India's Cost Of Living: Check The Major Cities & Their Expenses

Cost of Living (COL) is the money needed by an individual to survive in a given place considering varied expenses such as housing, food, education, healthcare, transportation and taxes in general. India is 109th best country to live in and comes at 188th position, out of 197 countries when it comes to the cost of living. Compared to the United States, India is 70 percent lower cost of living and the cost of rent for properties in India is almost 89% lower. The cost of living varies by urban and rural areas, on average an Indian can survive in almost Rs. 27,800/-, without rent expense and for a family of four, the estimated expenses as per Numbeo website is Rs. 95,100/-, excluding rents. The most populous country in the world is 2.35 times less expensive than the world average and the salary earned by average Indians after tax deductions are enough to live for one and a half months.

As per Statista, cost of living index 2023 in India for cities, names Noida as the most expensive with rating of 27.7, followed by Gurgaon at 26.9. Both northern cities have surpassed Mumbai, which stands at 25.9 and Delhi at 25.2. Coimbatore and Indore are considered the least expensive urban areas comparably, with rating of 21.

Noida has the highest cost of living, where compared to average India cost, it is almost 22% higher at Rs. 34,075/- per month without rent for a single person and Rs. 1,17,200/- for a family of four, excluding rent payments. The utilities expenses rise up to Rs. 6,128/- per month, and rent for a bedroom apartment in city centre is approximately Rs. 14,600/-, while Rs. 10,400/- on average outside the city centre. The average salary in Noida is almost 9.8% higher than the largest tax payer city in the country.

The amount of money one needs to pay in sustaining a reasonable lifestyle in Mumbai is somewhere around Rs. 1,10,233/- for a family of four which includes groceries expenses up to Rs. 3000/- and utilities costing around Rs. 5,600/- per month. However, rent for a bedroom apartment in Mumbai city centre is almost 66% higher than Bangalore and 2.3 times higher than of Noida costing around Rs. 49,000/-, while Rs. 27,500/- for an apartment outside city centre. In contrast, the average net salary in Mumbai is Rs. 67,000/- per month, which is almost half of average net salary in Bangalore.

The capital and largest city Delhi, has an estimated cost of Rs. 1,12,000/- per month for a family of four to survive. Monthly groceries add up around same as Mumbai, with basic utilities costing around Rs. 6,200/-, almost 10% higher than the financial hub. A far as the average rent is concern, the city centre has rent of Rs. 20,500/-, which is 41% lower than Mumbai. Nonetheless, average net salary in Delhi is Rs. 73,000/- per month.

Compared to rest of the cities, cost of living in Bangalore for a family of four is around Rs. 1,29,546/-, excluding rent, which is still 17% higher than the maximum city, Mumbai. Utilities in Bangalore cost as much high as Rs. 4,900/- per month, while groceries expenses pile up to Rs. 3,500/- for a single person. Rent expenses in Bangalore are comparatively lower than Mumbai at Rs. 31,000/- for a bedroom apartment in the city centre and Rs. 18,500/- for outside city centre rentals. In contrast to all major mega-cities of India, Bangalore average net salary is around Rs. 1.2 lakhs per month, four times that of Coimbatore, comparably a least expensive city in India.

Kolkata is termed as one of least expensive cities to live in with an estimated cost of Rs. 93,900/- for a family without paying rent. Even though the rent is around average India, it is almost half of what is in Bangalore, while 3.6 times lower than that of Mumbai. Monthly groceries cost around a total of Rs. 2,600/- with utilities costing around Rs. 3,200/-. Rent is Kolkata city centre is 13,300/- and Rs. 7,700/- for outside city centres. The average net salary in the city of Joy is around Rs. 37,800/- per month, much lesser than other major cities.