Mumbai – the city of dreams, has remained the destination of migrant skilled and unskilled workforce from all corners of the country. For decades, like the prospecting actors and singers, salaried individuals also have endlessly tried their luck to settle in this financial capital of India – either with a new job or being transferred by their existing employer.
The unskilled labourers from northern or southern India have thronged here to earn a bit more in an attempt to remit more to their families at the village. But the middle class or upper-middle-class service holders who have ventured to stay with their families have always started humbly staying in rent.
See also: Living cost in Mumbai
Why do the rents and real estate prices vary in different parts of Mumbai?
In Mumbai, real estate prices and rent have always remained exorbitant vis-a-vis the dwelling space offered. It’s challenging to choose the best place to live in Mumbai, which provides the best trade-off among rent, distances and good locality.
It has evolved over decades offering houses that suit most people having different budgets. The farther you go from the heart of the city, the steep rents do fall proportionately. But the commuting distance to your workplace increases which adds to conveyance expenses and time spent in commute.
See also: All about Mumbai posh areas
How do you choose the best place to live in Mumbai?
The following are the primary considerations in choosing the ideal place for your family to live in Mumbai.
- The distance to your workplace or your spouse’s workplace.
- Distance to your kids’ school.
- Proximity to good medicare and hospitals.
- Proximity to shopping malls, amusement parks, entertainment hubs, etc.
- Proximity to parks and green patches.
- Distance to railway station/airport.
- Proximity to places of worship.
The best places to live in Mumbai for your family
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Chembur
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According to several real estate agents, industry and housing experts, Chembur is the numero uno in the list of the best places to live in Mumbai. It’s well-connected to all other parts of Mumbai via Eastern Express Highway, Eastern Freeway, Sion-Trombay Road, and SCLR (Santacruz-Chembur Link Road). Chembur interfaces between Navi Mumbai and Central Mumbai.
Large IT companies, industrial houses, a host of employment opportunities and stable social infrastructure are some of the virtues Chembur can boast. It has offices of Petroleum Corporation Ltd, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, HPCL, Walmart, Microsoft, McDonald’s, Starbucks, Apple, Tata Power Company Ltd, and many other big business houses. Mecca of Bollywood fans, the legendary R K Studios finds its home in Chembur.
Salient highlights of Chembur
- Education points: Saint Gregorios Primary and High schools
- Hospitals: Apollo Spectra and Zen Multispecialty hospitals
- Shopping malls: Cubic Mall, K Star Mall
- Parks and Gardens: Chimni Garden, Ambedkar Garden
Sample rent
- 1 Room Kitchen – Rs 10-15K per month
- 1BHK – Rs 25-30K per month
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Vikhroli
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Home to one of the most extensive mangrove forests in Maharashtra, Vikhroli is a suburb in north-eastern Mumbai and the best place to live in Mumbai, according to many. It comes under the jurisdiction of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation.
Vikhroli is a hub of IT and other bigwigs. TCS, Accenture, Capgemini, J P Morgan, Infosys, Cognizant, Deloitte, Wipro, PwC, Oracle, IBM, Tech Mahindra, Morgan Stanley, Google, Amazon, etc. are a few to mention. It has Bank of America, BNP Paribas, Deutsche Bank, and multinational investment banks and top financial corporations.
The arterial roads connecting Vikhroli to other parts of Mumbai are Lalbahadur Shastri Marg, Eastern Express Highway, Agra Road, Atmaram Surve Marg, Bhakti Marg, etc.
Salient highlights of Vikhroli
- Education points: Saint Joseph’s High schools, Asmita Law College
- Hospitals: Shushrusha hospital, L H Hiranandani hospital, KMJP hospital
- Entertainment: Vikhroli Social – Dine-in & take-away
- Parks and Gardens: Sambhaji Park, Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore Udyan
Sample rent
- 1 Room Kitchen – Rs 10-15K per month
- 1BHK – Rs 15-20K per month
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Kurla
Source: Pinterest
Kurla is located almost at the heart of Mumbai and has a mixed population of slum dwellers and upmarket people. Till 1890, it was a well-known railway station spelt as ‘Coorla.’ The name Kurla is said to be derived from Kurli, a blue-coloured crab, used to be found in marshes in the vicinity of erstwhile Kurla village.
