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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Ranking of cities in India for 2026. Indore leads with a cost index of 75 and rent of ₹9,000/month.
Ranking of cities in India for 2026. Indore leads with a cost index of 75 and rent of ₹9,000/month.
Indore ranks #1 with a cost index of 75 and rent of ₹9,000/month.
Average cost index across these cities: 102 (+9 vs national average of 93).
Average quality of life: 55/100. Top: Indore at 63/100.
Safest city: Indore (72/100 safety score).
Here's what the headline numbers don't tell you: Indore stands out as the top-ranked city in this analysis. With a cost index of 75 and median income of ₹3,80,000, it offers below-average costs relative to the rest of India. That's a strong position by any measure.
On quality of life, Indore leads with a composite score of 63/100 — reflecting its safety (72), healthcare (62), and walkability (48) 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.
Indore — cost index 75, rent ₹9,000/mo, income ₹3,80,000, QoL 63/100.
New Delhi — cost index 128, rent ₹22,000/mo, income ₹6,80,000, QoL 46/100.
The country average QoL score is 57/100. Indore leads with 63/100, 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.
Indore (ranked #1) has a cost index of 75 and rent of ₹9,000/mo. New Delhi (#2) has index 128 and rent ₹22,000/mo — a 53-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.