[warrioraks]

Hello All,

A new position has opened up in my organization which is of interest to me from a career perspective. As with all choices, this is a tricky one and would appreciate inputs from fellow members on what would be a prudent choice. Here is a quick summary of the situation:
1. I am from Delhi and currently based in Gurgaon. Wife is from the north part of India as well
2. The new role requires me to re-locate and as the title suggests, I have three options - Bangalore, Kochi, Trivandrum (in alphabetic order)
3. Except for Delhi/NCR, I have lived in Hyderabad and Bangalore in the past. Wife has spent time in Bangalore as well
4. My wife and I know only two languages - Hindi and English

Now coming to the decision that needs to be taken - which city should we relocate to? Listing down our preferences to provide some context on what we are looking for:
1. Good law and order situation
2. Cost of living should not exceed what we experience in Gurgaon
3. Cosmopolitan culture
4. Should not have pollen problem (which rules out Bangalore and that is the reason the title does not mention it)
5. City which can be navigated easily with the help of languages we already know - Hindi and English
6. Decent weekend getaways
7. Less pollution (staying in Delhi, this becomes an important thing to look out for in a new city)

Both cities are completely unknown for us. Google search seems to prefer Kochi on the majority of our preferences. But I would rely on the collective wisdom of this forum rather than user stories on Quora. Thanks for your time!

[jothishX]

Hi There,

I'm from Trivandrum. A wonderful decision to shift to the green state . I've stayed in Bangalore for 3 years and been in Bhubaneswar, Odisha for a long time. Here is my feedback on the preferences you listed:

1. Good law and order situation
I may be objective, but you will find better law and order situation in almost everywhere in Kerala compared to Bangalore or other metros. Kochi and Trivandrum are very good in these aspects. There are people friendly JanMaithri police stations with very educated and understanding officers manning them.

2. Cost of living should not exceed what we experience in Gurgaon
In this aspect, Trivandrum is cheaper than Kochi.
Here, you will get a decent 2 bedroom flat with all amenities in the range of 10k-15k approx depending on the location. If you are an IT professional, you will get very good apartments near to your office.

3. Cosmopolitan culture
Here Kochi > Trivandrum. Trivandrum is bit laid back and calm than the active life of Kochi. If you are expecting night life similar to Delhi/Mumbai, then both places are yet to grow in those aspects.

4. Should not have pollen problem (which rules out Bangalore and that is the reason the title does not mention it)
Pollen problem - no experience to comment. I've been to Delhi and felt that the AQI is much better here.

5. City which can be navigated easily with the help of languages we already know - Hindi and English
Everyone understands English. Hindi - Would understand but may not be able to communicate back clearly, same as Bangalore.

6. Decent weekend getaways

In Trivandrum there is Kovalam Beach, Varkala, Museums, Ponmudi Hills etc..
There are similar places in and around Kochi
There are lot of beautiful places in Kerala which can be reached by public transport or a day's drive like Munnar, Wayanad, Vagamon, etc.

7. Less pollution (staying in Delhi, this becomes an important thing to look out for in a new city)

Of the time I stayed in Bangalore, the pollution went from bad to worse.
Trivandrum is a thousand times better than that. Kochi is slightly more crowded, hence you fill find higher pollution levels than Trivandrum. I would suggest Trivandrum. You will love the clean air. And it rains intermittently here. Ask anyone what Smog is, I'm sure many would have no idea what it is.

TLDR;
Trivandrum = Less Pollution and Traffic, Cheaper, Calmer environment
Kochi = More Shopping malls, Higher pollution and traffic, Costlier.

Being from North India, it will take some time to gel with the culture and food here. But once you start feeling comfortable, I'm sure you'll love it here.

[Kosfactor]

This is usually a question that ends up in a fist fight elsewhere.

Lets talk about Cochin, its like a big capital city with most of the government buildings removed - because Cochin is the financial, commercial , Industrial & Tourism capital. The Zoo is located in Thiruvananthapuram.

Lesson 1 - Kochi \ Cochin \ Ernakulam - can all be used alternatively. If you are in West Kochi - Ernakulam means Central Cochin. The culture as well as the landscape changes a lot , it is afterall a bunch of small islands. I recommend spending some time reading through the history of the place as well as a look-see trip.

1. Good law and order situation

This is fine as far as you live in good localities, public transportation is really good

2. Cost of living should not exceed what we experience in Gurgaon

Cheaper than Bangalore

Cosmopolitan culture

Cochin is known for this - history will surprise you.

Should not have pollen problem

My wife needs a nebulizer nearby in Bangalore during march\ april, no problem in Cochin.

City which can be navigated easily with the help of languages we already know

South Indian states have language preferance, usually their own, kids have to learn Malayalam its compulsory I think. English works well, Hindi and European languages will also work in certain places

Decent weekend getaways

You`re in Kerala my friend, you`re already on vacation, from hill stations to beaches, everything is right there

Less pollution

(staying in Delhi, this becomes an important thing to look out for in a new city) -

Nowhere in comparison to GGN \ Delhi, but it is hot and humid - always

I have visited Thiruvananthapuram as a kid and once afterwards , do not remember anything about it.