Kohinoor City, Taximens colony, Quresh Nagar are important localities in Kurla. Chadva Nagar is a well-developed residential society of Marwadi and Gujarati settlers.
LBS Marg is the main arterial road for Kurla West, whereas Eastern Express Highway is the same for Kurla East. Kurla can be considered the best place to live in Mumbai.
Salient highlights of Kurla
- Education points: Kohinoor International School, Don Bosco College
- Hospitals: Kurla Nursing Home, Aryan Hospital, KB Bhabha Hospital
- Entertainment hub: Still water aquarium LLP
- Malls: Phoenix Market City
- Parks and Gardens: Match Factory Garden, Sahajeevan Park
Sample rent
- 1 Room Kitchen – Rs 10-15K per month
- 1BHK – Rs 20-25K per month
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Malad
Source: Pinterest
Malad is a desirable locality for the settlers in Mumbai that falls in the western suburban area. It is highly connected with the Malad and Goregaon stations on the Mumbai Suburban Railway.
Malad is considered one of the cheapest places to stay in Mumbai. Both the upper and middle-class people are flocking heavily to Malad as it is the best place to live in Mumbai for families, according to multiple housing agents. Native inhabitants of Malad are the SKPs, Bhandari’s, and Kolis, among others.
Malad houses biggies like Unlock Technologies, CodeMax IT solutions, Techmomin IT solutions, etc. Shreyas Industrial Park and Lotus Corporate Park is home to many corporations like HSBC, Heinz, Hyundai, Protofab, etc.
Malad is well-connected to other parts of Mumbai via Link Road, SV Road, and NH-8 Ferry. CST international airport is just 12 km from Malad. Gorai, Manori, and Versova can be reached by ferry from Malad.
Salient highlights of Malad
- Education points: Billabong High International School, Ryan, and Orchid International Schools
- Hospitals: Surana Hospital and Research Centre, Lifeline Multi-Specialty, Sanjeevani Hospital, Choksi Nursing Home, etc.
- Entertainment hub: Timezone, Somwari Bazar every Monday
- Malls: Inorbit mall and Infinity Mall
- Parks and Gardens: Godzilla, Upper Govind Nagar Park, BMC Garden
Sample rent
- 1 Room Kitchen – Rs 10-15K per month
- 1BHK – Rs 15-20K per month
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Ghatkopar
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Ghatkopar is considered one of the cheapest suburban places in eastern Mumbai, connected with the Ghatkopar Railway station on the Central Mumbai Suburban Railway. It also has a Metro station on Line 1 of Mumbai Metro, which connects the eastern and western suburbs of Mumbai.
Ghatkopar attracts both the upper and middle-class working people for its rich societal structure with residential, commercial, educational, and sports amenities. The name has been derived as “Ghat ke upar” or “On top of Western Ghat Hills.”
Ghatkopar has software firms like Technology to Technologyz, Ovocom Software, Global Web Solutions, Solmart, etc. Zee Entertainment, Nesco Ltd (Corporate office), Ashar Group (Corporate office), etc., are other business establishments worth mentioning here.
Ghatkopar is well-connected to other parts of Mumbai via Andheri-Ghatkopar Link Road, LBS Marg. Mumbai airport is just 6 km via LBS Marg. Experienced housing agents and brokers feel anybody planning to settle with their families will consider Ghatkopar the best place to live in Mumbai.
Salient highlights of Ghatkopar
- Education points: Orchids – The International School, PG Garodia School, The Universal School, etc.
- Hospitals: Ramabai Thackeray Hospital, Parekh Hospital, Samartha Maternity, Multispeciality Hospital, etc.
- Entertainment hub: Kidzania, Red Carpet Wax Museum, Snow Kingdom, etc.
- Malls: R Odeon Mall
- Parks and Gardens: Rajwadi Garden, Lions Park, Dreamworld Water park and Beach Resort
- Places of worship: Swaminarayan Temple, Shri Vinzai Devasthan Mandal
Sample rent
- 1 Room Kitchen – Rs 15-20K per month
- 1BHK – Rs 20-25K per month
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Palava City
Source: Pinterest
Palava is an integrated smart city, developed over 4500-acre land by the Lodha Group, and is located between Kalyan, Navi Mumbai, and Thane. The project’s first phase was completed by 2016 and over 18000 homes were sold by the end of 2017. Target completion of the entire four phases of the project is scheduled by 2025.
