Living Expenses incl. Rent in Navi Mumbai

Dwaraka_Nath

Hi,

I'm considering an offer to work in Navi Mumbai, after nearly 15 years in the US. Really need some input on living expenses there.

I'm told that 33% is the taxation level I'll be subject to, so need to figure out how to cut up what's left. We have a 5 year old and would hope to put her in some Intl./ Expat school in Navi Mumbai if possible.

Any idea of what is are the general charges of house-help/drivers etc?

Thanks,

rajered

Will depend on where you want to live
Vashi, NRI Seawoods & Kharghar would be on the higher side
Nerul, Koparkhairane, Airoli and Panvel will be on the lower side

There are lots of CBSE and ICSE board schools in Navi Mumbai.
The general charges of house-help and driver would also depend on where you decide to stay.
House-help charge according to the chores they do or in lumpsum.

Raghu.Kumar

Hi Dwaraka Nath,

I lived in Navi Mumbai and moved to Chennai ( my home town ) last year and i can help you with all your required info.

Do touch base with me and I shall take you through.

Raghu

__________________
S.Raghu Kumar
sahana_kumar@yahoo.com

Dwaraka_Nath

Hi Raghu,

That is a big help. My office is in Nerul but depending on the distance between the different localities, I can choose to live anywhere.

I'll contact you again - Thanks,
Dwaraka_Nath

Raghu.Kumar

Great.Nerul is a nice place and you are lucky to have your office as well there. You can find an apartment in Nerul itself. Close to Vashi also the centre hub of Navi Mumbai.


When are you planning your move to Mumbai ? accordingly we can firm up many things. I was working in Reliance and my friends are still there so added advantage to get more info.

Do get in touch and we shall discuss again.

Raghu

Dwaraka_Nath

Hi Raghu,
Good to know. I guess Vashi is a train hub that connects with proper Mumbai?
Also, do you have any idea of school expenses for a 5 yr old kid in the neighbourhood of Nerul or generally Navi Mumbai? I figure the biggest expenses will be Housing, School and Car expenses.

Can I assume that a 4Bedroom apartment will rent between 40K and 50K? Or am I completely off the mark?

My arrival in Mumbai to take up the job will likely be in July/Aug timeframe. But I'm making a trip in June for ~10days. Thanks for your comms

Best
DN

Raghu.Kumar

Hi DN,

Yes Vashi is the train hub that connects central Mumbai, but you can never think of taking the train due to heavy rush. However if you want to go up to Chruchgate which is the last stop then, you should take the train that leaves from Vashi station and then travel end to end. Otherwise commuting by train is a nightmare. Of course you can always drive down by car to any part of Mumbai say for shopping etc. There are malls in Vashi itself. It is self sufficient.

Reg the school info I shall check with my friend who has got daughters of similar age. he was residing in Nerul until last year and moved to Kharghar after buying his own flat. Just give me time unitl the weekend and I shall get back to you on the same.

I think you can get a 4 bedroom apartment for around 50 K. Seas woods on the Palm beach Road just across Nerul is a excellent campus where lot of NRIs and expats stay. There is a huge play ground, /swimming pool and club. I have got some agent reference also and would pass it on to you if you are interested.

Reg car, let me know what you have in mind. How big is your family ? do u want a small car or a mid size car or a bigger car ? what would be your max budget ? accordingly I can suggest varied options. can send you links of various car models and indicative prices. I guess you would need to have a driver too till such time you get adjusted to driving on your own in Indian traffic conditions and also till you are familiar with the roads. i can check with Reliance drivers and ask them to refer reliable guys, not to worry.

There is also the Navi Mumbai sports association ( club ) in Vashi which you can become a member if interested.

Drop me a mail DN over the weekend on your thoughts.

Regards to your family,

Raghu

rajered

2bhk flat in Seawood NRI Complex would be around Rs 25000/- per month with a yearly deposit of 2.5 lakhs.

For schools check
http://www.ryaninternationalschool-l...ion_centre.htm
www.apeejay.edu/nerul/home.htm
http://www.davnerul.com/index.php

From Nerul there are Best Buses to go to Dadar, Bandra, Byculla, Mulund, Airoli, Santacruz.
Buses to Mulund, Santacruz, Byculla and Airoli start from Nerul.
There is train connectivity to Thane also from Nerul.

Raghu.Kumar

Hi DN,

Was the info useful on housing and also on schools by Rajred ?

Whats the update from your end ?

Raghu

Dwaraka_Nath

THanks Rajred,
The apartment rent appears reasonable. I guess 3 and 4bdrm apts will lease for ~ 40K and upward. What is the essential difference between Nerul and Kharghar?

I haven't looked at the schools' links provided - we're still working on trip schedules, but I did see the Dhirubhai Ambani Intl. School site and their tuition for the entire year was ~48K, which I thought was fairly inexpensive. What are your thoughts? Is this the generally accepted Tuition for a good school?

Is it easy to find a reliable driver and what are their salaries. I can drive in India, but may opt otherwise.
Thanks,
DN

Raghu.Kumar

Hi DN,

The Ambani school is located in BKC ( Bandra Kurla Complex ) and very far from Navi Mumbai especially if you choose to live beyond Vashi. Moreover, getting admission is not that easy and it is directly managed by Mukesh Ambani's wife Mrs.Nita Ambani. its a good school and lucky if you get admission.

Nerul is a locality which is already developed and just minutes away from Vashi and Sanpada. Kharghar is an upcoming place with lot of consturction activites and new apartments coming up. It might take a couple of years to be fully independent like Vashi or Nerul.

Its not easy to get a reliable driver. You would need to experiment on trial and error basis.However I can give you the phone number of our company driver ( A Sardarji ) very nice and reliable guy. You can have a chat with him and ask him if he can refer someone. I also have some friends who own a cab company and can pass on the contacts to you if you wish. Salary would be around 7000 PM plus Over time beyond 12 hours.

Regards, Raghu

rajered

Kharghar is now almost fully independant with a couple of shopping malls open. The only problem is that is a no alcohol zone.
If the person who Raghu recommended gives you a good deal then you can hire a driver or my suggestion is self drive.

Raghu.Kumar

Hi Rajered,

Thanks,

Dear DN, as mentioned in my previous post, you may get in touch with Ranjit Singh ranjit@alfaexpressindia.com He is a running a cab company in Mumbai and caters to many corporates for pick up and drop of staff. He was my ex colleague in Reliance and very nice guy. You may write to him quoting my reference and he would definitely help to find a good driver for you. Even its 500 Rs or more, do go for a reliable driver as they drive our family when we are not around and we need safe hands.

Cheers, Raghu

rajered

The school fees should be less than Rs 60000/-

Dwaraka_Nath

Hi Raghu,

Thanks for the info. I think we will most likely reside in Nerul or Seawoods Complex. We also learnt that there is a DPS School in Nerul that I believe is very good. I had some cousins who graduated from DPS in Delhi.

My assumption is that KG and Primary School fees & expenses (excluding regsitration & caution deposit) can run about 4K to 8K per month per child? And, you're right about the Ambani Intl. school - it's just too far from Navi Mumbai.

The other figure I'm including to my estimates is the electricity bill with 1 and 2 A/C units. I suspect we'll need atleast one unit to start with and then another one later. I was told that one A/C unit running about 10 - 14 hours/day can cost about 6K per month. Can you adivise?

On a personal note, I plan to visit Navi Mumbai for a site visit in June and will likely move there by September this year - if everything goes as planned.

Thanks for the help
DN