[neil.jericho]

My wife used to have what we suspect was a pollen allergy while we were in Bangalore, she would sneeze quite a lot, almost on a daily basis. We used to stay in the city though, I dont know if moving out towards the suburbs would help. After we moved to Cochin she hasnt faced this problem. I wouldnt take the risk with Bangalore on the pollen front, if I was warrioraks.

There are no issues with law and order as such in Kerala, especially when compared to other parts of the country.

[AntPaul]

Originally Posted by warrioraks

Hello All,
1. I am from Delhi and currently based in Gurgaon. Wife is from north part of India as well
2. The new role requires me to re-locate and as the title suggests, I have three options - Bangalore, Kochi, Trivandrum (in alphabetic order)
3. Except Delhi/NCR, I have lived in Hyderabad and Bangalore in the past. Wife has spent time in Bangalore as well
4. I and wife know only two languages - Hindi and English

1. Good law and order situation
3. Cosmopolitan culture

Hi warriororaks,

I was born, bought up and educated in suburbs of Ernakulam/Cochin. I am staying in Bangalore for the last 10 years. There is not much i can add that what is already discussed except for these 2 points.

1. I find the law and order situation in Cochin to be far better than Bangalore. The police is more friendly and responsive, and easier to communicate in English. That said,
3. The culture in Cochin is still a mixed bag. While its cosmopolitan prima facie, The fairly conservative south Indian culture can be seen everywhere, even in the city center. People can be pretty judgmental at times. There can be random gawking at the ladies(may not be in sexual context). I would not count it a law and order problem, it fairly benign and more of a cultural thing. But you will have to get used to it. I think this is true in most of South India maybe except Bangalore.

Thanks

[JojyKerala]

Interesting predicament to be in. My fellow T-BHPians have already added their insights. Hope my two cents are useful here.

I have spent 7 years in Bangalore (did my degree there and worked for a bit) and 10 years in Mumbai (on work). I've spent 2 years in Cochin. Currently, I'm in Trivandrum (I'm a native Malayalee from Kollam/Quilon).

Originally Posted by warrioraks

1. Good law and order situation

I think the law and order situation will be almost the same, whether it's Cochin or Trivandrum. These southern cities have competent police authorities that act quite responsibly to help citizens. Hartals and Bandhs used to be a regular feature in Kerala though they are less frequent now.

Originally Posted by warrioraks

2. Cost of living should not exceed what we experience in Gurgaon

The cost of living will definitely be cheaper than Gurgaon with Trivandrum being slightly cheaper than Cochin. I have given a 3BHK flat on rent for one-third the price of what I would get for a similar flat in Mumbai. Of course, it's a lot cheaper to buy flats or houses in Trivandrum for that matter

Originally Posted by warrioraks

3. Cosmopolitan culture

Bangalore wins here hands down. I believe Kochi is more cosmopolitan than Trivandrum and because of this its more crowded. This is probably because its easier to travel to Kochi than Trivandrum (a distance of 200 km between the cities). At the same time, I see a lot of North Indian families here in Trivandrum. In fact, when I was working in Technopark, Trivandrum 15 years ago, I had plenty of North Indian colleagues.

Both Cochin and Trivandrum have eateries and essential shops started by North Indians in the vicinity of Technopark (TVM) and Infopark (Kochi)

Originally Posted by warrioraks

4. Should not have pollen problem (which rules out Bangalore and that is the reason the title does not mention it)

No pollen issue in Trivandrum or Cochin. The heat can be a bit harsh though. From June, however, the rains take over and its a really pleasant environment to be in.

Originally Posted by warrioraks

5. City which can be navigated easily with the help of languages we already know - Hindi and English

Well this is a bit dicey. Your future colleagues in Cochin and Trivandrum will be able to converse in some grade of both Hindi and English. However, shopkeepers may only understand what you are saying and they may difficulty conversing in Hindi or English. It depends on their level of conversations in the language.

Originally Posted by warrioraks

6. Decent weekend getaways

I'd say both places have decent getaways. For Trivandrum, we have Kanyakumari, Poovar, Kovalam, Varkala, Ashthamudi, Courtallam and a lot of other places.

From a Cochin perspective, we have Thekkady, Munnar, Mararikulam, Vagamon and many more.

Originally Posted by warrioraks

7. Less pollution (staying in Delhi, this becomes an important thing to look out for in a new city)

I'd say that Kochi is more developed than Trivandrum and therefore is slightly more polluted as well. But to be honest, there is nothing much separating these cities on the pollution front.


