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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Ranking of cities in India for 2026. Jaipur leads with a cost index of 85 and rent of ₹11,000/month.
Ranking of cities in India for 2026. Jaipur leads with a cost index of 85 and rent of ₹11,000/month.
| # | City | Cost Index | Rent/mo | Income | Sunshine hrs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jaipur | 85 | ₹11,000 | ₹4,20,000 | 3100 |
| 2 | Ahmedabad | 88 | ₹12,000 | ₹4,80,000 | 3050 |
| 3 | Surat | 82 | ₹10,000 | ₹4,50,000 | 2900 |
| 4 | Indore | 75 | ₹9,000 | ₹3,80,000 | 2900 |
| 5 | Chennai | 112 | ₹18,000 | ₹5,80,000 | 2812 |
| 6 | Nagpur | 78 | ₹10,000 | ₹4,20,000 | 2800 |
| 7 | Bhopal | 72 | ₹8,500 | ₹3,60,000 | 2800 |
| 8 | Hyderabad | 110 | ₹18,000 | ₹6,80,000 | 2780 |
| 9 | New Delhi | 128 | ₹22,000 | ₹6,80,000 | 2700 |
| 10 | Gurugram | 125 | ₹22,000 | ₹7,80,000 | 2700 |
| 11 | Noida | 110 | ₹16,000 | ₹6,50,000 | 2700 |
| 12 | Visakhapatnam | 82 | ₹10,000 | ₹4,20,000 | 2700 |
| 13 | Panaji | 105 | ₹15,000 | ₹4,80,000 | 2700 |
| 14 | Raipur | 68 | ₹7,000 | ₹3,40,000 | 2700 |
| 15 | Pune | 108 | ₹18,000 | ₹6,20,000 | 2650 |
| 16 | Coimbatore | 82 | ₹10,000 | ₹4,20,000 | 2650 |
| 17 | Chandigarh | 98 | ₹14,000 | ₹5,20,000 | 2650 |
| 18 | Lucknow | 78 | ₹10,000 | ₹4,00,000 | 2650 |
| 19 | Bhubaneswar | 72 | ₹8,000 | ₹3,60,000 | 2600 |
| 20 | Patna | 68 | ₹7,500 | ₹3,20,000 | 2600 |
Jaipur ranks #1 with a cost index of 85 and rent of ₹11,000/month.
The median city is Pune — cost index 108, rent ₹18,000/mo.
Average cost index across these cities: 93 (0 vs national average of 93).
Average quality of life: 57/100. Top: Jaipur at 52/100.
Safest city: Thiruvananthapuram (75/100 safety score).
Here's the surprising part: Jaipur stands out as the top-ranked city in this analysis. With a cost index of 85 and median income of ₹4,20,000, it offers below-average costs relative to the rest of India. Financially, that's significant.
And there's one more thing: the spread across all 28 cities is 10 points on the cost index. Kochi sits at the other end with index 95 and rent of ₹12,000/mo. That's not a marginal difference — it reshapes your monthly budget.
On quality of life, Thiruvananthapuram leads with a composite score of 70/100 — reflecting its safety (75), healthcare (80), and walkability (38) metrics. Zooming out, affordability and QoL don't always move in the same direction, and India is a good example of that tension.
Jaipur — cost index 85, rent ₹11,000/mo, income ₹4,20,000, QoL 52/100.
Ahmedabad — cost index 88, rent ₹12,000/mo, income ₹4,80,000, QoL 56/100.
Surat — cost index 82, rent ₹10,000/mo, income ₹4,50,000, QoL 59/100.
Indore — cost index 75, rent ₹9,000/mo, income ₹3,80,000, QoL 63/100.
Chennai — cost index 112, rent ₹18,000/mo, income ₹5,80,000, QoL 55/100.
The country average QoL score is 57/100. Jaipur leads with 52/100, 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.
Jaipur (ranked #1) has a cost index of 85 and rent of ₹11,000/mo. Kochi (#28) has index 95 and rent ₹12,000/mo — a 10-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.