This is a very relevant question. Requesting comments.
I personally prefer Delhi because of low rent (compared to Mumbai) and better traffic. And also because I don't like Mumbai's humid weather. Delhi helps in better savings.
Both are wonderful cities in many ways and also horrible in a few different ways. 🧐
Which one you might end up liking more is going to be very much personality driven and a very subjective choice. Both cities can be hard to live in if you don't like cities, and not just Mumbai but also Delhi is a maximum city, albeit with very different styles: Mumbai is sprawling and dense, yet also a cosy village in parts with bonus sea views. Delhi is open, spread out, with more parks and monuments and ancient history but also more concrete with a residential colony type structure.
As for work, it's said Mumbai is generally by default a bit more 'gentlemanly' or professional, whereas Delhi can be a bit more cut and thrust in its approach to working, though you'll obviously find that depends greatly on where you work and whom you work with.
And if you like hanging around with litigation types, you'll meet many more in Delhi: you can't swing a cat in a Delhi bar without risking hitting an advocate.
Since the positives will be very subjective and will depend on all sorts of factors of chance, like the friends you'll make and the places you live, I'll point out a few (also subjective) potential issues for many people that spring to mind that could be deal breakers and might help your choice: - physiology: what is less pleasant for you? Delhi dry heat (with a few months of pretty cold winter) or Mumbai wet heat (with a few months of balmy pleasant winter weather)? - your lungs: will your health be able to take the annual infamous Delhi pollution that also continues low grade through most of the year but peaks in winter forcing those with health issues to flee or suffer and others to hide indoors with blasting air purifiers and venture outdoors with (non-pandemic) face masks. - sweaty limited public transport lines (Mumbai) vs air conditioned pretty decent metro network (Delhi), though both have the cabapps obviously these days. - women's safety: realistically in Delhi the odds of 'stranger danger' sexual violence against a somewhat privileged lawyer working in a law firm or the courts are low in any individual case, though media attention and infamous historical events plus the perception some people have of the city can make it a scarier place than it has to be, and while Mumbai is not immune of course, it can subjective feel a little safer and more welcoming to some women, anecdotally. - road traffic in Mumbai, nearly always bad to horrible. In Delhi, sometimes bad but often bearable. - rental: Mumbai flats are smaller and more expensive, Delhi can comparatively be luxurious for the same price. - Delhi social life can be a tiny bit more cliquey with old Delhi networks being harder to get into, while Mumbai can be more welcoming to newcomers and migrants, but your mileage will obviously vary.
Of course these lists are far from exhaustive and not everyone will agree, but that's the point: in many ways you won't know until you try, it's going to be a very individual choice, though it's nearly certain that you'll get interesting, memorable and meaningful life and work experiences in either city. And worst case, unless you fall in love with the Supreme Court or Bombay Duck, you can always move, so enjoy the good times along the way 😄
The very fact that Mumbai is costly (don't wanna pay more than 50k for a one bhk... Accompanied by security deposit running around 1 lakh or more) and has bad traffic without a comfortable public transport (like Delhi Metro) make me opt for Delhi.
comfortable public transport (like Delhi Metro) make me opt for Delhi.
Well of course Delhi has better transport. We've (Bombay) have been subsiding the rest of India for ages, we're net contributors to the budget and even then we receive peanuts for every 100 Rs we send to the Centre.
IIt's a pipe dream but I hope, given recent events, Shiv Sena steps up and puts an end to this.
A very fair view - thoroughly enjoyed reading. Just don't agree with the point on 'Delhi dry heat (with a few months of pretty cold winter)'... Having lived in Delhi for many years, only 3-4 months are unbearable (summer) and other than that there are a number of ok transitional months/ monsoon.
