Mumbai is India's most expensive city to live in

MUMBAI is India's most expensive city for expatriates to live in, 2024 Cost of Living survey by HR consultancy Mercer reveals.

The city has been ranked top among India’s most expensive cities since the survey began in 2013.

Globally, Mumbai climbed 11 places since last year to rank 136th among 226 cities that were surveyed.

The top 10 most expensive cities in the world are Hong Kong, Singapore, Zurich, Geneva, Bern, New York City, London, Nassau and Los Angeles.

On the top 20 list, other Indian cities are New Delhi (ranked 164), Chennai (189) and Bengaluru (195). Hyderabad is at 202), Pune is at 205 and Kolkata is at 207.

On the complete list, Mumbai is now ranked as the 21st most expensive for expats in Asia while Delhi is at the 30th position.

Rahul Sharma, the India mobility leader at Mercer, said, “Factors such as employment growth, rising middle class, and a largely resilient economy positively impacted the cost of living in India. Despite Mumbai's rise in rankings, the overall affordability of Indian cities remains a key advantage for multinational organizations or Indian companies looking to attract global talent.”

In terms of energy and utility costs, Mumbai and Pune remain the most expensive as per the survey. Transportation costs are the highest in Mumbai, followed by Bengaluru while alcohol and tobacco items are the least expensive in Delhi and most expensive in Chennai.