India

Living in India: the short version

India offers a very low cost of living, a vast tech sector in Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Pune, and enormous cultural diversity. For foreigners, residence is mostly tied to employment or Indian heritage, and quality of life depends heavily on city and budget.

Best for: Professionals transferred by multinational employers and people of Indian origin with OCI status.

How to move to India: main visa and residency routes

Summaries only — requirements and income thresholds change. Always check the official sources below.

Employment visa

For foreigners employed by an Indian company, subject to a minimum salary.

Business visa

For business visits and setting up ventures, not ordinary employment.

Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI)

For people of Indian origin and spouses; allows living and working in India.

Healthcare for newcomers

Private hospitals in big cities are high quality and affordable by Western standards; public hospitals are overcrowded. Expats usually buy private insurance.

How India compares

Calculated from our data for all 55 countries. How we calculate this

Cost of living rank

2nd cheapest of 55

Single person, core costs

$395/mo

Family of four, core costs

$909/mo

Take-home on $60,000

$39,735/yr

• Renting a one-bedroom home takes about 34% of the average local salary in India, less than the median of 36% across the countries we cover.
• Core monthly costs for one person (rent, groceries, transport, utilities, internet and eating out) come to about $395, or 68% of the average local monthly salary.
• On a gross salary of $60,000 taxed locally, our estimate leaves $39,735 a year after income tax and employee social security (an effective rate of 34%), the 46th highest take-home pay of 55 countries. After single-person core costs, that leaves roughly $34,995 a year to save or spend.
• Countries with a similar overall cost of living: Nigeria, Egypt, Vietnam.

Estimates for planning, using simplified national tax brackets in US dollars; local taxes, deductions and your own spending will differ. Try your own numbers in the tax calculator or budget planner.

Our guides to India

• Indian Cuisine: Regional Food Guide · Food & Cuisine

Sources and methodology

Figures on this page are estimates in US dollars, compiled from the international datasets below and converted at recent exchange rates. The cost of living index uses New York City as 100. Guidance was last reviewed on September 30, 2026. Found something out of date? Tell us.