Living in Delhi: A Guide

The Pros and Cons

Living in India’s capital city comes with both pros and cons. While Delhi provides many opportunities and experiences, it also faces safety and livability challenges. Let’s look at some positives and negatives of Delhi through the eyes of lifelong residents. Delhi offers residents freedom and opportunities that may not exist in smaller cities. With its large population and status as a political center, Delhi has countless places to visit, eat at, shop at, and things to see and do each day. Residents appreciate the variety of cultural activities and exposure to national issues. Delhi also presents career opportunities as it is a major business and education hub. However, living in such a big city comes with safety trade-offs. Pollution levels are high, and incidents of street crime like theft are common. Residents must be vigilant at all times and avoid traveling alone at night for protection. Additionally, Delhi’s extreme climate of hot summers and cold winters can be difficult to withstand without adequate preparation.

Making Friends in the Big City

Forming social connections helps make an unfamiliar city feel more like home. According to residents, who you know in Delhi significantly impacts how you feel about living there. Friends who are warm, loving, and fun make the city much more enjoyable. Both meeting people in Delhi and maintaining connections from one’s hometown helps ease the transition to urban life. At the same time, Delhi’s large population means remaining anonymous is easy. Residents note it is easier to live independently without judgment on lifestyle choices compared to smaller towns. People likely do not know each other’s backgrounds or histories. While this provides comfort in anonymity, it can also foster impersonal social interactions. Close-knit community bonds may be harder to form.

Navigating Daily Life in Delhi

Living affordably yet conveniently in Delhi is achievable with some planning and perseverance. A family can maintain a comfortable standard of living for ₹30,000-40,000 per month depending on their housing, transportation, and dining preferences. When searching for long-term housing accommodations, options like paying guest (PG) accommodations, rental apartments, builders floors are widely available throughout the city, sometimes through brokers but often via personal networks too. Residents emphasize the importance of speaking assertively to advocate for needs and avoid being overcharged.
Daily commutes within Delhi require navigating the metro, bus, auto-rickshaw, app-based cab, and road traffic. While affordable public transportation exists, peak hour commutes of 2-3 hours each way are common. Residents stress preparing for unexpected delays. Shopping for daily essentials and leisure activities is convenient with numerous market areas, malls, and high streets throughout the city.

Health, Wellness and Lifestyle in Delhi

The climatic extremes and pollution make health a primary concern for Delhi residents. The summer heat requires staying hydrated and minimizing outdoor exertion. Heavy smog during winter increases respiratory issues, so masks are recommended. Maintaining general fitness is important to manage stress in the fast-paced city lifestyle. A local advises prioritizing healthy home-cooked meals over the temptation of inexpensive street food stalls that may compromise wellness. Social connections, yoga, meditation, parks and other stress-busters additionally support mental well-being. Residents emphasize preventive healthcare and maintaining medical insurance coverage helps mitigate health risks in this environment. Overall, Delhi’s scale introduces unique lifestyle adjustments but also rewards residents with rich experiences. With diligence applied across domains of safety, health, social integration and daily routines, lifelong residents confirm it is possible to thrive in the national capital. The rest of this guide explores specifics of culture, education and recreation in Delhi.