How much more should I ask for to move cities?

Start with the break-even figure above, then add whatever the move is worth to you as an actual gain. Moving for exactly break-even means taking on all the disruption for nothing.

Should I count the HRA exemption difference?

Yes, if you are on the old regime and moving between a metro and a non-metro. The exemption rule uses 50% of salary in Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai and 40% everywhere else, which shifts the real cost.

What salary you need after relocating

A job in another city is only a raise if the raise outruns the cost of living there. Most of that difference is rent, and rent is a number you can look up rather than guess at.

Rather than using a published city index, this asks for the two numbers you can actually check: what you pay now, and what the same kind of place costs there.

CTC needed to break even

₹18,42,857

A hike of 22.9% just to stand still

Extra cost each month: ₹20,000
Extra cost each year: ₹2,40,000
Pre-tax salary needed to cover it: ₹3,42,857
Break-even CTC: ₹18,42,857
One-off moving cost: ₹1,50,000
CTC needed in year one: ₹20,57,143

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How this is worked out

The monthly gap is the rent difference plus whatever else you expect to change.
That gap is spent out of post-tax income, so the salary increase needed is the gap divided by 0.7, assuming a 30% marginal rate.
The year-one figure adds the one-off cost of moving, grossed up the same way.

What this does not cover

Some employers pay relocation costs separately. Ask before you build them into your salary ask.
Rent is the largest line but not the only one. A city with no public transport can add a car to your life.
Nothing here prices the things that do not have a price: distance from family, weather, whether you will want to be there in three years.

Questions people ask

How much more should I ask for to move cities?: Start with the break-even figure above, then add whatever the move is worth to you as an actual gain. Moving for exactly break-even means taking on all the disruption for nothing.
Should I count the HRA exemption difference?: Yes, if you are on the old regime and moving between a metro and a non-metro. The exemption rule uses 50% of salary in Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai and 40% everywhere else, which shifts the real cost.

Where these figures come from

Rates and rules on this page were last checked against the source on 31 August 2026. Tax law changes; check the source before you rely on a number for a decision.

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