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Bengaluru
#18 of 124
Asia

Bengaluru

India

Salary & Cost of Living

View purchasing power ranking

How do salaries and expenses in Bengaluru compare to San Francisco?

Purchasing Power Comparison

An engineer in Bengaluru is 19% worse off vs in San Francisco

This shows how far a software engineer's salary goes in Bengaluru compared to San Francisco, taking into account both salary differences and cost of living.

Median Salary
$38,702
-$234K (-86%) vs San Francisco
Based on 11493 data points from levels.fyi
Net Salary
$25,969
-$146K (-85%) vs San Francisco
Tax Rate: 33%

Community Insights

New

Bengaluru remains the undisputed king of the Indian tech scene, offering career opportunities that dwarf those of rival cities. However, the city is a paradox: while your purchasing power (#20 globally) and career growth potential are world-class, the quality of life is severely hampered by crumbling infrastructure.

Living here means accepting a trade-off: you get the best weather and the best jobs, but you must battle severe traffic (#90 safety index correlates with chaotic roads) and rising pollution. The recent water crisis and rent spikes have soured the mood, making the city feel like it is bursting at the seams.

Resident Sentiment

Current residents exhibit a classic love-hate relationship. There is immense pride in the city's global tech status and affection for its "sweater weather," but this is matched by deep frustration over civic apathy.

Transplants often joke about being "trapped"—they want to leave due to the traffic and cost of living, but stay because no other Indian city matches the salary potential and climate. The sentiment has shifted recently from "optimistic chaos" to "infrastructure fatigue," especially regarding the water and rent situations.

Living Environment

Weather•Safety•Pollution•Events

A quick look at climate, safety, pollution, and tech community compared to San Francisco.

Rankings

Cost of Living

Top 2%

#2

of 124 cities

17/100

Current value (lower is better)

Community Events

Top 15%

#18

of 124 cities

14 events on luma

Current value

Purchasing Power

Top 15%

#18

of 124 cities

Housing Affordability

View affordability ranking

How affordable is housing for a software engineer in Bengaluru compared to San Francisco?

Avg. Property Price
$1,519 / m²
85% cheaper than San Francisco
View detailed property prices on Numbeo

Salary Converter

Enter your annual gross salary (before taxes) to see what you would need to earn in Bengaluru to maintain the same standard of living.

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Do you have kids?

Cost of Living
81% cheaper than San Francisco
View detailed cost breakdown on Numbeo

Top Paying Companies in Bengaluru

Broadcom logo
Broadcom
Uber logo
Uber
Airbnb logo
Airbnb

The Good

  • Unrivaled Tech Ecosystem: Widely considered the Silicon Valley of India, offering the highest density of startups, unicorns, and MNC R&D centers in the country.
  • Pleasant Weather: Residents consistently praise the temperate climate (avg 24.3°C) as a major advantage over the scorching heat of Hyderabad or Chennai.
  • Career Mobility: The sheer volume of companies allows for rapid job switching and aggressive salary negotiations, boosting local purchasing power.
  • Cosmopolitan Lifestyle: A vibrant social scene with a massive pub culture, diverse food options, and a generally liberal, English-speaking environment.
  • Networking: High probability of running into founders, VCs, and fellow engineers at casual meetups or cafes in areas like Koramangala and Indiranagar.

The Bad

  • Nightmarish Traffic: Commutes are notoriously long; the Silk Board junction is a meme for permanent gridlock, and techies report losing hours daily.
  • Infrastructure Collapse: Frequent complaints about potholes, waterlogging during rains, and poor urban planning despite the city's wealth.
  • Rental Crisis: Post-COVID "return to office" mandates have led to skyrocketing rents (up to 30-40% hikes reported) and fierce competition for flats in tech corridors.
  • High Security Deposits: Unlike other cities, landlords often demand 10 months of rent as a security deposit, creating a massive upfront financial burden.
  • Water Scarcity: Recent severe water shortages have forced reliance on expensive water tankers, creating anxiety about long-term sustainability.
  • Auto-Rickshaw Issues: frequent complaints about drivers refusing meters, overcharging, and generally aggressive behavior toward commuters.

The Verdict

You'll love it if...

Ambitious Career Climbers: Junior to mid-level engineers looking to fast-track their careers, join early-stage startups, or pivot into niche tech fields will find no better place.

Social Extroverts: Young professionals who value a vibrant nightlife, microbreweries, and a diverse, open-minded social circle will thrive in the city's cosmopolitan bubles.

Skip it if...

Commute Intolerant: If you cannot handle spending 1-2 hours in bumper-to-bumper traffic daily, this city will break you unless you live walking distance from work.

Health Sensitive: Those with respiratory issues (asthma/allergies) should be wary of the high dust levels and pollution index (82.4/100).

Families seeking Order: People used to functional public infrastructure and organized city planning might find the chaotic urban management frustrating.

Updated 11/29/2025

Weather3.5/10-60% vs San Francisco
Safety46+17%
Pollution82+67%
Events14-73%
3.5/10TechCities weather score vs 8.7/10 in San Francisco

0–10 composite (higher is better) combining temperature comfort, sunshine hours, rainy-day count, and humid days. See methodology for weighting and data sources.

Weather snapshot

Average High
29°C(vs 19°C in San Francisco)
Average Low
20°C(vs 12°C in San Francisco)
Sunshine Hours
2,361h/yr-701h/yr(-23%)
Hottest Month High
34°C(vs 22°C in San Francisco)
Coldest Month Low
16°C(vs 8°C in San Francisco)
Rainy Days
71/yr+22/yr(+46%)

Community & Quality

Bengaluru community pulse

Bengaluru has 14 Luma events listed.

73% fewer events than San Francisco.

Home Affordability

Top 26%

#32

of 124 cities

≈4.7 yrs to buy 80m²

Current value

Tax Rate

Middle of the pack

#72

of 124 cities

33%

Current value (lower is better)

Comfortable Weather

Bottom 31%

#87

of 124 cities

35/100 weather score

Current value

Safety Index

Bottom 28%

#90

of 124 cities

46/100

Current value

Net Income

Bottom 20%

#100

of 124 cities

$25,969/yr

Current value

Pollution Score

Bottom 7%

#116

of 124 cities

82.4/100

Current value (lower is better)

SWE Affordability
4.7 years
similar to San Francisco
Muggy Days
166/yr+165/yr(+82650%)
Cloud Cover
69%(vs 34% in San Francisco)