More than 2 lakh people currently stay at Palava City. The state-of-the-art planning of Palava City has attracted those who want to avoid the concrete jungle and feel from within that this is the best place to live in Mumbai.
Palava is well-connected by the vast local train network of Mumbai. Diva and Ghansoli are the nearest railway stations 10 km and 14 km away from it, respectively. The extension plan of Navi Mumbai metro rail to Kalyan has increased residential interests in Palava. 12.3 km Airoli-Katai Naka elevated road project by MMRDA is estimated to be complete by 2024, enhancing the connection between Palava and Mumbai. The Mumbai Airport is 38 km away from Palava.
Salient highlights of Palava City
- Education points: Lodha World School, Poddar Jumbo Kids Plus -Palava, Wowkids Palava
- Entertainment hub: PVR Xperia Palava, Playzone, The Club -Casa Bella Gold
- Malls: Lodha Xperia Mall, Palava Mall, Zudio Shopping mall, Big Bazar
- Parks and Gardens: Magniferra Garden, Central Park CBG
- Hospitals: Healthspring Lodha Palava-Casa Bella, Golden Multispeciality Hospital
- Places of worship: Ganesh Temple – Casa Bella Main Road
Sample rent
- 2.5 BHK – Rs 13-15K per month
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Kandivali
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A rapidly growing locality in the north Mumbai suburbs, Kandivali is a new hotspot to Mumbai migrants. The rail station started operation in 1907 and is one of the busiest. Both international and domestic airports are only 14 km from Kandivali. Goregaon-Mulund Link Road connects the place with central and western suburbs.
The Western Express Highway passes through Kandivali. Line 2 and Line 7 of Mumbai Metro will give connectivity to Kandivali. Amongst a plethora of options for living with your families, many people feel that it is the best place to live in Mumbai and have chosen to settle down here.
Kandivali’s history shows evidence of human habitation even in the stone age. The Mahindra and Mahindra plant at Akurli is sprawling over 63 acres, and The Times of India printing press is also located at Kandivali. The Sports Authority of India has a massive training ground here. Mahindra Kandivali Residential Project at Akurli Road, Shreeram House, Sakhi Apartment, House of Hiranandani, Laxmi Terrace are some well-known residential destinations here.
Salient highlights of Kandivali
- Education points: St. Joseph’s High School, Lady of Remedy High School
- Entertainment hub: Kiddington, Timezone Entertainment
- Malls: Central Mall, Growel’s 101
- Parks and Gardens: Evershine Dream Park, Nana Nani Park, BMC Garden
- Hospitals: Sukhsagar Hi-tech Hospital, Shatabdi Hospital, DNA Multispeciality Hospital
- Places of worship: Shri Balaji Temple, Pawan Dham, Church of our Lady Assumption
Sample rent
- 1 Room Kitchen – Rs 10-15K per month
- 1BHK – Rs 20-25K per month
Prospecting people may also consider places like Nerul, Seawood, and Kharghar as some of the best places to live in Mumbai, where rents vary between 12-20K for a 2BHK apartment.
Also Read:
Affordable areas in Mumbai
Cost of living in Mumbai
Places to visit in Mumbai
Tallest Buildings in Mumbai
FAQs
Is moving to Mumbai a good idea?
Every day thousands of people come to live in Mumbai, the ‘city of dreams’. The energy and work culture of Mumbai are infectious and so moving to Mumbai is a great prospect.
What are the best places to live in Mumbai for a middle-class family?
Mumbai offers quality living options like Chembur, Malad, Ghatkopar, Kandivali, Borivali, Dahisar, Dadar when it comes to a middle-class family Thane, Vasai, Vikhroli, Vashi, Sanpada, Jogeshwari, etc.
What are the safest places to live in Mumbai?
When it comes to the safest neighbourhoods to live in Mumbai, Malabar Hill, Hiranandani in Powai, Bandra bus stand, Worli sea facing societies, Pali Hill in Bandra, Altamount Road, etc., are the best.
How to get settled in Mumbai if you are new?
If moving to Mumbai is in the pipeline, do good research about the neighbourhood you intend to stay in. If you are not moving in with your family initially, you need to find a credible relocation partner. You should be prepared for the typical Mumbai weather and the various forms of commute.