According to a study, the average household in Chandigarh spends about 19 lakh rupees annually. This city has become the leader in India for per capita household spending levels, according to the report The Many Urban Indias, prepared by People’s Research on India’s Consumer Economy (PRICE) in collaboration with Tata Sons.
The study analyzes how households in India's 100 largest cities earn, spend, save, and take loans. Chandigarh demonstrates the highest average household expenditure level in the country, surpassing India's largest metropolitan areas in this metric.
In the report, Chandigarh is classified as a Frontier city, which falls under the category of smaller urban centers among India's 100 most populous cities. It is among the most high-spending urban centers in the country, alongside Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala. Furthermore, the report highlights the financial standing of households in Chandigarh, noting high savings levels and low debt levels.
In the study, high-income households are defined as those whose annual income exceeds 36 lakh rupees at 2025-26 prices. The share of such households among the 100 cities has increased to 12%, compared to 3% a decade ago.
Although Bengaluru has the highest average income, Chandigarh leads in consumption. Cities were divided into categories: 'Big Six'—cities with a population over 10 million; 'Boomtowns'—from 2.5 to 10 million; 'Breakout cities'—from 1.5 to 2.5 million; and 'Frontier cities'—from 0.5 to 1.5 million. Chandigarh falls into the Frontier category, while Delhi, Mumbai, and Bengaluru are in the 'Big Six'.