Final Verdict: Difficult to choose between the two cities. If your focus is the cosmpolitan nature, Cochin is slightly ahead. If its cost of living, Trivandrum is slightly ahead. Even though I'm residing and working in Trivandrum, I suggest you opt for Cochin because of its more metropolitan look-and-feel. And of course, Kochi Metro.

[Jeep]

I am from Kochi and my other half is from Trivandrum...

As you are from Delhi, Kochi fits better,though a far cry from the likes of Bangalore.

More Cosmo, had the advantage of having Metro as well.

Trivandrum has a slightly better climate. It's laid back too, with lesser traffic. Both locations offer great weekend drives!

[kutts]

Trivandrum is my home town and I work here. Did my engineering in Kochi. Worked a year at Bangalore.

Bangalore is never a personal choice for me. Traffic, pollution, expensive. Law and order is a hit or miss depending on how you look at it.

Kochi is more cosmopolitan than Trivandrum. Better options for shopping from textiles to cars.

Trivandrum is more laid back. Way less traffic. Less pollution and better water quality than Kochi. You can traverse the entire city in 45 minutes. Airport, railway station etc are centrally located. Shopping options are getting better, but dont expect premium outlets in next one year.

If you are in IT then availability of apartments, proximity to vast variety of food joints and ease of access to office is definitely better in Trivandrum.

[Fury]

As someone born and brought up in Kochi, studied and worked in Bangalore for 6 years and made the occasional trip to Trivandrum, I think I can contribute my 2 cents to your dilema.

I would say your best option would be Kochi.

From a cultural point of view, it would relatively be easier for you adjust in Kochi compared to Trivandrum. You can always travel to west kochi, when you feel like having some authentic north indian food from Restaurants and eateries run by Gujaratis and Marwadis, who are settled here for generations. West Kochi is a melting pot of cultures and wherever you are from, it is very much possible for you to get a taste of home, somewhere in Kochi.

Most people here understand English and Hindi (to a certain extent) and communication should not be a problem in most situations.

Law and Order is respected better generally in Kerala when compared to Bangalore and pollution levels will be relatively higher in Kochi compared to Trivandrum but much better compared to Bangalore (coastal cities generally tend to have more controlled pollution levels when compared to land-locked cities).

Metro connectivity within the city and as others mentioned better flight connectivity to other cities are also important points for you to consider. Added to that, geographically, access to the neighbouring states and important cities like Bangalore and Chennai are easier from Kochi when compared to Trivandrum (this is important because road traveling within Kerala is a slow affair due to dense traffic and narrow highways, not to mention strict speed cameras covering most of the highways).

For stay, I would recommend areas near to Kakkanad for easy office commutes (I am assuming your office to be situated in Infopark) and this would ensure you would not have to travel more than 10KM for your weekly shopping and entertainment outings with your family.

Climate will be hot and humid throughout the year and be prepared to have extended discussions with your colleagues about how hot and sweaty it is

CBSE shools are available aplenty and educational expenses for your kids will be much cheaper than most other metropolitan cities without sacrificing on the quality of education.

The mosquito menace as mentioned before, is something you have to aware of and the rush hour traffic, even though nowhere as bad Bangalore, is still something that might tire you during your everyday commutes. Also getting used to the humidity and heat might take sometime based on your threshold.

Hope these points were helpful and if you have indeed decided to come to Kochi then a very warm "Swagatham" to the queen of the Arabian Sea!

[WhiteKnight]

Originally Posted by warrioraks

Both cities are completely unknown for us. Google search seems to prefer Kochi on majority of our preferences. But I would rely on the collective wisdom of this forum rather than user stories on Quora. Thanks for your time!

First of all, congratulations on the opportunity you got.

People have already answered your questions point by point. So, I'll focus on some subjective matters.

Given a choice I prefer Kochi, because it is closer to my home. But, in the heart, I like Thiruvanantapuram. Reason is, I love laid back, village like life- Thiruvanantapuram is more suitable for that. It is a city that is well spread out, so the population density won't be felt. So, you need to think what do you really like?
Another city that offers similar, or better charm for me, is Mysore. What a place to live!

Seconds point to remember is, Kerala is a state where social equality prevails in almost absolute terms. Nothing to worry about, but please be aware.

All the very best.

[Rajiv Krishnan]

I am from Kochi and have been living here for most of my life. I don't know much about TVM so this is going to be solely about Kochi. I absolutely believe it is one the best cities to live in India, a sentiment shared by most of my friends (we all left cochin for college), for reasons I shall be getting into.