[The Rationalist]

Originally Posted by warrioraks

1. Good law and order situation
2. Cost of living should not exceed what we experience in Gurgaon
3. Cosmopolitan culture
4. Should not have pollen problem (which rules out Bangalore and that is the reason the title does not mention it)
5. City which can be navigated easily with the help of languages we already know - Hindi and English
6. Decent weekend getaways
7. Less pollution (staying in Delhi, this becomes an important thing to look out for in a new city)

1. Excellent Law and Order in most cities in Kerala
2. Cost of living higher in Kochi than Trivandrum
3. Nowhere near cosmopolitan as Delhi or Bangalore, forget that.
4. No pollen
5. Navigating is child’s play for someone from Delhi!
6. You bet! You have whole variety of places to explore within few hours drive from Kochi.
7. Pollution you don’t have to think about that, at least ten times lesser than Delhi

Trivandrum is boring place for someone from North, most places in Kerala would be, it’s more of a laid back life. If your career gets a lift, don’t give up the offer. Just come with an open mind, never compare with one city with another. We will all have some soft corner for our own birthplace. Good luck!

[Holyghost]

Originally Posted by warrioraks

Hello All,
...
Both cities are completely unknown for us. Google search seems to prefer Kochi on majority of our preferences. But I would rely on the collective wisdom of this forum rather than user stories on Quora. Thanks for your time!

Trivandrum no longer has the kind of air connectivity it had in the past. A huge portion of the flights are now from Kochi. If you are a frequent flyer, this is something that will affect you.
Probably the term frequent flyer may no longer exist post covid.

[jkrishnakj]

Two things to add from me, more of an expectation setting.

Be it Kochi or Trivandrum , be ready to sweat out during summers. High humidity.

Secondly - the mosquitoes there are one hell of a breed. Big fat ones.

[warrioraks]

Originally Posted by jothishX

Hi There,
TLDR;
Trivandrum = Less Pollution and Traffic, Cheaper, Calmer environment
Kochi = More Shopping malls, Higher pollution and traffic, Costlier.

Being from North India, it will take some time to gel with the culture and food here. But once you start feeling comfortable, I'm sure you'll love it here.

Thank you for the response. I found it really helpful and you summarised it perfectly. Both I and wife are open to exploring new cultures and food, plus my wife is biased towards the cuisine in southern part of India after pursuing her education in Bangalore.

Originally Posted by Kosfactor

This is usually a question that ends up in a fist fight elsewhere.

Certainly not my intention here. Thanks for the nebuliser point, that provides a very good comparison.

Originally Posted by The Rationalist

5. Navigating is child’s play for someone from Delhi!

Let us just say that Delhites have a reputation which I don’t live upto

Originally Posted by The Rationalist

Trivandrum is boring place for someone from North, most places in Kerala would be, it’s more of a laid back life. If your career gets a lift, don’t give up the offer. Just come with an open mind, never compare with one city with another. We will all have some soft corner for our own birthplace. Good luck!

Thanks for these wise words. Gives me some confidence as I have been in two minds on whether to pursue this opportunity because of the relocation.

Originally Posted by Holyghost

Trivandrum no longer has the kind of air connectivity it had in the past. A huge portion of the flights are now from Kochi. If you are a frequent flyer, this is something that will affect you.
Probably the term frequent flyer may no longer exist post covid.

Very very valid point which I missed. Thanks for bringing it and also enlightening on the difference between the two cities. We would absolutely need good air connectivity because of all the family being in North. Office travel I would assume is going to be light for next 12 months. Plus one benefit of the new role is lesser travel.

Originally Posted by jkrishnakj

Two things to add from me, more of an expectation setting.

Be it Kochi or Trivandrum , be ready to sweat out during summers. High humidity.

Secondly - the mosquitoes there are one hell of a breed. Big fat ones.

I was aware of the weather which I assume will take time to adjust to. But Google baba made no mention of the mosquitoes. Now this is some scary shit

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

Will suggest Cochin for you, though I'm from Trivandrum and will prefer it for myself any day over Cochin.

The problem for you, however, is that Trivandrum is more of a developed town than a modern city. And for when you get tired of the cultural differences, which you will at least initially, Cochin offers more options for you to recharge.

[govigov]

I work out of Trivandrum while my house is in Kochi. Doing so for the past 7 years.

I would recommend Kochi from anyone coming from North.

Reasons-
1. Better and cheaper connectivity to north India. TRV has only sparse flights to DEL while COK has many more flights to DEL. TRV airport has a huge user fee which COK lacks, lowering air fares a lot. This additional fare difference will eat up a significant portion of your earnings. COK has better connectivity to other dom/intl routes when compared to TRV.
2. COK has much better food options for the North Indian palate. TRV is bad, there may be one or two restaurants but that is about it. If you are in TRV, you will be looking at Kazhakootam as a base and trust me, there are only a handful of restaurants there. On a daily basis, you will get bored in a month. Trust me, I stay in Kazhakuttom during weekends. In COK, you can look at different food options depending on where you stay.
3. TRV is laid back, laid back to the point of being boring and monotonous. You would feel like getting out sooner.

