Depok vs Chandigarh: Which City Wins for Expats in 2026?

Chandigarh costs roughly 97% less than Depok. Depok leads on digital nomad infrastructure. Use our tool below to personalize the estimate based on your income and lifestyle.

Household
Lifestyle
Schooling

Chandigarh is approximately 29% less expensive than Depok based on cost of living including rent. This makes Chandigarh a more budget-friendly option for expats considering a move.

Chandigarh has a FIRE Score of 90/100, indicating its suitability for financial independence and early retirement. The city's safety index is 60, which is relatively safe.

Recommended profile: Chandigarh is ideal for GeoArbitragers and remote workers looking to maximize savings.

About Depok

Depok is a budget play, not a lifestyle upgrade: a 1-bedroom outside the center runs $105/mo and a 3-bedroom in the center just $251/mo, yet the local average net salary sits at $225/mo, so most expats here are earning elsewhere. The catch is the air, with an air quality index of 95 and a tropical monsoon climate of constant humidity and afternoon thunderstorms, plus limited English and a small expat community. It suits remote workers chasing a 41/100 cost of living index and a $13/mo transit pass, not retirees who want comfort, since the retiree score lands at 58/100 and the retirement visa demands $2,000/mo in income.

About Indonesia

Skip this if you need English-speaking doctors or a fast path to citizenship, both weak here. But budget retirees can live well on $429.70/mo excl. rent plus sub-$320 rent, and the $2,000/mo Retirement KITAS is achievable. Best suited for low-cost-focused retirees, not remote workers facing the $387/mo nomad visa threshold.

MONTHLY SAVINGS

$2,717/mo

Nomad Viability
Moderate Suitability

Cost of Living (Without Rent)

Single Person$639/mo
Family of Four$2,307/mo

Rent Per Month

1 Bedroom (City Centre)
$214
1 Bedroom (Outside Centre)
$105
3 Bedroom (City Centre)
$251
3 Bedroom (Outside Centre)
$140

Attractiveness

FIRE Score
85/100
Retiree Score
56/100
Nomad Score
30/100



City Details
Overall Winner
FIRE90

About Chandigarh

Chandigarh is a rare bargain: a 1-bedroom in the center runs $166/mo and a 3-bedroom outside it just $280/mo, while a single adult can live on a budget tier of $183/mo. The catch is earning locally, since the average net salary is only $427/mo, so this city rewards remote workers and retirees far more than job seekers. Air quality sits at 135 and English proficiency is limited, which will test anyone expecting a soft landing. Still, an overall expat score of 88/100 and a FIRE score of 90/100 make it one of the cheapest credible bases in India.

About India

Skip this one if you need a straightforward retirement or nomad visa: neither exists, and PR/citizenship access is complex and difficult. Rent under $151/mo in city centers makes it a fit for budget-focused remote workers with existing income solutions who can tolerate medium expat safety and moderate political stability.

MONTHLY SAVINGS

$2,719/mo

Nomad Viability
Moderate Suitability

Cost of Living (Without Rent)

Single Person$324/mo
Family of Four$1,170/mo

Rent Per Month

1 Bedroom (City Centre)
$166
1 Bedroom (Outside Centre)
$116
3 Bedroom (City Centre)
$459
3 Bedroom (Outside Centre)
$280

Attractiveness

FIRE Score
91/100
Retiree Score
67/100
Nomad Score
20/100



City Details

Which visa fits your move?

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Battle of Lifestyles

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MetricDepokChandigarh
1BR Apartment (Center)$214.05$165.83
1BR Apartment (Outside)$104.7$115.57
3BR Apartment (Center)$251.28$458.63
3BR Apartment (Outside)$139.6$280.35
Safety Index5860
Internet Speed20.2Mbps56Mbps
Walkability ScoreN/AN/A

Monthly cost by categoryOne person, computed from each city's own average prices

CategoryDepokChandigarh
Total (rent included)$298/mo$319/mo
Excluding rent$193/mo$203/mo
Rent$105/mo$116/mo
Groceries$82.00/mo$62.00/mo
Dining out$14.00/mo$31.00/mo
Entertainment & lifestyle$27.00/mo$58.00/mo
Utilities & connectivity$57.00/mo$48.00/mo
Transport$13.00/mo$4.00/mo

Usage-based estimates from this city's own average prices. A row marked N/A means that city is missing data, so no figure is shown instead of a stale one.

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Depok vs Chandigarh -- Frequently Asked Questions

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The Rewire Abroad city comparison tool lets you compare any two cities side by side across metrics that matter most for expats: cost of living, rent, safety, internet speed, and unique attractiveness scores like FIRE and Nomad scores.

The FIRE Score is a financial runway index based on your specific income relative to the local cost of living and rent in that city.

The Retiree Score is a holistic measure of healthcare quality, safety, and general pace of life.

The Nomad Score measures suitability for remote workers, prioritizing average internet speeds, coworking density, and the size of the local expat community.

The monthly cost includes rent and living expenses adjusted using country-level cost of living averages and lifestyle multipliers.

The Savings Rate is the percentage of your income left over after covering all estimated monthly costs in that city.

The tool compares exactly two cities at a time for a clean head-to-head breakdown.

Rewire Abroad has data on hundreds of cities worldwide. If a city appears in the search dropdown, full data is available.

We aggregate data from private and official international sources, adjusted by country-level data for accuracy.