[ike]

I just moved from Chennai to Kerala, moved most of our stuff here and secured school admission for the kid in the same school that I went to. After spending two years at home with the entire family during the pandemic, going back to Chennai again left me very unhappy. There's everything available here in Kerala at better prices, be it education, healthcare or F&B.

I'm willing to go through the inconvenience of attending office in Chennai for 7 to 8 working days a month.

Originally Posted by GTO

F&B is surprisingly value-for-money,

For someone used to Mumbai prices, most of India would be VFM when it comes to F&B.

[condor]

Having lived in Bangalore most of my life, from high-school to well into my work life, I am in a comfort zone here. Used to the places, the roads, the way of life.

I have also lived in different places - Kovai, Chennai, worked in Mumbai and seen the active energetic life there. I have seen the traffic jams in California, and also the vast wilderness that's in the USA. I have seen the capital of KSA in the middle of the desert. I have visited big cities like Delhi and SG, and travelled up to the Himalayas.

But I have also seen life in a tier-2 town, and regular visits to the country side - whether it's to my native, or to relatives' places.

I dont know where life will take me in future, so wont take a guess at the moment. Life has it's own way of doing things. Just hope it's a quiet place.

[kushagra452]

I have recently started thinking of moving out of Delhi NCR. However, will have to plan a move over the next 5-10 yrs. Old parents (who are financially independent), job/business opportunities, need to save for family and retirement as well as save for a new apartment/property will require me to give this a serious thought.

However, not withstanding the challenges, at present I will vote for Udaipur and Ranchi. Just love the peaceful pollution free environment, low cost of living (as compared to metros), plenty of greenery, lakes, water falls etc in the vicinity.

[Hayek]

Lived in Bombay all my life except for a couple of years for my MBA in Calcutta. Don’t think I would ever move out. But if I had to, it would be to Bangalore. It is the only city in India which has a cosmopolitan vibe that arguably surpasses Bombay today (Delhi is too North Indian, Madras too Tamil, Ahmedabad too Gujju - Pune comes close but is arguably an extended suburb of Bombay), that is comparable to Bombay in terms of safety for Women, that clearly beats Bombay through its wonderful parks and fantastic weather, and offers job opportunities (not necessarily in Finance) that compare with those in Bombay. The only downside in Bangalore is the lousy traffic (worse than even Bombay) and how far away the airport is from anywhere you want to go to.

I love holidaying in both Goa and the Nilgiris - and could easily spend a month in each of these locations every year once I retire, but I would go nuts if I had to live there permanently.

Delhi of course has the best infrastructure in India, but it has horrendous weather, insane pollution, too many politicians and of course a terrible violent fringe which makes me afraid of living there.

Madras is impossible for anyone who does not speak fluent Tamil (my anglicised Malayalam mixed Tamil won’t do), while Calcutta offers a stark warning to any city (Bombay, that especially applies to you) that rests on its laurels.

[DCEite]

I am based out of Delhi-NCR.

What I love: well planned, moderate cost of living, everything available nearby including malls, parks, schools, hospitals etc, + fantastic highways like Yamuna expressway, Taj Expressway etc. and nearby some weekend gateways like Shimla, Mussourie, Rishikesh etc

What I hate: The general disrespect for human life, the pollution and abysmal AQI levels, the "entitled" mindset (sepcially among migrants from other states and overnight rich villagers), the way people are always judgemental of you (you'll find people giving stares, judging your physical appearence, mocking one's physical/financial status/appearance, the judging the person on the basis of how expensive his/her home, vehicle, other possessions etc), and extreme weather conditions.

The City I would move to:

Well, I will not daydream to spend my life on hill stations or somewhere in Andaman and Nicobar islands. They will get boring with time and when you are used to the hustle and bustle of metropolitin cities, plus the oppurtunities they offer in terms of education and employment and quality of life I would rather stay in a city, but a laid back one at that.

My choices:

Navi Mumbai,Pune, and Chandigarh.

All three are more laid back than Delhi-NCR, pollution levels are comparatively lower, have generally tolerable weather, are not dead in terms of quality of life, oppurtunities and education and have good infrastructure.

I particularly like Marathi people for being liberal, open minded and generally humble, compared to other parts of India.

P.S. Not trying to be regionalistic in any way, I am myself a North Indian.

