Global CityIntelligence

India / South Asia

Delhi, India City Intelligence

Delhi anchors northern India's political, services, and academic life with extensive metro networks and active air-quality and water-resilience work. Delhi is a south asia city of about 33M metro in India. On the composite city-intelligence score, Delhi sits below the indexed median, with practical gaps to close (64/100).

Last updated
2026-05-16
Data year
2025
Population
33M metro

Delhi at a glance

8 of 8 published intelligence dimensions. Positions compare Delhi with other indexed cities in India.

Strongest in India

  • Affordability
  • Safety
  • Internet
  • Climate comfort

Trade-offs in India

  • Air quality
How this is calculated

Where a position is shown, it compares Delhi with the other indexed cities in India — using the data currently published on this site, not any external benchmark. Cities whose indicators are still pending integration are excluded from those comparisons entirely, and no position is shown for a country with fewer than 10 comparable cities. Where too many cities share the same published value to separate them honestly, the card says “Typical for this country” instead of a stronger claim, and positions describe rank order rather than a fixed percentage.

Cities similar to Delhi

No close match found using the currently published Global City Intelligence indicators — no candidate city met the similarity threshold this model applies. That is a result of what is measured here, not a statement that no comparable city exists. You can still explore alternatives that improve a specific indicator below.

Explore alternatives to Delhi

Cities that stay broadly comparable to Delhi while improving one named indicator. Each result states what it gains and what it gives up.

Choose an indicator to see alternatives.

How recommendations are calculated

Recommendations use the indicators currently published on this site — they are not external rankings. Each indicator is scaled to a common range before cities are compared, so no single measure dominates because of its units, and only cities with a complete set of published indicators take part. Cities whose data is still pending integration are excluded entirely. An alternative must stay broadly comparable to Delhi and improve the indicator you chose by a margin large enough to be meaningful rather than rounding noise; where it gives something up in exchange, that is stated on the card.

View of Humayun's tomb in Delhi, India

Humayun's tomb

Image credit: Image: Anshrastogi1 / Wikimedia Commons, CC0

Composite profile

Overall score

64/100

Read Delhi as a vast, dynamic capital where economic depth and connectivity balance significant air-quality and heat pressures.

Overall64/100
Affordability80/100
Air quality38/100
Energy66/100

Overall city intelligence

Mixed

64/100

Composite directional score across affordability, air quality, clean energy, and resilience.

Metro network

Globally cited

Delhi Metro is one of the world's largest.

Air-quality priority

Very high

Particulate exposure is a central public-health focus.

Delhi data table

The table is part of the initial server-rendered HTML and mirrors the key city score cards.

Delhi city intelligence data table
MetricValueContext
Overall score64/100Composite score across major city intelligence modules.
Cost of Living80/100Delhi is comparatively affordable for housing and services across most districts.
Air Quality38/100Delhi carries significant air-quality pressure, with seasonal particulate exposure a central public-health focus.
Energy66/100Delhi benefits from rapid solar build-out and active grid expansion, with coal-heavy electricity the central transition lever.
Safety70/100Delhi scores moderately on safety, with district-level variation and active institutional response.
Internet Speed74/100Delhi offers reliable fiber and mobile networks supporting digital services and remote work.
Climate Risk54/100Delhi carries significant climate risk centered on heat, water scarcity, and air-quality co-stress.
Resilience58/100Climate adaptation and infrastructure continuity context.

Safety

Deterministic safety estimates from our index — planning signals derived from country priors and city data, not official crime statistics.

Safety

Overall safety51/100
Low crime51/100
Personal safety54/100
Night safety44/100
Road safety56/100

Delhi has a moderate safety estimate (51/100); standard urban precautions are advised, particularly after dark.

Quality of Life

A composite quality-of-life estimate and its component indicators.

Quality of Life

Quality of life60/100
Healthcare62/100
Education69/100
Green space36/100
Cleanliness50/100
Infrastructure69/100
Mobility66/100

Delhi has a moderate quality-of-life estimate (60/100) across our combined indicators.

Family Friendliness

How the city scores for raising a family, with the indicators that drive it.

Family Friendliness

Family friendliness56/100
Education69/100
Green space36/100
Overall safety51/100

Delhi scores moderate for family living (56/100).

Digital Nomad Suitability

Suitability for remote workers, based on connectivity, mobility, and livability.

Digital Nomad Suitability

Digital nomad suitability68/100
Walkability82/100
Cycling53/100
Infrastructure69/100

Delhi is high for remote workers (68/100), based on connectivity, affordability and walkability and day-to-day amenities.

Retirement Suitability

Suitability for retirement, weighing healthcare, affordability, climate, and environment.

Retirement Suitability

Retirement suitability62/100
Healthcare62/100
Cleanliness50/100
Outdoor lifestyle29/100

Delhi is moderate for retirement (62/100), appealing for affordability and a comfortable climate.

Emergency and public safety in Delhi

Local public safety guidance for Delhi, with the country-level emergency contacts that apply when calling for police, fire, or ambulance.

Unverified

For the universal emergency contacts that apply in Delhi, including police, fire, and ambulance, see the India emergency profile, which currently lists no verified national contacts.

