How expensive is Chennai compared to the rest of India?

Chennai ranks #563 out of 577 cities globally. It is 2.5% cheaper than the India average, based on 28 cities. The rent index is 4.9 and local purchasing power is 98.3.

What is the average rent in Chennai?

A 1-bedroom apartment in Chennai city centre costs approximately INR 17,018 per month. Outside the centre, rent drops to INR 9,687 (saving 43%). A 3-bedroom apartment in the centre costs around INR 47,364.

Is Chennai affordable to live in?

Chennai is very affordable by global standards. Groceries are expensive, restaurants are affordable, and local purchasing power is very strong.

🇮🇳 India · 2026

Levnadskostnader i Chennai

2.5% under India-genomsnittet

Placering #563 av 577 städer · Dyrare än 2.4% av städerna i världen

-2.5%

Levnadskostnader

-9.3%

Hyra

+8.7%

Livsmedel

+29.9%

Köpkraft

Jämfört med India-genomsnittet · Se India-ranking →

Hyrespriser i Chennai

Lägenhet	Innerstad	Utanför centrum	Du sparar
1 rum	INR 17,018/mo ≈ $179	INR 9,687/mo ≈ $102	43%
3 rum	INR 47,364/mo ≈ $498	INR 29,060/mo ≈ $306	39%

Numbeo · 2026-10-02

Multi-Source Comparison

★★ Medium Confidence

Chennai has a cost of living index of 11.8 (New York = 100, rent included), the average of 2 of 3 data sources. Expatistan is left out because it sits more than 15% away from the others.

11.8

Index

Sources

2.7

Gap between sources

Source Values (NYC = 100)

Numbeo

13.1

Expatistan

16.0

left out

LivingCost

10.4

ShouldIMove price index

No data

ShouldIMove price index: our own basket of real item prices plus rent.

View all 577 cities

Kostnadsindex

Levnadskostnader

-2.5% Average

Hyra

-9.3% Affordable

Livsmedel

+8.7% Expensive

Restauranger

-9.7% Affordable

Köpkraft

+29.9% Very strong

Att bo i Chennai: vad du kan förvänta dig

Chennai är very affordable enligt globala mått (plats #563 av 577 städer). 2.5% billigare än India-genomsnittet, baserat på 28 städer.

Matvaror är expensive, medan att äta ute är affordable. Restaurants erbjuder bäst värde, medan Groceries är dyrast.

Hur står sig Chennai i jämförelse?

🇮🇳 Mumbai India

19.0 +61.0%

Jämför →

🇮🇳 Gurgaon India

14.6 +23.7%

Jämför →

🇮🇳 Pune India

15.2 +28.8%

Jämför →

🇮🇳 Bangalore India

14.0 +18.6%

Jämför →

🇵🇰 Lahore Pakistan

11.8 0.0%

Jämför →

🇦🇫 Kabul Afghanistan

11.9 +0.8%

Jämför →

Planerar du att flytta till Chennai?

Ange din nuvarande stad och lön för att jämföra nettolön och levnadskostnader med Chennai.

Jämför din lön i Chennai →

Borde jag flytta till Chennai? Billigaste städerna i Asien

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