Personally, it has always baffled me why people (without a base in Mumbai, Mah or neighbouring states), could chose Mumbai (and why so many offices are still concentrated here). The monsoon aspect can be also added to above analysis. IMO the only thing going for Mumbai is availability of freshly brewed beer with doorstep delivery !!! Dilli why so far behind in this department :(
PS. Mah generally has so many better towns like Pune , Nasik etc... unbelievable how Mumbai shares the same beautiful state
Good point on Delhi weather, 3 - 4 months are tough, 3 - 4 months of winter are cold (which some people like) and 3 - 4 months, maybe more, are pretty good...
Most people have no choice in India. Every year when Delhi gets polluted, people are outraged and there is a demand to shift the national capital but nothing really happens. People just adjust to the lower quality of life. Its the same for Mumbai.
Well... glad you enjoyed. Since you asked, talking about how great Bangalore is, is one of my favourite topics 😊 My personal opinion, though only based on more limited time of living there: Bangalore is a better place to live than both Delhi and Mumbai, primarily for the weather which is probably the best of nearly any city in the world, but also because of its slightly more relaxed nature than both.
The general consensus is that lawyers and clients are fairly professional and competent in Bangalore (helped by the vibrant tech industry), but that the pace of life and hours can be a bit more relaxed in the law firms (though not in every firm!).
And if you want to do litigation it won't be as exciting as Delhi and can be difficult for an outsider to penetrate, and if you want to do finance, there'll be more in Bombay (and Delhi) also. But lots of good corporate / PE / VC work (perhaps even better than in Mumbai and Delhi) can be had in Bangalore these days. In terms of law firms, the city also has quite a few boutique corporate / VC firms with good clients and culture, and many of the big firms have offices there but it is overall still a much smaller legal market with fewer available jobs.
Pay is usually a bit less on average but costs of living are a bit lower too, with good flats available for rent.
And the pub scene is still fantastic and better than any other city in India (if you're ok with the slightly early closing times). There's also decent culture, food and other entertainments on offer, and for the most part the locals and the many migrants are said to be very welcoming, perhaps even more so than Mumbai (?).
Of course, the thing pretty much everyone hates about Bangalore is the traffic (and rightly so if you ever have to travel during rush hour at all). The only solution is if you can afford living near to your workplace or are lucky enough for your commute to be doable via the limited metro network (which is rare).
Alternatively, if your workplace is amenable to WFH for longer, Bangalore might be one of the most pleasant places to live.
@Kian Great answer and really well put. This will surely go into our Hall of fame conversation threads. Hope you have received our message regarding the same. @legallyindia
Do we have a substitute for Gokul (Mumbai) here in Delhi, cheap local bars ?
For everything else, Delhi leads. Ease of travel - Metro as well as the roads Accomodation - Much cheaper, easy on pocket Long weekend ? - Plenty of beautiful places around (Himachal, Uttarakhand etc) with overnight buses from Kashmere Gate Food & Shopping - Loads of options fitting all budgets Climate - Not the best but I'd still choose the Delhi summer/winter over the Mumbai monsoons
Also, I've found the crowd here to be not so friendly and welcoming. And, be cautious during househunting, plenty of frauds.
Not sure what the pandemic situation is but in more normal times, 4S in Def Col is fairly cheap, slightly Gokul-esque in its vibe (as much as possible in Delhi) and popular with lawyers and journos. There are also some other cheap hole in the wall dive bars, probably around touristy Paharganj and around CP you may find some too, but generally not the quantity and not the charm of what's available in Mumbai. Most Delhi lawyers' nights out therefore seem to revolve around going to more fancy bars, or if on the cheap, going to people's houses.
If it's just about value for money, some good happy hour deals can may be had in some Hauz Khaz Village bars or some other operations dotted around the city in many of the markets, though many will look more commercial and less charming than the dive bar institutions you might be missing from Mumbai.
If you got the contacts, Gymkhanas and other of the oldschool private members' clubs are obviously cheap as chips but those are obviously far cries from Gokul too.
Good luck, may we all be having outdoor drinks again soon!
