Moving to Mumbai

Located in western India, Mumbai is the peninsula city that has become India’s most important business centre, a key contender for the region’s most cosmopolitan city and a major drawcard for expats.

Known as the City of Dreams, Mumbai boasts uber-modern skyscrapers, views of the Arabian Sea and the iconic Gateway of India, not to mention a lovely year-round climate. It is culturally and commercially vibrant, humming with possibility and the knowledge that anything can be achieved when hard work and self-belief are applied.

Living in Mumbai as an expat

Over the years, Mumbai’s development has exploded and transformed the city into a key international metro. The city, formerly known as Bombay, is home to Bollywood and is a hub for entertainment and fashion sectors. In the flurry of booming industries and banking and financial giants, the city has elbowed into the international business big league and provides plenty of work opportunities for ambitious expats.

With rapid development comes contradictions and conflicts. First among these is a chronic housing crisis that has created one of the most expensive property markets in the world. Even well-paid expats often have difficulty finding suitable accommodation in Mumbai. Traffic congestion in Mumbai is quite intense, and while using public transport in the city is an adventure, it could become a struggle on a day-to-day basis. Luckily, many expats find that hiring a driver is an affordable option.

Expats have access to decent healthcare in Mumbai. Indeed, the city has become something of a medical tourism destination owing to its affordable and excellent private facilities and well-trained staff.

Prospective expats will need to consider whether they’d be able to contend with India’s massive wealth gap, which is highly apparent in Mumbai. Here, some of the country’s richest live in deluxe apartment complexes in affluent neighbourhoods looking out onto the city's poorest slums. Mumbai is a city where IT millionaires, chic hotels and boutique restaurants exist in close proximity to shanty towns, beggars, and open sewage; where luxury cars are gridlocked into chaotic traffic jams alongside wooden carts and auto rickshaws.

Cost of living in Mumbai

Speaking of the wealth gap, Mumbai’s steep cost of living may surprise some expats. The 2024 Mercer Cost of Living Survey ranked Mumbai 136th out of 226 cities globally, reflecting its expensive lifestyle compared to other Indian cities. The city’s accommodation, in particular, can be very pricey indeed. Still, highly skilled expats are able to live a comfortable and often luxurious life in Mumbai, able to afford indulgences such as drivers, domestic help and large villas.

Expat families and children in Mumbai

Those moving to Mumbai with children will be pleased to find a large number of international schools specialising in a range of different national curricula. Education is a priority for the local population and, as a result, expats have a range of private schools to choose from as well.

There’s also plenty to see and do for families, with a large assortment of attractions and a calendar brimming with fun festivals and celebrations. There is also a selection of nearby weekend spots that families will enjoy escaping to.

Climate in Mumbai

Expats will discover that the weather in Mumbai is pretty much consistently hot and humid. Temperatures in the city remain relatively stable throughout the year, and the mercury never seems to stray far from 86°F (30°C). Expats who are not used to such heat and humidity should take care to stay hydrated and remain indoors during the hottest hours of the day.

Expats who are initially put off by the city’s hardships are usually won over by the excitement of this buzzing city, its great food, the ease of assimilating, the absence of a language barrier and a welcoming and gracious culture. There is also a vitality to life in Mumbai that makes each day different and stimulating.