Delhi
India · Asia · 33M people
Enormous capital region with some of the worst winter air quality on earth.
Ranked #294 of 303 overall · 28.70, 77.10
Overview
Delhi, India, is home to about 33 million residents and has built a reputation that goes beyond its size. Part of its draw is that it's genuinely affordable to live in. It's a city that tends to fly under the radar compared to its country's biggest names, without being any less livable for it. People who choose to settle in Delhi tend to point to a genuinely affordable cost of living and solid infrastructure for remote work as the deciding factors. Within the 76 cities we track in Asia, the regional average sits at 6.5/10, which puts Delhi's 5.1/10 a little behind the regional norm. On CityMatch, Delhi scores 5.1/10 overall across cost of living, safety, environment, transport, climate, healthcare and internet, ranking #294 of 303 cities in our database. Its strongest single criterion is cost of living at 7/10, while environment & air quality is its softest spot at 2/10 — the full breakdown, honest trade-offs, and who this city actually suits are below.
Full scorecard
Reasonable day-to-day costs.
Varies a lot by neighborhood.
Pollution is a real day-to-day factor.
A car helps for anything off the main routes.
Expect a proper seasonal swing.
Worth checking specifics if care needs are ongoing.
Solid enough for day-to-day remote work.
Is Delhi right for you?
Set your own priorities and see where it ranks against every city in the dataset.
Run the recommender →How are these scores calculated?
Every city on CityMatch is scored 1-10 on seven criteria — cost of living, safety, environment, transport, climate, healthcare and internet — and those seven numbers are combined into the overall score shown throughout the site using a consistent, automated formula (an equal-weighted average by default, or your own weighting via the recommender tool). The same method is applied identically to every city, so scores are comparable across the full database.
Sources & data provenance
The current dataset is an internally curated starter dataset built for this version of the site, reflecting each city's general reputation on each criterion rather than a live feed from a single external provider. It is not yet sourced from a specific third-party API. If that changes, this section will be updated to name the exact sources in use.
Last updated: 17 July 2026
Strengths & trade-offs
Strengths
At 7/10, Delhi is genuinely easy on the budget — one of the more affordable options for the lifestyle it offers.
Internet and connectivity score 7/10, making remote work a non-issue rather than a workaround.
A 5/10 safety score puts Delhi among the more reassuring cities to walk around, day or night.
Trade-offs
Environment and air quality score just 2/10 — a real consideration if pollution affects you personally.
Safety scores 5/10, the weakest link on Delhi's scorecard and worth researching by neighborhood before moving.
Is Delhi safe?
Safety is inconsistent in Delhi (5/10) — some areas are genuinely fine, others warrant more caution. It's worth checking which part of the city you'll actually be in.
At night
We'd lean toward rideshares or taxis after dark rather than walking unfamiliar routes, particularly outside the main tourist and business districts.
For tourists
Tourists should do a bit more homework here than usual — checking which districts are considered fine for visitors and which are best avoided, especially after dark.
For families
Families would want to weigh the 4.0/10 average of safety, healthcare and environment carefully against what specifically matters most to your household.
For solo travelers
Solo travelers, and particularly those less familiar with the region, may want to research specific neighborhoods and current local advice more closely before finalizing plans.
On public transport
We'd be more selective about late-night public transport here — daytime use is generally fine, but off-peak service and platforms are worth a second thought.
Practical tips
- →Research specific neighborhoods before booking accommodation.
- →Arrange transport in advance for anything after dark rather than walking unfamiliar routes.
What's the climate like in Delhi?
Delhi scores 5/10 on climate, meaning a proper seasonal swing — expect at least one stretch of weather most people wouldn't pick as their favorite.
Seasonal character
Seasons here are more pronounced — at least one part of the year leans notably hot, cold, or wet compared with the rest.
Comfort level
Comfort varies meaningfully by season — some months are genuinely pleasant, others require real adjustment.
Best time to live here
Timing matters more here — researching the specific hottest, coldest or wettest months before committing is worth the effort.
Note: this reflects our single aggregate 1-10 climate score rather than month-by-month temperature, humidity or rainfall data, which we don't currently track — treat it as a general read rather than a forecast.
Quality of life in Delhi
Put together, quality of life in Delhi is shaped less by any single number and more by the combination: at over 3 million people, delhi moves at a genuine big-city pace — more anonymous, more options, but also more competition for space and time, paired with an outdoor/environment picture that's more mixed and transport that's worth planning around.
Pace & lifestyle
At over 3 million people, Delhi moves at a genuine big-city pace — more anonymous, more options, but also more competition for space and time.
Nature & outdoors
Outdoor and green-space time comes with more caveats here — environment (2/10) and climate (5/10) scores suggest it's more weather- and air-quality-dependent than in higher-scoring cities.
Getting around
Transport (5/10) has real gaps — plan on a mix of public options, walking and rideshares depending on where you end up living.
Culture & leisure
Delhi isn't specifically marketed on culture or nightlife in our data, which usually means a more everyday, less tourist-oriented pace of life — good for routine, less exciting for a short visit.
Based on its actual score profile, Delhi tends to suit people who prioritize cost of living and internet & connectivity over environment & air quality — see "Who Delhi suits" above for the specific profiles that fit best.
