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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Surat air quality: AQI 48 — good. Green space 10%. Compared to Gujarat cities in 2026.
Surat air quality: AQI 48 — good. Green space 10%. Compared to Gujarat cities in 2026.
Surat: cost index 82 (-11 vs national avg 93), rent ₹10,000/month.
Gujarat region average cost index: 93. Surat is -11 vs region peers.
Quality of life: 59/100 — safety 72, healthcare 65, walkability 42.
Safety score: 72/100 (crime rate 25.2/1k). National average: 62/100.
Here's where the conversation shifts from 'affordable' to 'strategic': Surat has a cost index of 82 — 11 points below the India national average of 93. Median income is ₹4,50,000 with rent at ₹10,000/month, putting the rent-to-income ratio at 27%. That's a strong position by any measure.
And here's the trade-off: looking at Gujarat as a whole, the spread across all 28 cities is 43 points on the cost index. Gurugram sits at the other end with index 125 and rent of ₹22,000/mo. Financially, that's significant.
On quality of life, Surat scores a composite score of 59/100 — reflecting its safety (72), healthcare (65), and walkability (42) 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 | Surat | 82 | ₹10,000 | ₹4,50,000 |
| 2 | Panaji | 105 | ₹15,000 | ₹4,80,000 |
| 3 | Thiruvananthapuram | 88 | ₹10,000 | ₹4,40,000 |
| 4 | Kochi | 95 | ₹12,000 | ₹4,80,000 |
| 5 | Coimbatore | 82 | ₹10,000 | ₹4,20,000 |
| 6 | Guwahati | 75 | ₹9,000 | ₹3,80,000 |
| 7 | Indore | 75 | ₹9,000 | ₹3,80,000 |
| 8 | Visakhapatnam | 82 | ₹10,000 | ₹4,20,000 |
| 9 | Bhubaneswar | 72 | ₹8,000 | ₹3,60,000 |
| 10 | Dehradun | 82 | ₹10,000 | ₹4,20,000 |
| 11 | Bhopal | 72 | ₹8,500 | ₹3,60,000 |
| 12 | Ranchi | 70 | ₹7,500 | ₹3,50,000 |
| 13 | Raipur | 68 | ₹7,000 | ₹3,40,000 |
| 14 | Bengaluru | 132 | ₹25,000 | ₹8,50,000 |
| 15 | Nagpur | 78 | ₹10,000 | ₹4,20,000 |
| 16 | Chennai | 112 | ₹18,000 | ₹5,80,000 |
| 17 | Hyderabad | 110 | ₹18,000 | ₹6,80,000 |
| 18 | Chandigarh | 98 | ₹14,000 | ₹5,20,000 |
| 19 | Pune | 108 | ₹18,000 | ₹6,20,000 |
| 20 | Ahmedabad | 88 | ₹12,000 | ₹4,80,000 |
Surat — cost index 82, rent ₹10,000/mo, income ₹4,50,000, QoL 59/100.
Panaji — cost index 105, rent ₹15,000/mo, income ₹4,80,000, QoL 64/100.
Thiruvananthapuram — cost index 88, rent ₹10,000/mo, income ₹4,40,000, QoL 70/100.
Kochi — cost index 95, rent ₹12,000/mo, income ₹4,80,000, QoL 67/100.
Coimbatore — cost index 82, rent ₹10,000/mo, income ₹4,20,000, QoL 65/100.
Surat has a cost index of 82 (national avg: 93), rent ₹10,000/mo, median income ₹4,50,000/yr, and a quality of life score of 59/100.
The Gujarat region of average QoL score is 57/100. Surat leads with 59/100, 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.
Surat: cost index 82, rent ₹10,000/mo, income ₹4,50,000/yr, QoL 59/100. Panaji: cost index 105, rent ₹15,000/mo, income ₹4,80,000/yr, QoL 64/100.
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.