While the cosmopolitan culture is nowhere close to that of Bangalore or any of the metro cities, Kochi more than makes up for it in other ways.

For starters, the living expenses are much lower. Everything from rent to movie tickets are quite a bit cheaper here.

I've never felt that the pollution was bad in Kochi. I've certainly never had any respiratory illnesses and never felt the air I breathe to be polluted.

Kochi cannot compare to Bangalore in terms of being a happening place. Bangalore eclipses Kochi in terms of sheer number of events happening at any given time. But Kochi also has its fair share. Everything from standup, to concerts and exhibitions take place fairly regularly.

The traffic is nowhere near as bad, and compared to Chennai where I stay currently, most people follow traffic laws and are a little more civilised. As a TeamBHPian who loves to drive, this matters a lot for me. I didn't enjoy driving as much in Chennai. Also the car culture in Kochi is pretty fantastic. You can find everything from supercars to tuners roaming the streets and seeing one on the road always brings my mood up . In this aspect, Kochi is unrivalled in Kerala. There are also car shows and meets happening regularly. Keralites sure love their cars. And I use the word culture very purposefully. Many cities have greater numbers of rare cars but Keralites have taste.

You can navigate easily to any part of the city using google maps. Failing that, most of the citizens can speak basic English, and owing to the influx of migrant workers from North India and the need to communicate with them, many can speak basic Hindi as well. So that shouldn't be a problem at all. Also, it is a very small city so you will get accustomed to the routes in no time at all. I myself didn't know most of the routes until I started driving three years ago. Now I can go almost everywhere without maps.

There is enough to see and experience in Kochi alone, to keep one occupied for up to a year. There are many landmarks and historical places in and around Kochi and many restaurants to explore. As many other members pointed out, places like Munnar and Wayanad are a day's drive from Kochi. And once you get bored with them, there are many places of interest in the neighbouring states of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka that are within 12 hours of driving. You will also be spoilt for choice regarding beaches as Kerala itself is one long beach on the West.

Now for the reasons why I love Kochi. The old city has this quaint feel to it. Especially the Fort Kochi area. The colonial era buildings, narrow bustling roads and the close proximity to the sea wherever you go make you feel like you're in a Pirates of the Caribbean movie. Eating sea food in one of those roadside stalls by the sea is blissful. Kochi feels more like a small town than the city it is. It is small enough that you can drive from one extreme to the other in just over an hour. And the greenery is just something else. Everywhere you look, everything has a lush shade of green. This is something I didn't think was a big deal but missed sorely when I moved to TN. The cloudy overcast days are nothing short of eye candy. This applies to all of Kerala also. Kochi is also made up of a bunch of islands and if you love being close to the water, you will absolutely love Kochi. There is the sea and there are the backwaters and many many bridges to cross that afford panoramic views of the sea and the surrounding land. One of my favourite things to do is to just drive around the coastal region with friends. The food situation is also excellent. No matter what cuisine you prefer, there is something for everyone, and exploring various restaurants is a fun activity in and of itself. Then there is the rain. Kerala gets some of the best rainfall in all of India and it rains most days of the year, especially from June onwards. There are many more reasons but I'm gonna stop here. Hope you found this helpful. I admit I have romanticised some things but you certainly won't be disappointed.

[randeepsr]

One of the factors you need to consider if you are a Vegiterian or Non-Vegiterian. Both Kochi or Trivandrum is very Non-Vegiterian friendly place. If you are Vegiterian you might find a big cultural shock moving to either of the locations. Most of hotels, canteens and common functions in both places primarily cater to Non-Vegiterian clientele and support Vegiterian as a afterthought. So please factor that too in your consideration. Best of Luck!

[tsk1979]

Originally Posted by warrioraks

1. I am from Delhi and currently based in Gurgaon. Wife is from north part of India as well
2. The new role requires me to re-locate and as the title suggests, I have three options - Bangalore, Kochi, Trivandrum (in alphabetic order)
3. Except Delhi/NCR, I have lived in Hyderabad and Bangalore in the past. Wife has spent time in Bangalore as well
4. I and wife know only two languages - Hindi and English

Since you are from North Cochin will be an easier city to adjust in. Due to the huge Naval base, the culture is very cosmopolitan, and the city has a more modern outlook.
When I was in Kerala, I found Cochin to be the more fun city than northern Kerala where I was in. Of course Trivandrum is very different from Calicut and up north, but it still does not really win against Cochin.