[Latheesh]

Nam Ooru Bengaluru...
My past movements - Kannur-Bangalore-Kannur-Dharwad-Bangalore-Atlanta-Bangalore-Leipzig-Kannur-Chennai (almost moved)-Bangalore (planned)

https://youtu.be/9GUtsBv9KYE

This topic is discussed in detail in r/FIREIndia sub very frequently

[MotoBlip]

I have spent more time in Bangalore than Delhi which is my native, and speak the language too but still couldn't connect to the city on an emotional plane. I'm not saying Delhi's all dandy, just that I feel more comfortable here despite all it's shortcomings. I believe this has more to do with how I was raised, with predominant North-Indian values, it's no surprise I prefer life in NCR more. I mean the weather is terrible, and the traffic's just as bad and people generally coarse, but it's like they say, it's the little things that matter.

Dad was in the Army, so NSEW, you name it, I have been there and experienced life. I work remotely, so location is of little consequence to me and I might be moving abroad soon for my masters, so yet to explore the world and deciding on where I'd like to settle eventually. Still if I had to give an answer, it would be Panchkula, I have very fond memories of our time there and I believe it would best the candidate to replicate my present lifestyle.

[Altocumulus]

I have stayed extensively in Kolkata (Hometown), Mumbai, Bengaluru, Delhi and currently in Noida.

I already have a foot out of the door to move back to Bangalore, and had it not been my wife not agreeing, I would have been already there. Thank god for the Himalayas and a small apartment in Bangalore she decided to invest in recently and for us to go and stay every now and then, makes the compromise easy.

As a matter of fact I am currently typing this from Bangalore.

[Rangy62]

Born and brought up in Bengaluru. Lived there for 28 years. Moved out to Dubai and have lived for 32 here. So shifting for me is retirement. Would love to stay somewhere remote in the Himalayas. Preferably Uttarakhand or Sikkim.

[vj_torqueaddict]

For me personally, I want to move to my hometown Hubli in another 6-7 years. It's a small town but has all the things I need. And like you GTO, I am a big fan of Goa and it's just 3 hours drive away from my hometown. We used to do day trips to Goa in humble Hero Honda Splendors during my college days. Can head to Goa anytime we like and this has allowed to explore the non touristy parts of Goa to the max. I absolutely agree that Goa's charm is unbeatable. Cabo de rama was unheard of back in the days, and I remember we were the only ones watching the sunsets most of the times.

I am always planning towards the day when I make the permanent move to my hometown for good. Thankfully with my current permanent wfh setup I get to spend a month or so, but I would like to move for good.

Why Hubli? Simply because everybody knows everybody. Slow paced life. No need to plan in advance to go out. Amazing food. Cheap and great sea food too, thanks to proximity to Karwar.

[vb-saan]

I have been living outside India for so many years, but if I am moving back the below will be my choices:

Personal Choice: Thrissur, Kerala – my hometown and the comfort zone. But probably best suited to live without the corporate baggage.

Professional Choice: Bombay – There are some cities which can be crowded and chaotic, but the place communicates and connects with you. Bombay has that character in abundance. I love the vibes of the city and it maybe chaotic, but it’s more like organized chaos.

[sachinayak]

Such a pertinent thread, something that my wife & I constantly wonder.

Background: My wife & I were born and brought up in Bombay and most of our extended families are still there. We moved to Bangalore, for work in the IT sector, around 20 years back. My wife had a brief stay in the US, for education and a few years of work post her post-graduation.

I love Bangalore - nothing beats the weather here (and it is not over-hyped) and also the people. People in Bombay are very friendly and professional, but there are too many (its way too crowded) and in your face. In Bangalore, people are friendly, most-importantly almost everyone is educated and are not aggressive. The vibe here is also good - lot of startups, lot of focus on active living, decent F&B options etc. However, the traffic, the chaos, the continuous loss of green cover is quite depressing and we would look for options to move out once our kids get into college. While I love Bombay too, I cannot go back due to the crowd, weather and cost-of-living.

My wife is a beach person, while I love mountains. We keep joking that she will have a house in Goa and I will have an abode in Himachal. If we are still on talking terms post 50, we stay summers in the mountains and winters on the coast. But on a serious note, we are still in search of a city/town we would want to move out.

