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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Ranking of cities in India for 2026. Chennai leads with a cost index of 112 and rent of ₹18,000/month.
Ranking of cities in India for 2026. Chennai leads with a cost index of 112 and rent of ₹18,000/month.
Chennai: cost index 112 (+19 vs national avg 93), rent ₹18,000/month.
Tamil Nadu region average cost index: 95. Chennai is +17 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.
Strip away assumptions, and something unexpected emerges. 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.
On quality of life, Chennai scores a composite score of 55/100 — reflecting its safety (62), healthcare (85), and walkability (50) metrics. And here's the trade-off: 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.
Nagpur — cost index 78, rent ₹10,000/mo, income ₹4,20,000, QoL 61/100.
Chennai has a cost index of 112 (national avg: 93), rent ₹18,000/mo, median income ₹5,80,000/yr, and a quality of life score of 55/100.
The Tamil Nadu region of average QoL score is 58/100. 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. Nagpur: cost index 78, rent ₹10,000/mo, income ₹4,20,000/yr, QoL 61/100.
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.