Quality of life in Trivandrum

Trivandrum easily disguises itself as a laid back quiet city to the casual observer. However, beneath it, there is a hum of cultural activity. 

A question we are often asked is how does the quality of life in Trivandrum compare with that in the rest of India? A tough question because it depends so much on the individual (yes, you!) and their circumstances. 

If you are retired and living in luxury in Coorg/Shimla the answer will be different than if you are working at a job you don’t like in a poky office for 18 hours a day. But highlight a couple of the obvious things that make a big difference, at least for us. 
 
Weather

Trivandrum has tropical climate due to the proximity to sea and the weather is usually pleasant throughout the year. The summer is from April- May and it is usually warm and sunny; the sunshine DOES give you a sense of well-being. 

With the onset of the Monsoon in June, the city gets ample rainfall till the north-east monsoon fades by November. Sitting indoors on a rainy day and having a hot cuppa coffee is a great way to relax.  

Roads

The roads in Trivandrum tend to be much quieter. Traffic jams are almost unheard of and the roads are well maintained. You would be surprised how much stress and exhaustion this can remove from your life.


Cost of Living

Cost of living can defined as how much it will cost to live well. The definition of "living well” varies from person to person. Many factors influence the cost of living or how well you live. Here is what Trivandrum has to offer on the basic human needs food, clothing and shelter.  

• Food

There are lots of good restaurants at affordable prices, and the food in the local markets is usually of good quality. The fancier menus are available at the posh hotels in the city, but you can check out the traditional local offerings of the eateries around the city. Even the cavalcades of roadside vans (Thattukadas) around the city are perpetually thronged because the food is good and the prices cheap. The city is also home to several multinational fast-food outlets. Two minutes Maggie noodles days are gone by now it is the x-generation foods and outlets like pastas,pizzas,nuggets,coffee shops, Dominos, Subways, Pizza Corner,Planet Yum,Chick King which rules the taste buds.  

• Clothing 

There are a host of apparel shops in the city which sell local,national and foreign brands at reasonable prices. There are a host of local apparel brands that sell urban wear to teeming population of young consumers. The choice of designs for a low cost has been improved over the past two years by the entry of national retail giants like Pantaloon. Apart from these many old reputed business houses still make sure that new trendy designs are made available to the city dwellers at reasonable price. New shops are also cropping up to meet the demand. Most of the major foreign brands are here including Levi's, Lee, Nike, Adidas and Reebok. You can also buy designer clothing by local fashion designers who are pretty good but they are not cheap. Expect to pay at least Hugo Boss prices for their offerings. Ethnic apparels are available at Karalkada the oldest apparel house in Kerala and retail shop Fab India. 

• Shelter 

This is biggest cost factor in cost of living. Everyone is so concerned about this factor irrespective of whether you live in city or village. Even though real estate prices have been creeping up in Trivandrum it is still not difficult to find a shelter for a reasonable cost. Some 10 years back people were reluctant to move into flats. They prefer independent houses to flat. But the situation has changed and now more people are moving into flat culture. This resulted in more and more real estates companies moving into this sector. Now it is a good sign as we have more options ranging from independent houses to villas to mid high rises to high rise apartments. This change has been welcome as people have lot of options to choose from.