Loading
Assembling your view…
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Ranking of cities in India for 2026. Patna leads with a cost index of 68 and rent of ₹7,500/month.
Ranking of cities in India for 2026. Patna leads with a cost index of 68 and rent of ₹7,500/month.
Patna ranks #1 with a cost index of 68 and rent of ₹7,500/month.
The median city is Kolkata — cost index 88, rent ₹12,000/mo.
Average cost index across these cities: 93 (0 vs national average of 93).
Average quality of life: 57/100. Top: Patna at 51/100.
Safest city: Thiruvananthapuram (75/100 safety score).
| # | City | Cost Index | Rent/mo | Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Patna | 68 | ₹7,500 | ₹3,20,000 |
| 2 | Raipur | 68 | ₹7,000 | ₹3,40,000 |
| 3 | Ranchi | 70 | ₹7,500 | ₹3,50,000 |
| 4 | Bhopal | 72 | ₹8,500 | ₹3,60,000 |
| 5 | Bhubaneswar | 72 | ₹8,000 | ₹3,60,000 |
| 6 | Indore | 75 | ₹9,000 | ₹3,80,000 |
| 7 | Guwahati | 75 | ₹9,000 | ₹3,80,000 |
| 8 | Nagpur | 78 | ₹10,000 | ₹4,20,000 |
| 9 | Lucknow | 78 | ₹10,000 | ₹4,00,000 |
| 10 | Coimbatore | 82 | ₹10,000 | ₹4,20,000 |
| 11 | Surat | 82 | ₹10,000 | ₹4,50,000 |
| 12 | Visakhapatnam | 82 | ₹10,000 | ₹4,20,000 |
| 13 | Dehradun | 82 | ₹10,000 | ₹4,20,000 |
| 14 | Jaipur | 85 | ₹11,000 | ₹4,20,000 |
| 15 | Kolkata | 88 | ₹12,000 | ₹4,50,000 |
| 16 | Ahmedabad | 88 | ₹12,000 | ₹4,80,000 |
| 17 | Thiruvananthapuram | 88 | ₹10,000 | ₹4,40,000 |
| 18 | Kochi | 95 | ₹12,000 | ₹4,80,000 |
| 19 | Chandigarh | 98 | ₹14,000 | ₹5,20,000 |
| 20 | Panaji | 105 | ₹15,000 | ₹4,80,000 |
Let's cut to what actually matters here. Patna stands out as the top-ranked city in this analysis. With a cost index of 68 and median income of ₹3,20,000, it offers below-average costs relative to the rest of India. Over a five-year window, that difference is life-changing.
Layer in taxes, though, and the math changes. the spread across all 28 cities is 74 points on the cost index. Mumbai sits at the other end with index 142 and rent of ₹35,000/mo. Financially, that's significant.
On quality of life, Thiruvananthapuram leads with a composite score of 70/100 — reflecting its safety (75), healthcare (80), and walkability (38) 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.
Patna — cost index 68, rent ₹7,500/mo, income ₹3,20,000, QoL 51/100.
Raipur — cost index 68, rent ₹7,000/mo, income ₹3,40,000, QoL 59/100.
Ranchi — cost index 70, rent ₹7,500/mo, income ₹3,50,000, QoL 59/100.
Bhopal — cost index 72, rent ₹8,500/mo, income ₹3,60,000, QoL 63/100.
Bhubaneswar — cost index 72, rent ₹8,000/mo, income ₹3,60,000, QoL 63/100.
Patna scores highest for young professionals due to its below-average cost of living, rent of ₹7,500/mo, and quality of life score of 51/100.
The country average QoL score is 57/100. Patna leads with 51/100, reflecting its 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.
Patna (ranked #1) has a cost index of 68 and rent of ₹7,500/mo. Mumbai (#28) has index 142 and rent ₹35,000/mo — a 74-point gap.
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.