How Much Does It Cost to Live In Chennai?
The sixth largest city in India, Chennai is called the main gate to southern India.
The cheapest way to get to the city from the airport is to take a train.
Also, you can take a bus, a taxi, or a car.
The subway is still under construction in Chennai, so you won’t be able to use it.
Chennai is one of those cities in India where you can enjoy sunbathing on one of the local beaches.
Some of them are quiet and calm, while the others are crowded and noisy because of a great number of small shops and street food stalls along the shore.
India : Cost of Living by City
- Ahmedabad
- Bangalore
- Bhopal
- Bhubaneswar
- Chandigarh
- Chennai
- Coimbatore
- Delhi
- Goa
- Gurgaon
- Guwahati
- Hyderabad
- Indore
- Jaipur
- Kochi
- Kolkata
- Lucknow (Lakhnau)
- Ludhiana
- Mangalore
- Mumbai
- Mysore
- Nagpur
- Navi Mumbai
- Noida
- Pune
- Surat
- Thane
- Thiruvananthapuram
- Vadodara
- Visakhapatnam
RESTAURANTS
Numerous restaurants in Chennai offer international cuisines.
The beach restaurants offer decent meals at an economic rate.
Vegetarian restaurants serve brunches and vegetarian food.
The service charge is usually included in the bill but even if it’s not, the tips are welcome.
MARKETS
The local markets sell all the basic products that an average person buys to cook at home.
Chennai is considered the medical capital of southeastern Asia although many institutions, markets, and restaurants cook and serve food in an unsanitary environment.
As for the prices, a pack of cigarettes costs $2.89, a kilo of local cheese is $5.60, chicken breasts $3.29, and a bottle of wine $8.31.
TRANSPORTATION
Local people use buses, trains, private cars, or taxis to get around the city or go to the suburbs.
The bus is the cheapest way to travel, and the cost of a one-way ticket is $0.29, while a monthly pass costs an average of $14.28.
You can also choose between an economy seat or a business-class one.
UTILITIES (MONTHLY)
The price for standard home comforts in Chennai is equal to $40.13 for most people monthly.
Of course, the prices depend on how much electricity or water you use.
The Internet connection is rather cheap and costs $13.25 per month, and the mobile operators in the area charge $0.01 per minute of the call.
SPORTS & LEISURE
The beaches in Chennai are very beautiful and attracting but they are prohibited for swimming because of the strong underwater stream.
Numerous churches, temples, mosques, and parks welcome tourists and locals to spend their leisure time with pleasure or fun.
Don’t miss the chance to go to the cheapest cinema in India, play cricket or football, or read local books.
CLOTHING & SHOES
The chain stores in Chennai offer clothes and shoes at low prices.
Compared to Chandigarh, the prices here are 20-30% lower.
For instance, you can buy a summer dress from H&M or similar store for just $26.69.
Although, the cheapest prices are in the markets which are also the most visited places in Chennai.
RENT PER MONTH
Chennai offers fairly good prices for accommodation in the city.
The houses, apartments, and offices are available for rent in this Indian city.
Many of them are new and unfurnished, and the others are fully equipped.
The advantage of the first ones is the lower price while the second makes it possible for you to move right away.
Cost of Living Averages Table for Chennai
*Note: All prices are indicated in USD.| Average Restaurant Prices | |
|---|---|
| Meal (Inexpensive Restaurant) | $1.43 |
| Domestic Beer (0.5 Liter) | $8.57 |
| Water (0.33 Liter) | $0.20 | Average Market Prices |
| Milk (1 Liter) | $0.63 |
| Loaf Bread (500g) | $0.40 |
| Eggs (12) | $0.85 | Average Transport Prices |
| One Way Ticket | $0.29 |
| Monthly Pass | $14.28 |
| Gasoline | $1.13 | Average Utilities Prices |
| Basic (Water, Electricity, Garbage, Heating, Cooling) | $40.13 |
| 1 min. of Prepaid Mobile Tariff Local | $0.01 |
| Internet (Unlimited Data, Cable/ADSL) | $13.25 | Average Leisure Prices |
| Fitness Club, Monthly Fee for 1 Adult | $20.25 |
| Tennis Court Rent (1 Hour) | $7.07 |
| Cinema, 1 Seat, International Release | $2.86 | Average Clothing Prices |
| 1 Pair of Jeans (Levis 501 Or Comparable) | $30.25 |
| 1 Summer Dress in a Chain Store (Zara, etc...) | $26.69 |
| 1 Pair of Adidas Walking Shoes (Mid-Range) | $42.60 | Average Rent Prices |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) in City Center | $190.81 |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) Outside of Center | $111.73 |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) in City Center | $448.84 |
How Does the Average Person Spend Their Money in Chennai?
The restaurants in Chennai are less popular than the markets.
One of the reasons is the quality of the products.
Only 10% of the money is spent on the restaurants, while the average person in Chennai is ready to pay 40.5% of income on the markets.
Transportation is widely used and despite its low prices, the sum that the average Chennai citizen has to pay for buses, gasoline or taxis, get him to put off about 14.5% of the budget for transportation.
The monthly utilities seem really inexpensive because according to the statistics only 4.5% of the money is spent on bills.
Surely, sports and leisure mean more to the locals of Chennai than shoes and clothes.
Average Costs Breakdown
Chennai: Average Salary, Minimum Wage & Mortgages
The employers in Chennai pay as much as $476.29 in remuneration for the work in Chennai.
At that, the minimum wage is much lower throughout the country.
This is due to the fact that only 70% of the population of Chennai are literate, which makes them unskilled or semiskilled workers which cannot be paid higher.
Chennai has a lot of state and private medical colleges since the pharmaceutical and medical industry is highly developing throughout the country.
Doctors and pharmacists are one of the best-paid professions in Chennai along with the financial officers, engineers, consultants, accountants, or sales and business developers.
The mortgage interest rate for 20-year loans is fixed at 9.49% per annum.
Chennai Safety Overview
READ THE FULL REPORT: Chennai Safety Review
Safety Index:
- OVERALL RISK: HIGH
- TRANSPORT & TAXIS RISK: MEDIUM
- PICKPOCKETS RISK: HIGH
- NATURAL DISASTERS RISK: HIGH
- MUGGING RISK: LOW
- TERRORISM RISK: HIGH
- SCAMS RISK: HIGH
- WOMEN TRAVELERS RISK: HIGH
Cost of Living by City in Chennai
| City | Cost of Living Index |
|---|---|
| Ahmedabad | 24.24 |
| Bangalore | 26.83 |
| Bhopal | 22.37 |
| Bhubaneswar | 22.4 |
| Chandigarh | 26 |
| Coimbatore | 22.38 |
| Delhi | 28.67 |
| Goa | 24.34 |
| Gurgaon | 30.71 |
| Guwahati | 22.68 |
| Hyderabad | 23.59 |
| Indore | 25.4 |
| Jaipur | 25.46 |
| Kochi | 21.73 |
| Kolkata | 24.8 |
| Lucknow (Lakhnau) | 24.75 |
| Ludhiana | 27.17 |
| Mangalore | 22.4 |
| Mumbai | 29.03 |
| Mysore | 22.4 |
| Nagpur | 22.76 |
| Navi Mumbai | 19.3 |
| Noida | 28.55 |
| Pune | 27.41 |
| Surat | 23.77 |
| Thane | 25.31 |
| Thiruvananthapuram | 19.26 |
| Vadodara | 22.28 |
| Visakhapatnam | 21.52 |
