Personal care, rentals and dining out most expensive in Mumbai: Survey

Mercer's 2023 Cost of Living Survey – Key highlights

[{"selector":"#anim-69a4b3b8-4fc0-45cf-b9ea-52ecfc5d7767","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-8ef42c12-9729-43a4-9aba-556d7e5e8d63","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.3333333333333333)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-b76e4e9e-535e-4fc4-bf71-bf60fd1e4fb4","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":1600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-fe7383e2-52ee-4770-a1ff-877b508a173b","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 336.11062%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":1600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Published by: Priyanka Deshpande

This year’s ranking includes 227 cities from across five continents

[{"selector":"#anim-b01e3c6b-3c89-4820-94f7-c2d662fccc3a","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-52a7da64-1bb4-4d1f-a26c-b94c50c9f19a","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 202.11644%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}]

[{"selector":"#anim-f8e0988c-49e1-474f-9c14-4dcaf071659c","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-3b4940b2-743c-4f51-9d15-e7cb52d38fbf","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 137.82636%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] The ranking measures comparative costs of over 200 essential goods including housing, transportation, food, clothing, household goods and entertainment. Here are some key findings from the survey.

Mumbai is the most expensive city in India for rental accommodation

[{"selector":"#anim-ccd3d969-9754-4aba-8357-2363d37e5981","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-8719e56a-e7ee-4840-acc0-0bb33de939f0","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 205.92597%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}]

It is followed by New Delhi and Bengaluru, according to Mercer’s 2023 Cost of Living survey

[{"selector":"#anim-b48b4a74-a9e3-4ccb-9b10-9a380b42686a","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-35b4900e-a0ac-4fb9-a1fc-436120f7c98d","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 151.20437%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}]

Cities like Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata, and Pune offer accommodation at over 50% lower compared to Mumbai

[{"selector":"#anim-ab5cfef8-1d83-4dc5-8900-1aad7c46e310","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-09cc1cc3-aca5-4b54-9788-3ca953b7d069","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 142.66419%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}]

Among these cities, rental accommodation in Kolkata is the lowest

[{"selector":"#anim-61083bd1-dbd6-41a5-98fa-aa08e4a75486","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-cbf0894e-6695-4e42-b0f9-a827152dbe8b","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 167.83068%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}]

Mumbai & Delhi rank among the top 35 most expensive cities in Asia for expatriates

[{"selector":"#anim-ce35b800-5b6a-4d73-bd4c-3739ed29f5c9","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-d8a4c2b9-0355-47d8-a49e-ce2d76a9c369","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 149.80574%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}]

Housing rentals have seen a 5-7% rise in cities such as Bangalore, New Delhi, Pune, and Chennai

[{"selector":"#anim-476bf957-2f74-473d-88cb-445fb5903194","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-7e8159ba-5a9f-4027-ab31-8322137a6d94","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 149.80574%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}]

The cost of essential food items at home, has risen across all cities, with Kolkata and Pune being the most budget-friendly options.

[{"selector":"#anim-2045c88f-ecf7-4f35-be01-bf306b658d25","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-cc049e3b-d546-4978-8208-6f39ba393b37","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 137.13934%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}]

Alcohol prices have surged in Bangalore, Chennai, and Hyderabad, with Chennai witnessing the steepest rise

[{"selector":"#anim-2e96ca18-7dea-4b04-985a-d83012265e90","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-9008e925-cf1c-40e7-99e3-7ab315b8b07a","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 173.58197%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}]

Personal care expenses have increased in all cities, with Mumbai being the most expensive and Kolkata offering affordable options

[{"selector":"#anim-c561a4b5-91ab-4b57-af2a-6ccefb8bbf3d","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-cf8c44b0-783e-4d34-8dac-2a69778a566f","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 143.21667%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}]

Dining out is most expensive in Delhi & Mumbai, while Pune provides the most economical options, followed by Bangalore & Hyderabad

[{"selector":"#anim-6f969c0e-4939-4883-bf7c-57032d484246","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-f4083715-7a5e-4739-aa1b-54d69aebf62f","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 140.45424%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}]

For more webstories, click below

[{"selector":"#anim-cd2cace9-ef65-4613-9e0e-2c2f628f99ac","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-eedfa2e8-5b87-4c67-be8e-c810aaaf58d2","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, -193.30287%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-5a52c9fe-4ef0-4529-b466-3d0e44aee13f","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-55bd497d-7af6-4555-9a2d-0e82f9681450","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, -472.90705%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}]