Wherever we go we would need
1. Good natural vistas
2. Access to good healthcare
3. Not too cut-off from civilization
4. General safety

Right now, the only practical options I can think off are
1. Mysore
2. Bangalore outskirts
3. Outskirts of Mussoorie (we actually spent a month working from Mussoorie and it was bliss, but those were during Covid times when Mussoorie was devoid of tourists, am sure the situation would be very different otherwise).
4. Outskirts of Solan
5. And of course - Goa (though away from the touristy locations)

[Axe77]

I’ve lived and worked in Mumbai all my life. If I’m working, all obvious professional choices for me are limited to Bombay, Delhi / Gurgaon and Bangalore. Of these I’d only want to be in Bombay. At best I could perhaps be in Pune and Mumbai as dual occupied but that’s academic.

If I’m not working and schooling is not a consideration my top pick to live in would be Pune. The key draws would be:

# Decent airport and decent access to Mumbai’s international airport (hopefully by the time this option is a reality). I would live on the Baner end of the city and it should have tolerable access to the upcoming Navi Mumbai airport
# Great for several activities close to my heart - a great 50 mtr pool at close access that’s not too crowded; lovely areas to run, cycle etc with much more ease, superb access to go out motorcycling in various directions.
# Decent restaurants
# Decent enough cosmopolitan culture, even though we’re not much for late night outings.
# Cultural familiarity. We’re both Maharashtrians. Both of us have some legacy of family and / or friends here.

Goa or some place in the hills also come to mind but honestly, I’d much rather spend a month a year in either of these places than make it my permanent home. I feel that way my love for these places is more likely to stay the same. Goa in particular offers a lot of what I wrote above for Pune but somehow I am unsure whether I’d take to it on a 12 month basis. But other than Pune, Goa is the second place that comes to mind in terms of a desire or ability to settle.

[Arun_S]

It would be Coimbatore for me.

I studied there, weather is comparatively pleasant. Good Healthcare facilities. If you are bored you can immediately access the hills.

Plus it is home to lot of retirement communities. I have been telling my wife, any future property investment is to buy house in a good community in Coimbatore.

[A_Basu]

Bhubaneswar

My hometown is Allahabad. I love it to bits, but can also see very clearly it's a dying city. A few years ago, I seriously began considering moving out. My requirements were more from the head than the heart (heart would've said Nilgiris or Himalayas):

• Medical facilities, because ageing parents. Hometown has nothing. Have had to run a thousand times to Delhi, Bangalore, and Vellore for stuff.
• Law and order. Is non-existent in my hometown.
• State capital. Because, comparatively better infrastructure and flight connectivity.

Two years ago, I moved to Bhubaneswar. I knew no one there (still don't, to be honest!) I had considered Bhopal, Lucknow, and Hyderabad as well (and Lucknow is very close to my heart) but:

• Lucknow has the same extremes of weather as Allahabad, which my parents find extremely difficult to handle these days (despite being born and bred in Allahabad).
• Bhopal did not have (at that time) the kind of apartments or flats that met our budget and our requirements.
• Hyderabad is a city I am totally in love with. Totally. But, it's fast going the Bangalore way in terms of crumbling infrastructure and breathless real-estate activity.

Bangalore, well, yes, for the job so long as they let me work, but I wouldn't consider retiring there. I've lived in Bangalore for 14 years, and seen it break down bit by bit. It is painful, coz it's a lovely city but no, not Bangalore. It can only be a stop-gap arrangement.

Hence, Bhubaneswar. How do I love Bhubaneswar? Let me count the ways:

• The people. Friendly, laid back, helpful, by-and-large honest. A VERY big plus.
• Weather. Not like Bangalore, I concede, but a vast improvement on Allahabad.
• AIIMS, L V Prasad (I've been to both places multiple times). I am told Sum Hospital is good too (and is very near where we live, as a bonus).
• Has a real bookstore. Not a stationery shop or toy shop pretending to be a bookstore.
• A very good base for me to explore the east and the east coast. Have already been on a few trips to Bengal. Now need to go south to Tranquebar, etc.
• Cost of living.
• Commutes.

I have tons of friends in Pune, and moving there would've ticked almost all the boxes as Bhubaneswar, but...the very strong and unspoken pro-Marathi vibes is something that has always given me pause. Plus, everyone tells me the traffic is horrible.