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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Lucknow air quality: AQI 72 — moderate. Green space 10%. Compared to Uttar Pradesh cities in 2026.
Lucknow air quality: AQI 72 — moderate. Green space 10%. Compared to Uttar Pradesh cities in 2026.
Lucknow: cost index 78 (-15 vs national avg 93), rent ₹10,000/month.
Uttar Pradesh region average cost index: 93. Lucknow is -15 vs region peers.
Quality of life: 54/100 — safety 55, healthcare 62, walkability 38.
Safety score: 55/100 (crime rate 55.2/1k). National average: 62/100.
The real cost of living can't be reduced to a single number. But this comes close: Lucknow has a cost index of 78 — 15 points below the India national average of 93. Median income is ₹4,00,000 with rent at ₹10,000/month, putting the rent-to-income ratio at 30%. This combination is rare — and valuable.
However, looking at Uttar Pradesh as a whole, the spread across all 28 cities is 47 points on the cost index. Gurugram sits at the other end with index 125 and rent of ₹22,000/mo. Financially, that's significant.
On quality of life, Lucknow scores a composite score of 54/100 — reflecting its safety (55), healthcare (62), and walkability (38) metrics. But here's the flip side: 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 | Lucknow | 78 | ₹10,000 | ₹4,00,000 |
| 2 | Panaji | 105 | ₹15,000 | ₹4,80,000 |
| 3 | Thiruvananthapuram | 88 | ₹10,000 | ₹4,40,000 |
| 4 | Kochi | 95 | ₹12,000 | ₹4,80,000 |
| 5 | Coimbatore | 82 | ₹10,000 | ₹4,20,000 |
| 6 | Guwahati | 75 | ₹9,000 | ₹3,80,000 |
| 7 | Indore | 75 | ₹9,000 | ₹3,80,000 |
| 8 | Visakhapatnam | 82 | ₹10,000 | ₹4,20,000 |
| 9 | Bhubaneswar | 72 | ₹8,000 | ₹3,60,000 |
| 10 | Dehradun | 82 | ₹10,000 | ₹4,20,000 |
| 11 | Bhopal | 72 | ₹8,500 | ₹3,60,000 |
| 12 | Surat | 82 | ₹10,000 | ₹4,50,000 |
| 13 | Ranchi | 70 | ₹7,500 | ₹3,50,000 |
| 14 | Raipur | 68 | ₹7,000 | ₹3,40,000 |
| 15 | Bengaluru | 132 | ₹25,000 | ₹8,50,000 |
| 16 | Nagpur | 78 | ₹10,000 | ₹4,20,000 |
| 17 | Chennai | 112 | ₹18,000 | ₹5,80,000 |
| 18 | Hyderabad | 110 | ₹18,000 | ₹6,80,000 |
| 19 | Chandigarh | 98 | ₹14,000 | ₹5,20,000 |
| 20 | Pune | 108 | ₹18,000 | ₹6,20,000 |
Lucknow — cost index 78, rent ₹10,000/mo, income ₹4,00,000, QoL 54/100.
Panaji — cost index 105, rent ₹15,000/mo, income ₹4,80,000, QoL 64/100.
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.
Lucknow has a cost index of 78 (national avg: 93), rent ₹10,000/mo, median income ₹4,00,000/yr, and a quality of life score of 54/100.
The Uttar Pradesh region of average QoL score is 57/100. Lucknow leads with 54/100, 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.
Lucknow: cost index 78, rent ₹10,000/mo, income ₹4,00,000/yr, QoL 54/100. Panaji: cost index 105, rent ₹15,000/mo, income ₹4,80,000/yr, QoL 64/100.
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.