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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Cost of living in Chennai, India (2026): cost index 112 (+19 vs national avg), rent ₹18,000/mo, median income ₹5,80,000/yr. Rent takes 37% of gross income. Full breakdown vs Tamil Nadu peers below.
Cost of living in Chennai, India (2026): cost index 112 (+19 vs national avg), rent ₹18,000/mo, median income ₹5,80,000/yr. Rent takes 37% of gross income. Full breakdown vs Tamil Nadu peers 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.
| # | City | Cost Index | Rent/mo | Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chennai | 112 | ₹18,000 | ₹5,80,000 |
| 2 | Patna | 68 | ₹7,500 | ₹3,20,000 |
| 3 | Raipur | 68 | ₹7,000 | ₹3,40,000 |
| 4 | Ranchi | 70 | ₹7,500 | ₹3,50,000 |
| 5 | Bhopal | 72 | ₹8,500 | ₹3,60,000 |
| 6 | Bhubaneswar | 72 | ₹8,000 | ₹3,60,000 |
| 7 | Indore | 75 | ₹9,000 | ₹3,80,000 |
| 8 | Guwahati | 75 | ₹9,000 | ₹3,80,000 |
| 9 | Nagpur | 78 | ₹10,000 | ₹4,20,000 |
| 10 | Lucknow | 78 | ₹10,000 | ₹4,00,000 |
| 11 | Coimbatore | 82 | ₹10,000 | ₹4,20,000 |
| 12 | Surat | 82 | ₹10,000 | ₹4,50,000 |
| 13 | Visakhapatnam | 82 | ₹10,000 | ₹4,20,000 |
| 14 | Dehradun | 82 | ₹10,000 | ₹4,20,000 |
| 15 | Jaipur | 85 | ₹11,000 | ₹4,20,000 |
| 16 | Kolkata | 88 | ₹12,000 | ₹4,50,000 |
| 17 | Ahmedabad | 88 | ₹12,000 | ₹4,80,000 |
| 18 | Thiruvananthapuram | 88 | ₹10,000 | ₹4,40,000 |
| 19 | Kochi | 95 | ₹12,000 | ₹4,80,000 |
| 20 | Chandigarh | 98 | ₹14,000 | ₹5,20,000 |
The conventional wisdom says one thing. The data says another: 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.
Here's where it gets complicated: looking at Tamil Nadu as a whole, the spread across all 28 cities is 30 points on the cost index. Mumbai sits at the other end with index 142 and rent of ₹35,000/mo. That's not a marginal difference — it reshapes your monthly budget.
On quality of life, Chennai scores a composite score of 55/100 — reflecting its safety (62), healthcare (85), and walkability (50) 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.
Chennai — cost index 112, rent ₹18,000/mo, income ₹5,80,000, QoL 55/100.
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.
Chennai has a cost index of 112 (national avg: 93). Median rent is ₹18,000/month, median income ₹5,80,000/year, giving a rent-to-income ratio of 37%.
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. Patna: cost index 68, rent ₹7,500/mo, income ₹3,20,000/yr, QoL 51/100.
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.