Which city has better purchasing power?

Paris shows higher local purchasing power (85 vs 64).

Can a student afford Surat more easily than Paris?

Students usually feel rent first — Surat leads on rent index. Still verify campus neighbourhoods beyond city-wide averages.

Is Paris or Surat better for remote workers?

Remote workers often optimize for Surat on CPI while checking visas and connectivity independently — those factors are not asserted as verified facts here.

How large is the cost gap between Paris and Surat?

The CPI gap is about 82%. Housing and wages can widen or shrink monthly outcomes.

Is it cheaper to live in Paris or Surat?

On CPI, Surat is cheaper than Paris by roughly 82% in this pairing (75.7 vs 14, NYC=100).

Which city has lower rent, Paris or Surat?

Surat has the lower rent index (4.5 vs 44).

Paris vs Surat Cost of Living Comparison

Takeaway for Paris vs Surat: everyday costs favor Surat (~82% CPI gap), housing index favors Surat, wage stretch favors Paris. Use category winners, not a single headline, when the binding constraint is rent or income.

Overall Cost Winner

Surat

Lower overall CPI; largest measurable gaps: Salary (6734% gap, Surat ahead); Internet (1555% gap, Paris ahead).

Monthly Cost Difference

Estimated monthly housing+utilities+internet basket is about $1,510 lower in Surat than in Paris (~89% gap; converted via exchange rates).

Estimated monthly difference: $1,510 (favoring Surat).

Category Winners

Category	Winner	Note
Overall CPI	Surat	CPI 14 vs 75.7 (lower is better)
Housing	Surat	Rent index 4.5 vs 44 (lower is better)
Food	Surat	Groceries index 17 vs 74 (lower is better)
Transport	Paris	One-way ticket 1.81 vs 27.85 (lower is better)
Utilities	Paris	Utilities (85m²) 80.96 vs 751.5 (lower is better)
Internet	Paris	Internet 54.74 vs 905.98 (lower is better)
Restaurants	Surat	Restaurant index 12.5 vs 72 (lower is better)
Salary	Surat	Avg net salary 331328 vs 4848.4 (higher is better)
Purchasing Power	Paris	PP index 85 vs 64 (higher is better)

Biggest Difference

Salary: Surat leads with a 6734% gap.

Avg net salary 331328 vs 4848.4 (higher is better)

Quick Decision

Students: Surat — Lower housing / rent index (90% gap).
Families: Surat — Housing is typically the largest household line; rent index favors Surat; purchasing power favors Paris.
Remote Workers: Surat — Everyday cost index (CPI) favors Surat (~82% gap).
Budget Living: Surat — Lowest overall consumer-price index in this pair.

Key Takeaways

Surat is the overall cost winner on CPI (~82% lower everyday-cost index than Paris).
Housing: Surat leads on rent index (90% gap).
Food / groceries: Surat is lower (77% gap).
Purchasing power: Paris scores higher (25% gap).
Largest category gap: Salary (6734%), favoring Surat.
Sample monthly basket (1BR + utilities + internet) is ~$1,510 cheaper in Surat.

Analysis

Paris versus Surat is not a single number. With a 82% CPI spread, groceries and services tend to move with Surat, while housing follows Surat's rent index. Purchasing power (85 vs 64) decides whether local wages offset local prices.

Trust & data transparency

Last updated: 2026-08-11

Data Sources

This page uses CityCost index inputs. Platform sources (see also Data sources):

Real
Real

On-page labels for this view: Real · Real.

Methodology

Each indexed city is associated with a reference basket of common living costs (for example rent, groceries samples, transport tickets, utilities, restaurant meals, and net salary where available). From those items, the platform derives relative indices such as CPI, rent, groceries, restaurants, and local purchasing power, using New York City = 100 as the familiar baseline convention for relative comparison.

Read full methodology · Data sources · Disclaimer