Methodology and the wider source registry are documented on the scoring methodology and data sources pages.

Healthcare and hospitals in Delhi

Healthcare context for Delhi, with national-level information from India where city-specific data is not yet verified. This is informational only and does not provide medical advice.

Unverified

For the national healthcare and public-health context that applies in Delhi, see the India healthcare profile, which currently lists no verified national healthcare information.

Related sections: emergency and public safety, scoring methodology, and data sources.

Transport and mobility in Delhi

Local mobility context for Delhi, with national-level context from India where city-specific data is not yet verified. This is informational only.

Unverified

For national transport authorities and operators that apply in Delhi, see the India transport profile, which currently lists no verified national transport information.

Related sections: emergency and public safety, healthcare and hospitals, cities directory, countries directory, scoring methodology, data sources.

Air quality dataset

Source-attributed air-quality dataset for Delhi. Verified measurements are surfaced when published from accepted official datasets; transparent fallback is shown otherwise.

Air quality dataset for Delhi

Verified data unavailableLast updated 2026-05-16 / data year 2025

Verified air-quality measurements are not yet published for this location

Source-attributed values for Delhi will appear here after the platform integrates verified measurements from accepted official publishers. Until then, structured air-quality module context remains available on the dedicated module page.

Delhi air-quality dataset coverage
MetricValueData yearStatus
Air qualityVerified air-quality measurements are not yet published for this location.

Data provenance

Source attribution

  • Global City Intelligence — air-quality dataset

    Verified data unavailable
    Publisher
    Global City Intelligence
    Last verified
    2026-05-16

    The air-quality dataset begins empty by design. Verified city-level measurements appear here only after they are sourced from accepted publishers (WHO, EEA, US EPA, OpenAQ, OECD, or official national/city environmental agencies).

Quick answers

Quick, evidence-based answers about Delhi drawn from this profile's indexed cost, climate, safety, economy, education, healthcare and nearby-nature data. Figures are deterministic estimates for orientation — verify specifics with official sources.

Quick answers about Delhi

Is Delhi worth visiting?

Yes — good quality of life (60/100) and a industrial city economy.

Is Delhi good for families?

Good (56/100) on safety, schools and green space.

Is Delhi affordable?

More affordable than average; about ₹52,400/month for one person (estimate).

When is the best time to visit Delhi?

Late spring to early autumn; warmest in Jul, coldest in Jan.

What are Delhi's main industries?

Mainly manufacturing, automotive, agriculture.

What is the climate in Delhi?

A humid subtropical climate, averaging about 22.0°C.

Does Delhi have universities?

Higher education is good (64/100).

What is healthcare like in Delhi?

Healthcare access is good (56/100).

Is Delhi good for retirement?

Retirement suitability is strong (66/100).

What nature is near Delhi?

No major nature destinations are indexed within day-trip range.

Explore Delhi modules

City pages link to module and ranking pages so crawlers can move through the topic cluster naturally.

Air Quality in Delhi

Delhi carries significant air-quality pressure, with seasonal particulate exposure a central public-health focus.

Energy in Delhi

Delhi benefits from rapid solar build-out and active grid expansion, with coal-heavy electricity the central transition lever.

Safety in Delhi

Delhi scores moderately on safety, with district-level variation and active institutional response.

Internet Speed in Delhi

Delhi offers reliable fiber and mobile networks supporting digital services and remote work.

Climate Risk in Delhi

Delhi carries significant climate risk centered on heat, water scarcity, and air-quality co-stress.

City rankings

Compare this city against other indexed cities in crawlable ranking tables.

Cost of living in Delhi

Cost of living estimates for Delhi — monthly budgets, rent, food, and transport in the local currency, plus an affordability score for comparison. Planning estimates derived from country baselines, not live prices.

Climate in Delhi

Climate profile for Delhi — Humid Subtropical climate, annual average 22°C, comfort score 88/100. Month-by-month temperatures, rainfall, sunshine, and the best months to visit. Deterministic planning estimates, not a forecast.

Economy and jobs in Delhi

Economy and jobs profile for Delhi — industrial city, economy score 58/100, key industries including manufacturing, automotive, agriculture. Employment, salary, startup, remote-work, and career indicators. Deterministic planning estimates.

Universities and education in Delhi

Education profile for Delhi — regional education center, education score 62/100, 7 representative universities, plus research, student life, and international-student indicators. Deterministic dataset, not institutional rankings.

Healthcare and retirement in Delhi

Healthcare and retirement profile for Delhi — mixed healthcare profile, healthcare score 56/100, retirement score 66/100. Medical access, specialist and emergency care, affordability, and retirement suitability. Deterministic planning estimates.

Nearby weekend places from Delhi

Source-backed nearby place records for local-first weekend planning, with verification status, official source links, Wikidata identity, and visual context.

Estimate a monthly budget for Delhi

Estimate a monthly budget for Delhi using your own housing, food, transport, healthcare, and lifestyle inputs. Planning estimator only — not an official cost-of-living measurement.

