City Salary Equivalent Calculator
Find the salary you need in a new city to maintain your lifestyle, using the Cost of Living Index method.
Formula last reviewed 4 August 2026 · How we verify our calculators
Equivalent salary in Mumbai
- You need extra
- ₹2,82,051
- Adjustment
- 28.2%
| Comparison | Hyderabad | Mumbai |
|---|---|---|
| Annual salary | ₹10,00,000 | ₹12,82,051 |
Updates live as you type
Frequently asked questions
It uses the Cost of Living Index method: Equivalent Salary = Current Salary × (New City Index ÷ Current City Index). It scales your pay by the relative cost of the two cities so your lifestyle stays comparable.
No. Income tax and HRA in India are largely city-class dependent (metro vs non-metro), not city-specific the way rent is. Use our HRA and income-tax tools for that layer — and note the FY 2026-27 HRA 8-city expansion, which can change your take-home after a move.
It is a solid directional estimate. The result is only as good as the underlying cost indices, which are indicative ranges for 2025-26 — your real number depends on neighbourhood, lifestyle and how you spend.
Use it as an anchor, not a ceiling. Factor in one-time relocation costs, tax/HRA effects and career growth when negotiating an offer.
The direction you move changes the answer, not just the number
₹10,00,000 in Hyderabad (index 78) is roughly ₹12,82,000 in Mumbai (index 100) for an equivalent standard of living — moving to a pricier city raises the number you need. Run the identical ₹10,00,000 the other way, from Mumbai to Hyderabad, and the equivalent figure drops to roughly ₹7,80,000 instead. Same salary, same two cities, opposite direction, a genuinely different answer each time — which is the whole point of asking "what salary keeps my lifestyle the same?" rather than just "is the new city expensive?"
The formula behind both directions
This calculator applies the Cost of Living Index (COLI) method used by reputable relocation tools: Equivalent Salary = Current Salary × (New City Index ÷ Current City Index). Every city carries an index set relative to Mumbai (100), so the ratio between the two cities' indices is what scales the salary up or down — a mechanical calculation that works identically regardless of which direction you're actually moving.
The layer this number deliberately leaves out
Income tax and HRA exemption in India depend on whether a city is classified "metro," not on its specific cost of living — a distinction this calculator doesn't touch. From FY 2026-27, the HRA metro list expanded from 4 to 8 cities, with Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Pune and Ahmedabad joining Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai at the 50% exemption rate — a change that can meaningfully shift take-home pay after a move independent of cost-of-living differences. The HRA metro status tool and the Old vs New regime calculator are where that layer gets added in.
Treat the result as a negotiating anchor, not a number to insist on verbatim — add one-time relocation costs, the tax and HRA effects noted above, and any career growth or seniority bump before deciding what to actually ask for. The city indices here are indicative 2025-26 ranges — refine with your own research for the specific neighbourhoods you're considering.