Temperature
May has the warmest monthly average (31.5°C); January is coolest (24.1°C). These averages include nights, so daytime highs can be considerably warmer.
India · Visit or make it home
Living in Chennai, India
Chennai is a city in India. Compare its dated local facts and monthly climate before choosing a time to visit or planning a move. Housing references and national earnings describe different populations; verify the costs of your own home and job before deciding.
Get to know Chennai
A sense of the place
Chennai, also known as Madras, is the capital and largest city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost state of India. It is located on the Coromandel Coast of the Bay of Bengal. As per the 2011 Indian census, Chennai is the sixth-most-populous city in India and forms the fourth-most-populous urban agglomeration. The city is coterminous with Chennai district, which together with the adjoining suburbs constitutes the Chennai Metropolitan Area, one of the largest metropolitan areas of India. It is administered by the Greater Chennai Corporation, which was incorporated in 1688, and is the second oldest municipal corporation in the world after the City of London Corporation. Being the capital of the state, it houses major government institutions including the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly, and the Madras High Court. Archeological evidence points to human settlements in the region during the Stone Age. Historically, from the 1st century CE, the region was part of the Chola, Pallava, Pandya, and Vijayanagara kingdoms during various eras.
Weather through the year
When to visit Chennai
Rain and outdoor plans
November averages about 292 mm of rain, compared with 6 mm in February. For an outdoor-focused trip, compare the drier months before choosing dates.
Planning time outdoors
Monthly mean temperatures reach at least 25°C in February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November. For sightseeing, plan shade, water breaks and accommodation cooling into your day; daytime temperatures can be higher than these day-and-night averages.
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average °C | 24.1 | 25.6 | 28.4 | 30.5 | 31.5 | 30.6 | 29.7 | 29.0 | 28.3 | 27.4 | 25.8 | 24.4 |
| Rain, mm | 16 | 6 | 15 | 26 | 55 | 68 | 108 | 132 | 145 | 264 | 292 | 126 |
Source: NASA POWER climatology · Reference period: 2001-2020. Long-term averages for the surrounding grid area. Conditions vary within a city; monthly averages are neither a forecast nor a guarantee of dry days.
Places around Chennai
Build your shortlist for a day out. Distances are straight-line from the city centre; check routes and opening times before setting off.
Beach
Marina Beach
3.8 km from the city centre
Compare with another cityBotanical garden
Madhavaram botanical garden
7.8 km from the city centre
Compare with another cityMuseum
Fort St. George Museum
1.3 km from the city centre
Compare with another cityPark
Secretariat Park, Chennai
1.4 km from the city centre
Compare with another cityAverage rent in Chennai
What is the average rent in Chennai?
A verified average rent for Chennai is not available in the evidence shown here. Do not substitute another city’s price or a national estimate. Compare current properties for the same home size and neighbourhood, then include utilities, deposits and daily transport when building a budget for a visit or move.
Average salary in Chennai
What is the average salary in Chennai?
A verified city average salary for Chennai is not available in the evidence shown here. National income per person and purchasing-power measures are not salaries and cannot predict take-home pay. Compare a current offer in your occupation with local taxes, housing and transport costs before deciding whether a move is affordable.
How should I compare Chennai with another city?
Compare the same dated measures for both cities, keeping local observations separate from national context. Start with rent, your expected income and the journeys you will make regularly. Then adjust the comparison weights to your priorities. Missing measurements do not prove an advantage; verify decisive costs and services with current local sources.
- Choose a comparison below and read its sources and dates.
- Set priorities for housing, work, transport and climate.
- Check current listings and your own income before making a decision.
Data sources, licences & reuse terms
Plan your stay
Budget and everyday decisions
A holiday budget
Compare accommodation for your actual dates in Chennai, then add the journey here, airport transfers, meals and the activities you want. A cheap room outside the centre can cost more overall if it adds daily transport.
Compare holiday preferences →A relocation budget
Use the planner below to compare housing, daily spending and the cost of your move.
Include the deposit, utilities, internet and commuting. Compare those costs with your own expected take-home income.
Compare with another city →Your relocation planning budget
Build a monthly budget for Chennai in euros. Totals are calculated from the amounts below, not live quotes. Enter a housing amount for your chosen home.
Monthly total:
First month including move:
Compare with another city →Compare the details
Chennai at a glance
Mean daily solar radiation
5.2 kWh/m²/day
Data period: 2001-2020. Source: NASA POWER — climatology (T2M temperature; PRECTOTCORR precipitation) · NASA scientific-data policy; source-specific notices applyCompare with another city →Annual precipitation
1,253 mm/year
Annual precipitation gives a broad climate comparison. Its distribution through the year matters more for a short visit.
