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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Ranking of cities in India for 2026. Lucknow leads with a cost index of 78 and rent of ₹10,000/month.
Ranking of cities in India for 2026. Lucknow leads with a cost index of 78 and rent of ₹10,000/month.
Lucknow ranks #1 with a cost index of 78 and rent of ₹10,000/month.
Average cost index across these cities: 80 (-13 vs national average of 93).
Average quality of life: 58/100. Top: Lucknow at 54/100.
Safest city: Visakhapatnam (65/100 safety score).
Here's the surprising part: Lucknow stands out as the top-ranked city in this analysis. With a cost index of 78 and median income of ₹4,00,000, it offers below-average costs relative to the rest of India. That ratio is hard to beat anywhere else.
On quality of life, Visakhapatnam leads with a composite score of 61/100 — reflecting its safety (65), healthcare (68), and walkability (38) 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.
| # | City | Cost Index | Rent/mo | Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lucknow | 78 | ₹10,000 | ₹4,00,000 |
| 2 | Visakhapatnam | 82 | ₹10,000 | ₹4,20,000 |
Lucknow — cost index 78, rent ₹10,000/mo, income ₹4,00,000, QoL 54/100.
Visakhapatnam — cost index 82, rent ₹10,000/mo, income ₹4,20,000, QoL 61/100.
The country average QoL score is 57/100. Lucknow leads with 54/100, 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.
Lucknow (ranked #1) has a cost index of 78 and rent of ₹10,000/mo. Visakhapatnam (#2) has index 82 and rent ₹10,000/mo — a 4-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.