These are the main points. You can drop me a pm if you need more points.

[Jaguar]

Originally Posted by CrAzY dRiVeR

Will suggest Cochin for you, though I'm from Trivandrum and will prefer it for myself any day over Cochin.

Spot on. I too am from Trivandrum and would prefer it for obvious reasons, but Cochin is better suited for a non-localite. You will get bored in Trivandrum soon.

The pollution levels are nowhere close to Bangalore levels in either of the two places but humidity is something you will have to get used to. The cost of living in Cochin would be higher than Trivandrum and lesser than Bangalore.

PS: Now that you will choose Cochin, can I get your Trivandrum post

[powershift]

I would recommend Cochin. I grew up in a village within Ernakulam district 40km away from Cochin city but did my bachelors from Cochin University of Science and Technology (CUSAT). Good old days and best days of my life as an irresponsible idiot (the honorary title which my father gave those days)
Coming back to topic, Cochin city traffic situation is growing bad but for a person from Delhi should be manageable. Moreover, cochin metro is quite good and expanding well with connectivity. Yours home trips to north will be easier due to flight connectivity from Cochin. Needless to say, Allappey is near-by, Munnar is a 100+km drive, beaches, hill station etc. Real estate is not very expensive compared to other cities. If you have kids, there are good schools like Vidyodaya, Bhavans, TocH, Rajagiri, Campion etc. CUSAT is a big university with part-time courses in the evening like German, Japanese etc if you are interested. There are pretty good hospitals like Amrita, Lakeshore, Medical Trust. These are the few things coming to my mind. Beware that few areas in Cochin has terrible issues with mosquitoes even during day time. So make sure to find the right place for accomodation.
Anyway, good luck with your final decision.

[warrioraks]

So it seems that the jury is out - On paper, Kochi appears to be a better city for someone with a typical IT mindset and from North part of the country.
The true vibe of the city is something that can only be experienced and sometimes you connect with a city even if it does not tick all the right boxes. I am sure I will visit Trivandrum (whether I move to Kochi or not) one day and soak-in the heritage of the city.
Thank you everyone who responded and helped with their wisdom. Gave me a lot of clarity in a matter of less than 24 hours. Cheers!

Originally Posted by CrAzY dRiVeR

And for when you get tired of the cultural differences, which you will at least initially, Cochin offers more options for you to recharge.

That is some crazy insight but the most overlooked when moving to a new city. Thanks for bringing it up.

Originally Posted by govigov

I would recommend Kochi from anyone coming from North.

Your rationale makes a very strong case for Kochi. Very helpful.

Originally Posted by Jaguar

PS: Now that you will choose Cochin, can I get your Trivandrum post

Absolutely sir! But if you own or intend to own cars that go by your Tbhp handle, let me warn you that the compensation will disappoint

Originally Posted by powershift

Beware that few areas in Cochin has terrible issues with mosquitoes even during day time. So make sure to find the right place for accomodation.
Anyway, good luck with your final decision.

All very valid points. If I end up relocating to Kochi, I am going to surely PM you for advise on residential areas. Need to make sure that I maintain some social distancing from these dreaded mosquitoes

[naveen.raju]

It really depends on where you stay in Kochi. The place I stay (Kadavanthara) is the mosquito hub. No way you can stay still for 5 secs from 5pm to 8pm (outside). Whereas, in other parts of the city, it's relatively better.

As for Hindi, it won't be an issue. Now that you see a lot of Bengali workers here, everyone speaks pretty well or atleast almost all can understand it.

For real estate, it can cost around 15k-20k+ for a fully furnished apartment house if you want it right in the heart of the city but you can easily find one for 10k-15k.

Since this is a small city, everything is close by (malls, restaurants, public transport etc). If you are into IT, you may want to look at Kakkanad. Even though there are many restaurants/shops there, the place is developing. For proper hangouts, you may have to go to the heart of the city (especially malls/theaters).

Getaways - Lot of options like Munnar, Thekkady, Alleppey, Vagamon to name a few. The roads are pretty good throughout the state.

[am1m]

Sorry to hijack, but what's the residential scene at Fort Kochi? Do people stay at Fort Kochi? Or is it just those associated with the tourist industry there? Is it possible at all to get a flat on rent (I remember seeing a couple of multistorey residential buildings there) for a reasonable amount, or is it like the most expensive part of the city?

[PatienceWins]

I would recommend Cochin. Cochin is better for someone from Delhi. You will not miss the developed environment of Delhi much and have enough options for recreation. It is the commercial hub of Kerala and is much more developed in terms of shops/ malls/ theater/ restaurants/ getaways etc. By the way, I am from Cochin.

Agree with others - better to check the mosquito and traffic situation of the area you wish to move. For e.g. Palarivattom area is a traffic mess after the decision to demolish the existing faulty flyover.