How clean is Delhi?
Environment is a genuine weak point in Delhi, scoring just 2/10 — air quality and general environmental upkeep are a real day-to-day factor here.
Public spaces
We don't track litter or waste management directly, but a low environment score like this one is often accompanied by visible upkeep issues in practice — worth confirming with recent visitor reports if it matters to you.
Infrastructure maintenance
General infrastructure maintenance isn't a criterion we score independently, so treat any specific claims about road quality, public bins, or graffiti with caution unless they come from a recent, first-hand source.
The "environment" score behind all of this is CityMatch's single combined measure of air quality and general environmental conditions — 10 meaning consistently clean air, 1 meaning significant pollution. It doesn't separately break out waste management, noise, or visual upkeep, which aren't part of our current dataset.
Who Delhi suits
Budget-conscious mover
Budget-conscious movers — movers for whom affordability outweighs every other factor (fit score 5.5/10 here).
Freelancer
Freelancers — independent workers balancing cost of living against healthcare access (fit score 5.5/10 here).
Digital nomad
Digital nomads — remote workers who need fast internet and an affordable, pleasant base (fit score 5.6/10 here).
Entrepreneur
Entrepreneurs — founders and small business owners who need reliable connectivity and a livable base without big-city costs (fit score 5.5/10 here).
In depth
Cost of living
Delhi scores 7/10 on affordability — not cheap, but reasonable: expect a moderate budget to cover a comfortable, unremarkable lifestyle.
Safety
Safety is a mixed picture in Delhi, scoring 5/10 — some neighborhoods are clearly safer than others, so location within the city matters more than usual.
Climate
Climate is a middling factor in Delhi, scoring 5/10 — expect a proper seasonal swing, including a stretch of weather most people wouldn't call ideal.
Quality of life
Delhi scores 5.1/10 overall, but that average hides a real spread: cost of living (7/10) is genuinely strong, while environment & air quality (2/10) pulls the picture down considerably. The average across all seven criteria is 5.1/10.
Transport
Getting around Delhi takes some planning: transport scores 5/10, and a car or rideshare budget is worth factoring in for anything off the main routes.
Internet & remote work
Connectivity in Delhi scores 7/10 — solid enough for remote work day-to-day, without being a headline reason to move here.
Why choose Delhi?
Delhi makes the most sense if cost of living matters more to you than environment & air quality — at 5.1/10 overall, it's a solid rather than perfect pick, and the trade-offs above are worth weighing against your own priorities rather than the headline score alone.
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Frequently asked questions
Is Delhi safe?
Delhi scores 5/10 on safety, a mixed picture. Safety varies noticeably by neighborhood here, so it's worth researching specific areas before you commit to one.
What budget do I need to live in Delhi?
Delhi scores 7/10 on cost of living — a moderate budget is enough for a comfortable lifestyle, without it being a bargain destination.
Is Delhi good for families?
Delhi isn't a natural fit for families on paper: the average of safety, healthcare and environment scores (4.0/10) is below what most family-focused cities on our site score.
Is Delhi a good city for students?
Delhi isn't an obvious student pick: affordability (7/10) and transport (5/10) average out lower than the cities we specifically tag for students.
Is Delhi suitable for digital nomads?
Delhi isn't specifically marketed to remote workers, but the fundamentals are there: internet scores 7/10 and cost of living 7/10.
What's the climate like in Delhi?
Delhi scores 5/10 on climate, meaning a proper seasonal swing including a stretch of weather most people wouldn't call ideal.
Is Delhi pleasant to live in year-round?
Reasonably — Delhi scores 5/10 on climate and 2/10 on environment, a fair rather than exceptional combination across the year.
Is Delhi a good choice for a first move abroad?
A first move abroad is more demanding in Delhi: safety, healthcare, transport and environment average out to just 4.3/10, so more preparation and local research is worth doing before committing.
Is the internet good enough for remote work in Delhi?
Delhi scores 7/10 on internet — generally fine for remote work, without being a standout choice for it.
Is Delhi a good place to retire?
Delhi isn't an obvious retirement pick on our data: healthcare, climate and safety average out to just 5.0/10, below what most retiree-friendly cities on our site score.
What are good alternatives to Delhi?
Based on continent, tags and overall score, Lahore and Jaipur are the closest matches to Delhi in our database — worth comparing directly if you're still deciding.
Is Delhi worth living in?
It depends heavily on your priorities — Delhi's overall score of 5.1/10 reflects real trade-offs rather than an easy yes. Check the strengths and trade-offs sections above before deciding.
Who should move to Delhi?
Based on its score profile, Delhi suits people who value cost of living and internet & connectivity more than the average mover — see the "Who Delhi suits" section above for the specific profiles (families, digital nomads, students, etc.) that fit best.
Is Delhi walkable, and is public transport good?
Not especially — Delhi scores just 5/10 on transport, so expect to lean on a car, bike or rideshares more than public transit alone.
What's the biggest advantage of living in Delhi?
Cost of living is Delhi's standout strength, scoring 7/10 — the highest of its seven criteria on CityMatch.
What's the biggest downside of living in Delhi?
Environment & air quality is the clearest trade-off, scoring just 2/10 — the lowest of Delhi's seven criteria, and worth weighing against its strengths.