Plan a trip budget for Delhi

Plan a trip budget for Delhi using your own accommodation, food, local transport, activities, travel, healthcare buffer, and emergency buffer inputs. Planning estimator only — not an official travel cost estimate.

Around Delhi

8 indexed destinations within reach — 0 cities and 8 natural places — grouped by measured straight-line distance.

Nearby
Sanjay Lake 10 kmSurajkund 21 kmSultanpur National Park 39 km
Day-trip distance
Hindon River 68 km
Weekend distance
Dhosi Hill 134 kmGovardhan Hill 135 kmKevladev National Park 169 km

Explore everything within reach of Delhi

Nature near Delhi

8 classified outdoor destinations within weekend reach, grouped by what kind of place they are. Distances are straight-line kilometres from the city centre.

  • 3lakes
  • 2mountains
  • 2national parks
  • 1river

Explore nature near Delhi

Nearby cities from Delhi

Where else nearby you could spend a day or a weekend from Delhi. Links are derived from geographic proximity, shared region, shared natural-recreation areas, transport corridors, and country borders — not popularity or tourism rankings.

Lahore, Pakistan

Cross-border · about 423 km from Delhi. Explore Lahore's city intelligence profile.

Karachi, Pakistan

Cross-border · about 1098 km from Delhi. Explore Karachi's city intelligence profile.

Mumbai, India

Same region · about 1154 km from Delhi. Explore Mumbai's city intelligence profile.

Pune, India

Same region · about 1179 km from Delhi. Explore Pune's city intelligence profile.

Delhi FAQ

Common questions about living in, visiting, working in, studying in and retiring to Delhi, answered from the indexed cost-of-living, climate, safety, economy, education, healthcare and nearby-nature data on this profile.

Frequently asked questions about Delhi

Is Delhi worth visiting?

Delhi has a moderate quality-of-life estimate (60/100) across our combined indicators. Visitors can also reach nature such as nearby parks and countryside within weekend range.

What is it like to live in Delhi?

Delhi has a moderate quality-of-life estimate (60/100) across our combined indicators. It indexes 60/100 for overall quality of life.

How much does it cost to live in Delhi?

A single resident of Delhi spends roughly ₹52,400 per month, with a one-bedroom rent near ₹27,900. Overall the city is more affordable than average for India. These are modelled estimates, not live quotes — verify locally.

What should I know about moving to Delhi?

Plan for below-average living costs and check current rents before relocating. Delhi is high for remote workers (68/100), based on connectivity, affordability and walkability and day-to-day amenities.

What is the job market like in Delhi?

Delhi's labour market is moderate, with opportunities concentrated in manufacturing, technology and education and research. Delhi has a manufacturing-oriented economy with strengths in manufacturing, automotive and agriculture.

Is Delhi good for digital nomads and remote work?

Delhi offers solid infrastructure and amenities for remote professionals, with a remote-work score of 60/100.

What are the education options in Delhi?

Delhi is a regional education center with a mix of universities and research activity in our dataset, spanning fields such as Social Sciences, Mathematics and Business.

Is Delhi a good place to study?

Delhi offers a strong student environment, supported by walkable neighborhoods and relatively affordable living.

What is healthcare like in Delhi?

Delhi has a mixed healthcare profile, supported by hospitals, specialist services, and public-health infrastructure, with a healthcare score of 56/100. Residents have solid access to healthcare across primary, specialist, and emergency care.

Is Delhi a good place to retire?

Delhi offers a combination of healthcare access, safety, and amenities that may appeal to retirees, with a retirement score of 66/100. Residents benefit from walkable streets and day-to-day services.

What is the climate like in Delhi?

Delhi has a humid subtropical climate, averaging about 22.0°C annually with roughly 1100 mm of rain. The hottest month is Jul and the coldest Jan. The driest is typically Jan.

Is Delhi a safe place to live?

Delhi has a moderate safety estimate (51/100); standard urban precautions are advised, particularly after dark.

How easy is it to get around Delhi?

Delhi indexes a walkability score of 82 and a cycling score of 53 out of 100. Check the local operator for live transit routes and fares.

What nature and outdoor places are near Delhi?

Delhi has limited indexed nature destinations within day-trip range.

Is Delhi good for families?

Delhi scores moderate for family living (56/100).

What outdoor activities are there around Delhi?

Delhi rates 29/100 for outdoor lifestyle and 36/100 for green space.

Interpretation

Read Delhi as a vast, dynamic capital where economic depth and connectivity balance significant air-quality and heat pressures. Its standout dimensions are cost of living (80/100) and internet speed (74/100). The area most worth watching is air quality (38/100), where the model registers practical gaps. Data year 2025; last updated 2026-05-16. Drawn from 5 institutional references.

Country context is available on the India country page. Related rankings include Overall Intelligence, Quality of Life, Remote Work. See where Delhi appears in global rankings or read the scoring methodology.

Structured indicators on this page are directional and intended for orientation. Verified datasets are being integrated; official sources should be used for critical decisions.

Sources

5 institutional references inform this view, listed below with reliability notes. Structured indicators on this page are directional and intended for orientation; verified datasets are being integrated and official sources should be used for critical decisions.