My 2 cents: AQI is pretty shit in Mumbai as well, except for 3 months post crop burning where Delhi is the worst. Delhi weather is good 6 months of the year, but unforch 3 of these are in the crop burning time Delhi is significantly less safe for women from what I hear (about Mumbai) Rent and space and greenery v sea and nicer people seems to sum it up based on everything I've heard from people who have live in both (I've spent all my life in Delhi) Mumbai seems to be better to outsiders (see point on nicer people).
Bangalore is unquestionably, undoubtedly, unequivocally, the best of the three cities.
NR Narayanamurthy went to Delhi for a day. He finds it the most indisciplined city in India. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=to-CUbZXIxU Delhi being tagged a "Tier 1" city is an insult to other true Tier 1 cities.
I personally prefer Delhi because of low rent (compared to Mumbai) and better traffic. And also because I don't like Mumbai's humid weather. Delhi helps in better savings.
Any comments, please?
Which one you might end up liking more is going to be very much personality driven and a very subjective choice. Both cities can be hard to live in if you don't like cities, and not just Mumbai but also Delhi is a maximum city, albeit with very different styles: Mumbai is sprawling and dense, yet also a cosy village in parts with bonus sea views. Delhi is open, spread out, with more parks and monuments and ancient history but also more concrete with a residential colony type structure.
As for work, it's said Mumbai is generally by default a bit more 'gentlemanly' or professional, whereas Delhi can be a bit more cut and thrust in its approach to working, though you'll obviously find that depends greatly on where you work and whom you work with.
And if you like hanging around with litigation types, you'll meet many more in Delhi: you can't swing a cat in a Delhi bar without risking hitting an advocate.
Since the positives will be very subjective and will depend on all sorts of factors of chance, like the friends you'll make and the places you live, I'll point out a few (also subjective) potential issues for many people that spring to mind that could be deal breakers and might help your choice:
- physiology: what is less pleasant for you? Delhi dry heat (with a few months of pretty cold winter) or Mumbai wet heat (with a few months of balmy pleasant winter weather)?
- your lungs: will your health be able to take the annual infamous Delhi pollution that also continues low grade through most of the year but peaks in winter forcing those with health issues to flee or suffer and others to hide indoors with blasting air purifiers and venture outdoors with (non-pandemic) face masks.
- sweaty limited public transport lines (Mumbai) vs air conditioned pretty decent metro network (Delhi), though both have the cabapps obviously these days.
- women's safety: realistically in Delhi the odds of 'stranger danger' sexual violence against a somewhat privileged lawyer working in a law firm or the courts are low in any individual case, though media attention and infamous historical events plus the perception some people have of the city can make it a scarier place than it has to be, and while Mumbai is not immune of course, it can subjective feel a little safer and more welcoming to some women, anecdotally.
- road traffic in Mumbai, nearly always bad to horrible. In Delhi, sometimes bad but often bearable.
- rental: Mumbai flats are smaller and more expensive, Delhi can comparatively be luxurious for the same price.
- Delhi social life can be a tiny bit more cliquey with old Delhi networks being harder to get into, while Mumbai can be more welcoming to newcomers and migrants, but your mileage will obviously vary.
Of course these lists are far from exhaustive and not everyone will agree, but that's the point: in many ways you won't know until you try, it's going to be a very individual choice, though it's nearly certain that you'll get interesting, memorable and meaningful life and work experiences in either city. And worst case, unless you fall in love with the Supreme Court or Bombay Duck, you can always move, so enjoy the good times along the way 😄
IIt's a pipe dream but I hope, given recent events, Shiv Sena steps up and puts an end to this.
