | 98 | ₹14,000 | ₹5,20,000 |
| 11 | Ahmedabad | 88 | ₹12,000 | ₹4,80,000 |
| 12 | Kochi | 95 | ₹12,000 | ₹4,80,000 |
| 13 | Panaji | 105 | ₹15,000 | ₹4,80,000 |
| 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 |
Kolkata — cost index 88, rent ₹12,000/mo, income ₹4,50,000, QoL 56/100.
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 Kolkata is ₹4,50,000/year — below the India national average of ₹4,94,643.
The West Bengal region of average QoL score is 57/100. Kolkata leads with 56/100, 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.
Kolkata: cost index 88, rent ₹12,000/mo, income ₹4,50,000/yr, QoL 56/100. 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.