Data period: 2001-2020. Source: NASA POWER — climatology (T2M temperature; PRECTOTCORR precipitation) · NASA scientific-data policy; source-specific notices applyCompare with another city →Mean wind speed at 10 metres
4 m/s
Data period: 2001-2020. Source: NASA POWER — climatology (T2M temperature; PRECTOTCORR precipitation) · NASA scientific-data policy; source-specific notices applyCompare with another city →City population
4,681,087 people
Population helps compare the scale of a destination. Administrative boundaries differ, so it is not always the population of the whole metropolitan area.
Data period: 2026-09-20. Source: GeoNames geographical database — global city identity fallback · CC BY 4.0Compare with another city →Average annual temperature
28 °C
Long-term average including days and nights. Use the monthly breakdown to choose dates; this is not a weather forecast.
Data period: 2001-2020. Source: NASA POWER — climatology (T2M temperature; PRECTOTCORR precipitation) · NASA scientific-data policy; source-specific notices applyCompare with another city →Nearest listed airport (straight-line distance)
16.1 km
Straight-line distance to a listed airport, not transfer time or confirmation of scheduled flights. Check the airport serving your actual route before booking.
Data period: 2026-08-30. Source: OurAirports — airport locations · Public domainCompare with another city →Seasonal temperature range
7.4 °C
Data period: 2001-2020. Source: NASA POWER — climatology (T2M temperature; PRECTOTCORR precipitation) · NASA scientific-data policy; source-specific notices applyCompare with another city →India: the wider context
These are country-level figures, not measurements of Chennai. Use them to compare national conditions; neighbourhoods, salaries and individual services can differ substantially.
See 9 national indicators
Income level — GNI per capita, PPP (gross)
11,600 international dollars (PPP)
Purchasing-power-adjusted national income per person is not a salary or take-home pay.
Data period: 2025. Source: World Bank — GNI per capita, PPP (NY.GNP.PCAP.PP.CD) · CC BY 4.0 with World Bank additional termsCompare with another city →Fixed broadband / internet quality
70 percent
Data period: 2025. Source: World Bank / ITU — Individuals using the Internet, % (IT.NET.USER.ZS) · CC BY 4.0 with World Bank additional termsCompare with another city →Healthcare / health outcome (life expectancy at birth)
72.2 years
Life expectancy describes population health outcomes; it does not measure the quality or availability of a particular hospital.
Data period: 2024. Source: World Bank — Life expectancy at birth (SP.DYN.LE00.IN) · CC BY 4.0 with World Bank additional termsCompare with another city →English / language accessibility
100 ordinal_0_100
Data period: 2026-08-30. Source: Wikidata — coordinates, population, timezone, ISO codes, official languages · CC0 1.0Compare with another city →Overall tax burden (taxes + social contributions, % of GDP)
6.9 percent_gdp
Taxes and social contributions as a share of the economy, not your personal income-tax rate.
Data period: 2022. Source: World Bank — Tax revenue % of GDP (GC.TAX.TOTL.GD.ZS) · CC BY 4.0 with World Bank additional termsCompare with another city →Intentional homicide rate
2.8 per 100,000 people
Homicide rates are a narrow safety indicator. They do not describe petty crime or the safety of an individual neighbourhood.
Data period: 2022. Source: World Bank / UNODC — Intentional homicides per 100k (VC.IHR.PSRC.P5) · CC BY 4.0 with World Bank additional termsCompare with another city →Comparative price level (household consumption)
30.2 (EU average = 100)
Data period: 2025. Limited confidence. Source: World Bank — Price level index, household consumption (PA.NUS.PRVT.PLI) · CC BY 4.0 with World Bank additional termsCompare with another city →Air quality — annual mean PM2.5
54.1 µg/m³
Data period: 2023. Limited confidence. Source: World Bank — PM2.5 mean annual exposure (EN.ATM.PM25.MC.M3) · CC BY 4.0 with World Bank additional termsCompare with another city →Education system (national)
97.3 points (0–188)
Data period: 2025. Estimate. Source: World Bank HCI+ education pillar (2025) · CC BY 4.0 with World Bank additional termsCompare with another city →Other places to compare in India
Bengaluru →
About 291 km from Chennai in a straight line. Compare seasonal weather and local facts.
Hyderabad →
About 516 km from Chennai in a straight line. Compare seasonal weather and local facts.
Mumbai →
About 1,033 km from Chennai in a straight line. Compare seasonal weather and local facts.
Surat →
About 1,199 km from Chennai in a straight line. Compare seasonal weather and local facts.
Compare Chennai with other cities
Read the source dates, choose your priorities and keep unavailable values separate from costs you know.
All maintained comparisons →