Mumbai most expensive city to live in, alcohol cheapest in national capital

MUMBAI: A survey said Mumbai is the most expensive Indian city to live in the country. In the 2024 Cost of Living Survey conducted by HR consultancy Mercer, Mumbai has consistently retained the top spot. Since the survey began in 2013, Mumbai has topped the list in terms of spending.

226 cities of the world were evaluated to prepare the list. Mumbai has improved its ground compared to last year and moved up eleven places in the list. Mumbai, the financial capital of India, is currently ranked 136th.

According to the survey, the most expensive cities in the world are Hong Kong, Singapore, Zurich, Geneva, Basel, Bern, New York City, London, Nassau and Los Angeles. Along with Mumbai, the national capital Delhi, Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Pune and Kolkata are also included. Delhi is in the 30th place.

‘Factors such as employment growth, a rising middle class and a largely resilient economy have positively impacted the cost of living in India. Despite Mumbai's rise in ranking, the overall affordability of other Indian cities remains a major plus point in attracting multinationals,’ said Rahul Sharma, India Mobility Leader at Mercer.

Mumbai is also where the cost of transport is the highest and the next is Bengaluru. Another interesting fact revealed in the survey is that alcohol and tobacco are the cheapest in Delhi. A lot of money has to be spent for these in Chennai.