Personally, it has always baffled me why people (without a base in Mumbai, Mah or neighbouring states), could chose Mumbai (and why so many offices are still concentrated here). The monsoon aspect can be also added to above analysis. IMO the only thing going for Mumbai is availability of freshly brewed beer with doorstep delivery !!! Dilli why so far behind in this department :(
PS. Mah generally has so many better towns like Pune , Nasik etc... unbelievable how Mumbai shares the same beautiful state
Every year when Delhi gets polluted, people are outraged and there is a demand to shift the national capital but nothing really happens. People just adjust to the lower quality of life.
Its the same for Mumbai.
50k for 1 bhk. Lol
Though its true that Central and Navi Mumbai are cheaper but then the travel increases considerably
The general consensus is that lawyers and clients are fairly professional and competent in Bangalore (helped by the vibrant tech industry), but that the pace of life and hours can be a bit more relaxed in the law firms (though not in every firm!).
And if you want to do litigation it won't be as exciting as Delhi and can be difficult for an outsider to penetrate, and if you want to do finance, there'll be more in Bombay (and Delhi) also. But lots of good corporate / PE / VC work (perhaps even better than in Mumbai and Delhi) can be had in Bangalore these days. In terms of law firms, the city also has quite a few boutique corporate / VC firms with good clients and culture, and many of the big firms have offices there but it is overall still a much smaller legal market with fewer available jobs.
Pay is usually a bit less on average but costs of living are a bit lower too, with good flats available for rent.
And the pub scene is still fantastic and better than any other city in India (if you're ok with the slightly early closing times). There's also decent culture, food and other entertainments on offer, and for the most part the locals and the many migrants are said to be very welcoming, perhaps even more so than Mumbai (?).
Of course, the thing pretty much everyone hates about Bangalore is the traffic (and rightly so if you ever have to travel during rush hour at all). The only solution is if you can afford living near to your workplace or are lucky enough for your commute to be doable via the limited metro network (which is rare).
Alternatively, if your workplace is amenable to WFH for longer, Bangalore might be one of the most pleasant places to live.
For everything else, Delhi leads.
Ease of travel - Metro as well as the roads
Accomodation - Much cheaper, easy on pocket
Long weekend ? - Plenty of beautiful places around (Himachal, Uttarakhand etc) with overnight buses from Kashmere Gate
Food & Shopping - Loads of options fitting all budgets
Climate - Not the best but I'd still choose the Delhi summer/winter over the Mumbai monsoons
Also, I've found the crowd here to be not so friendly and welcoming.
And, be cautious during househunting, plenty of frauds.
Any leads would be appreciated xO
Not sure what the pandemic situation is but in more normal times, 4S in Def Col is fairly cheap, slightly Gokul-esque in its vibe (as much as possible in Delhi) and popular with lawyers and journos. There are also some other cheap hole in the wall dive bars, probably around touristy Paharganj and around CP you may find some too, but generally not the quantity and not the charm of what's available in Mumbai. Most Delhi lawyers' nights out therefore seem to revolve around going to more fancy bars, or if on the cheap, going to people's houses.
If it's just about value for money, some good happy hour deals can may be had in some Hauz Khaz Village bars or some other operations dotted around the city in many of the markets, though many will look more commercial and less charming than the dive bar institutions you might be missing from Mumbai.
If you got the contacts, Gymkhanas and other of the oldschool private members' clubs are obviously cheap as chips but those are obviously far cries from Gokul too.
Good luck, may we all be having outdoor drinks again soon!
Miss it tbh..
AQI is pretty shit in Mumbai as well, except for 3 months post crop burning where Delhi is the worst.
Delhi weather is good 6 months of the year, but unforch 3 of these are in the crop burning time
Delhi is significantly less safe for women from what I hear (about Mumbai)
Rent and space and greenery v sea and nicer people seems to sum it up based on everything I've heard from people who have live in both (I've spent all my life in Delhi)
Mumbai seems to be better to outsiders (see point on nicer people).
Bangalore is unquestionably, undoubtedly, unequivocally, the best of the three cities.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=to-CUbZXIxU
Delhi being tagged a "Tier 1" city is an insult to other true Tier 1 cities.