Having a naval base really changes things

[himanshugoswami]

As a north Indian who spent a fair amount of time in Kerala a few years back (in TVM mostly), let me warn you of one thing- Labour.


Labour- be it for loading/unloading household goods, taxis, autos, house help- are all heavily unionized, and most unions can tend to be very aggressive. So be careful on that aspect, especially sinc eyou don't speak the language.

the second issue is hartaals. TVM used to come to a stand still at the drop of a hat and if you try to break the hartaal by travelling to your place of work, be prepared for a stone to come flying at your vehicle.

Although this may have changed today, but on the whole, people in Kochi were more welcoming of outsiders than TVM. people in tvm tended to keep to themselves and are not very welcoming.

In case you do decide on tvm, PM me. There is a small Punjabi community there, and I made some very good friends there and in fact one of my closest friends is a sardaar settled in tvm. will be happy to sync you up with him. very helpful chap.

[vishnurp99]

So here it goes -

I was born in allepey, lived for a while in kollam, did my high school and Engineering in TVM. After that I worked in Bangalore and US for a long time.I have worked in Kochi for the last 5 years in Kakkanad infopark with frequent trips back to TVM.

Kochi and TVM are quite similar. I would just go to the city
which makes more sense from a career perspective.

If one has to compare, Kochi sucks when it rains. It does rain pretty frequently here and floods are just a rain away. The roads , pollution and mosquitos are a problem in some areas. Also there is water shortage and issues due to a big waste management plant in the Kakkanad area which is the IT hub. So do your research well if you are moving to Kakkanad. Rents are lower and you have great availability of flats. The malls and party scene is better. You get restaurants with malabar influence and great ambience. The hotels etc are better here

Trivandrum is the better city from a pollution and traffic perspective. You have a bigger IT presence here. The city is better planned too thanks to the royals and the british. The city lags behind in the shopping malls and pubs. The party scene sucks too. In terms of connectivity, the tvm airport's domestic terminal sucks but connectivity to other cities are good. Rents are higher in TVM when compared to Kochi but still lower than Bangalore.

Both cities have good schools and good educational ecosystem.

Best of luck for your move!! Regardless of where you end up, make it a point to explore the other city!

[Lambydude]

Have lived in both cities and here is my take on it. As many have already mentioned, Cochin is the commercial capital and Trivandrum is the original capital.
Trivandrum is more like an over grown village while cochin is more cosmopolitan. You will come across more people who are multilingual in Cochin. Southern naval command is in Cochin and because of which more north indian population resides here. Hence, there are more restaurants catering to this population.
However, traffic and cost of living (compared to trivandrum) are the drawbacks of cochin.

Trivandrum has lesser traffic, much cleaner and cost of living is lesser. Plus the city is more traditional with many well known temples. But people are very orthodox. For example, you will invite a lot of stares if a woman friend of yours order an alcoholic drink in any fine dine restaurant. These stares will be significantly lesser in Cochin.

Lastly, it's a personal opinion, I have found people of cochin to be a bit more friendlier to an "outsider"

[Asish_VK]

I would suggest Kochi. Reason being

1. Most developed and happening city in kerala
2. Cochin international Airport
3. Metro to commute inside the city
4. Weekend getaways in all directions within 200. km
5. Health care and hospitals are a notch above in Kochi
6. Cafes, pubs and hangout places.

Trivandrum is also a nice city , but my preference will be Kochi

[JojyKerala]

Originally Posted by himanshugoswami

Labour- be it for loading/unloading household goods, taxis, autos, house help- are all heavily unionized, and most unions can tend to be very aggressive. So be careful on that aspect, especially sinc eyou don't speak the language.

Excellent point. These loaders don't spare malayalees as well. They are not present everywhere though - it depends on the area.

When I moved to Trivandrum a few years ago and shifted houses 2 or 3 times after that, these loaders or "nokku kooli" specialists appeared each time when they spotted a truck or goods auto approaching my residence.

15 to 20 people would appear out of nowhere in bikes and then I would spend the next half an hour negotiating their rates.

Since 2018, "Nokku kooli" has been banned in Kerala. However, loaders still appear in certain areas. Nobody complains because these loaders are local, jobless strongmen looking to make a quick buck. I came across them twice in 2019 so the menace hasn't disappeared.

@warrioraks: When you move into a new place (Kochi or Trivandrum), make queries with residents or caretakers whether they still face problems from loaders or nokku kooli people. There is a 90% chance these loaders won't appear. But if they do, it's ideal to have a local by your side while dealing with them. Either strictly tell you won't give them a rupee or negotiate a deal that favours you.