Living in Chennai will steep you in its cultural history. They are formerly known as ‘Madras’ Chennai is the capital city of Tamil Nadu state. With more than 9 million people living in the metropolis city of Chennai, it ranks as the fourth most populous city in India. Most of the residents living in the city are Tamils, but there are other significant minorities of South Asia like Telugus, Bengalis, Punjabis, and Anglo-Indians. Tamil is considered to be the official language of the state, with Telugu ranking in the second spot.

Speaking about what religion is being followed, you can find some Muslims and Christians living in the city with a vast majority of Hindus occupied in the city. Tamilians take their religion very seriously, and there are hundreds of temples scattered across the city. Being strict followers of religion means there are plenty of festivals that are celebrated in the city as well. The capital city of Tamil Nadu is a major attraction for tourists and people looking for jobs. It is massively known for IIT and its IT hub. With varied cultures, traditions, food, and festivals the capital city never fails to mesmerize its tourists and visitors. 

Taking a deeper look, let’s see what Chennai is popularly known for:

• Unique culture

Being very proud of their culture, the people of Chennai are very protective of their language Tamil and holidays and festivals are celebrated.

• Jallikattu

Jallikattu is a permanent and inseparable tradition of Chennai. ‘Taming the cow’ or Jallikattu sport has been a part of their culture for a long time now. The sport is being organized and played for ages and people take part in bullfighting with utmost enthusiasm.

• Thai Pongal 

This very popular festival across the country is celebrated as a harvest festival in Chennai. The festival is celebrated for 4 days in which farmers pray to their God for a better yield. Pongal is celebrated in the second week of January. If you happen to stay in the city during that time of the year, you can relish the festival with locals yourself.

• Temples 

As mentioned earlier, the Tamilians take their religion very seriously, and thus, you can find many temples across the city. Most of the temples are designed in the Dravidian architectural styles. Some popular temples in Chennai are the Kapaleeshwarar Temple, Arulmigu Kapaleeswarar Temple, and the Ashtalakshmi Temple.

• Rajinikanth 

It is no way possible that you do not mention Rajinikanth when you are speaking about Chennai. The megastar has an immense following in Chennai. Popularly called as ‘Thalaiva’ Rajinikanth has worked in over thousands of films. The actor is worshiped as a God in the city.

Quality of living in Chennai

Chennai stands itself out with low living costs and higher rates of housings, startups, and safety.

Cost of living

The cost of living in the city is in the least expensive 10 percent of all the 248 teleport cities in the country. The living expenses are significantly lower when compared to other metropolis cities. 

Transport 

Your average charges on traveling would be around 1000-1500 a month, depending on the type of transport and the distance. Staying closer to your workplace is always advisable in the city if you want to save up that hard-earned money, and it also saves you ample time. This large metropolitan city caters to all your transportation needs. 

Food

The expenditure on food will be light on your pockets. The city of Chennai has all types of cuisines to offer, with many restaurants and street-side food. South Indian cuisines can be found at almost every restaurant at nominal prices all over the city. Whereas, North Indian dishes are moderately expensive. However, eating outside daily can be harmful to your health and as well as your pockets.

Utilities

A considerable part of your budget is spent on utilities as well, which includes the electricity bill, water bill, telephone bill, gas, internet, etc. Due to the scarcity of water in some places in the city the rates may differ. The average monthly expenditure on utilities in Chennai is around 3000-4500, depending on where you are living and usage.

Schools

The capital city of Tamil Nadu is known for providing excellent education to its students. There are plenty of schools managed by the government and some of them are private schools also. The fees may vary depending on the school and the facilities they are providing but the average fees for primary schools are 10,000 per month which may climb up if you opt for international schools.