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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Is Bengaluru good for expats? It's worth considering — QoL score 50/100, safety 58/100, rent ₹25,000/mo, median income ₹8,50,000/yr. Compared to 27 other Karnataka cities below.
Is Bengaluru good for expats? It's worth considering — QoL score 50/100, safety 58/100, rent ₹25,000/mo, median income ₹8,50,000/yr. Compared to 27 other Karnataka cities below.
Bengaluru: cost index 132 (+39 vs national avg 93), rent ₹25,000/month.
Karnataka region average cost index: 93. Bengaluru is +39 vs region peers.
Quality of life: 50/100 — safety 58, healthcare 82, walkability 55.
Safety score: 58/100 (crime rate 48.5/1k). National average: 62/100.
| # | City | Cost Index | Rent/mo | Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bengaluru | 132 | ₹25,000 | ₹8,50,000 |
| 2 | Thiruvananthapuram | 88 | ₹10,000 | ₹4,40,000 |
| 3 | Kochi | 95 | ₹12,000 | ₹4,80,000 |
| 4 | Coimbatore | 82 | ₹10,000 | ₹4,20,000 |
| 5 | Dehradun | 82 | ₹10,000 | ₹4,20,000 |
| 6 | Chandigarh | 98 | ₹14,000 | ₹5,20,000 |
| 7 | Panaji | 105 | ₹15,000 | ₹4,80,000 |
| 8 | Indore | 75 | ₹9,000 | ₹3,80,000 |
| 9 | Bhopal | 72 | ₹8,500 | ₹3,60,000 |
| 10 | Bhubaneswar | 72 | ₹8,000 | ₹3,60,000 |
| 11 | Nagpur | 78 | ₹10,000 | ₹4,20,000 |
| 12 | Visakhapatnam | 82 | ₹10,000 | ₹4,20,000 |
| 13 | Guwahati | 75 | ₹9,000 | ₹3,80,000 |
| 14 | Surat | 82 | ₹10,000 | ₹4,50,000 |
| 15 | Ranchi | 70 | ₹7,500 | ₹3,50,000 |
| 16 | Raipur | 68 | ₹7,000 | ₹3,40,000 |
| 17 | Kolkata | 88 | ₹12,000 | ₹4,50,000 |
| 18 | Ahmedabad | 88 | ₹12,000 | ₹4,80,000 |
| 19 | Chennai | 112 | ₹18,000 | ₹5,80,000 |
| 20 | Lucknow | 78 | ₹10,000 | ₹4,00,000 |
Here's what the headline numbers don't tell you: Bengaluru has a cost index of 132 — 39 points above the India national average of 93. Median income is ₹8,50,000 with rent at ₹25,000/month, putting the rent-to-income ratio at 35%. Financially, that's significant.
And here's the trade-off: looking at Karnataka as a whole, the spread across all 28 cities is 10 points on the cost index. Mumbai sits at the other end with index 142 and rent of ₹35,000/mo. That's a strong position by any measure.
On quality of life, Bengaluru scores a composite score of 50/100 — reflecting its safety (58), healthcare (82), and walkability (55) metrics. Here's where it gets complicated: affordability and QoL don't always move in the same direction, and India is a good example of that tension.
Bengaluru — cost index 132, rent ₹25,000/mo, income ₹8,50,000, QoL 50/100.
Thiruvananthapuram — cost index 88, rent ₹10,000/mo, income ₹4,40,000, QoL 70/100.
Kochi — cost index 95, rent ₹12,000/mo, income ₹4,80,000, QoL 67/100.
Coimbatore — cost index 82, rent ₹10,000/mo, income ₹4,20,000, QoL 65/100.
Dehradun — cost index 82, rent ₹10,000/mo, income ₹4,20,000, QoL 65/100.
Bengaluru scores 50/100 on the relevant index for expats — with rent of ₹25,000/month and cost index 132 (39 points above the national average of 93).
The Karnataka region of average QoL score is 57/100. Bengaluru leads with 50/100, 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.
Bengaluru: cost index 132, rent ₹25,000/mo, income ₹8,50,000/yr, QoL 50/100. Thiruvananthapuram: cost index 88, rent ₹10,000/mo, income ₹4,40,000/yr, QoL 70/100.
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.