Among the metro cities a comparative analysis is conducted by Consumer Price Index, results shown in the monthly bulletin of RBI indicated Bengaluru is costlier than Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai and Hyderabad.

while Delhi stands the cheapest courtesy to subsidies provided by the Central government, on the other hand Hyderabad fares better than other cities due to less house rents,food and power costs.

However, the cost of living in overall urban Andhra Pradesh is higher than Hyderabad if one takes into account local income and expenditure levels.

Compiled by the Shimla-based Labour Bureau, the CPI is used to measure cost of living and rise in retail prices.

Hyderabad, however, does not fare very well when it comes to price rises. According to CPI numbers, in January 2012, prices in the city were 5.2 per cent higher than those in July 2011. The only other top city where the prices rose higher was Chennai with a consumer price inflation of 11.3 per cent.

When compared in the same period the prices in Kolkata went down by one percent, In Delhi rose by 1.7 percent, 2.3 percentage rise in Bengaluruwhile in Mumbai the prices to 2.6 respectively.