[DudeWithaFiat]

Hello warrioraks,

I was born and brought up in Kochi, spent about 4 years in Trivandrum working, spent about 3 years in Bangalore working. Currently, living in Pune.

Though Kochi is my hometown, I find living in Trivandrum much better for these reasons:

1) Very less pollution, compared to Kochi (Pollution in Kochi is less too if you compare with Bangalore or Pune).
2) More greenery than Kochi, Bangalore or Pune.
3) A lot neater than Kochi, Bangalore or Pune.
3) A lot less traffic than Kochi, Bangalore or Pune.
4) Lots of joints to eat (subjective, does not matter it you don't enjoy Kerala food).
5) Cheaper than Kochi, Bangalore or Pune.
6) 'Village-ish', even if this is a city, but in a good way.
7) Good, peaceful places to hang-out with family even in the middle of the city.

If you are the 'party' type, then Kochi might be better for you than Trivandrum even though Kochi is nowhere compared to Bangalore/Pune for the party-goers.

Here is the picture of where I used to stay for 10k a month in Trivandrum from 2016 to 2018. It was a 3 BHK with two floors with a common pool and gym. Picture taken from our terrace.

[BLACNWYTE]

I am originally from Kochi and my wife is from Trivandrum. So I'm a resident of both places. I prefer Trivandrum over Kochi because the former has a more laid back feel than Kochi which is mainly a commercial place and is always busy. And when I say busy, don't expect a nightlife like that in the metros because after 9:30 PM the entire city shuts down save some places near Infopark, Railway station and Fort Kochi area. I have found places open late in night in most parts of Trivandrum city than Kochi.

Language won't be a problem in both places as most people can understand Hindi and English, you will manage just fine.

Both places will get you decent North Indian cuisine, and I believe Kochi is a bit better than Trivandrum in this aspect as there is the Southern Naval command here and also settlements of Gujrathi business, Infopark which contribute to a decent enough North Indian population.

Pollution and traffic wise Trivandrum is better than Kochi. And both are better than any metro city of India.

Trivandrum is cheaper than Kochi which is again lot cheaper than Bangalore or Gurgaon/ Delhi.

Both places have decent weekend getaways nearby.

The highway south of Kochi will frustrate you since they are basically dual carriageways masquerading as national highways. The highways North of Kochi are comparatively better.

I can't authoritatively speak about pollen problem in both places as I have not felt breathing related issues in both places. Greenery wise Trivandrum trumps Kochi.

Law and order situation is similar in both places. There are no issues however, Trivandrum being the state capital witnesses lots of protests and dharnas than Kochi but that is mostly restricted to near the state Secretariat and nearby areas.

[warrioraks]

Firstly, I am truly humbled that this topic received so many responses. Thanks to everyone who pitched-in with their wisdom.

As an update, a couple of recent developments have skewed our opinion towards Bangalore. The primary being it is easier for my wife to get a transfer to Bangalore rather than Kochi/Trivandrum at this point. Seems we might end up giving Bangalore a shot, and in case the pollen allergy comes up, we will consider moving to Kochi/Trivandrum. The job role has easy mobility between these three cities. In case someone is interested to know more or discuss about what all to consider while taking a new job role in a new city, I am happy to discuss (via PM or other means). The past two weeks have been crazy with so many variables but has taught me a thing or two on how to simplify professional decisions.
One thing is for certain - after reading so many great things about Kochi and Trivandrum, we are surely planning to experience these cities (in addition to other beautiful places with-in Kerala) in the post-Covid world.

Originally Posted by 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.

Seems we might end up in the exact situation you highlighted. I actually made my wife read your post first-hand to gauge how serious we are about Bangalore. This is one of the rare-instances where I might be going against the advice of a Dbhpian, keeping fingers crossed. Thanks for laying out your opinion in no-uncertain terms.

Originally Posted by AntPaul

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.

Thank you for the candid opinion. This did come up during my google search. On paper, this sounds discomforting but I am sure it is in no way going to be worse than what we experience in Gurgaon.

Originally Posted by JojyKerala

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)

By cosmopolitan culture, we are just hoping to see people from all over India as well as easy intermingling within the society. My experience is that ability to speak local language plays a very important part in this. Good to know the Trivandrum has a lot of North Indian families (and hopefully people from other parts of the country as well).

Originally Posted by 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.

I have stayed in Bangalore in 2014 and have been frequently travelling to the city every 3-4 months due to work. I dislike the city because of two reasons - traffic and 11 months rent advance, otherwise I find it a fine city as compared to Gurgaon

Did you say Trivandrum lacks shopping options? That gives the city a lot of brownie points in my eyes, not sure wife will have the same opinion

Originally Posted by Rajiv Krishnan

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.

ok, enough said! Thanks to the amazing way you described Kochi, you certainly have a way with words. While reading your post, I was sure I am going to Kochi. But then reality dawned and the constraints kicked in.

Originally Posted by WhiteKnight

First of all, congratulations on the opportunity you got.

Thank you!

Originally Posted by Fury

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!

Indeed they were, thank you for the warm words!

Originally Posted by 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!

Great point. Wife is a pure vegetarian though I love meat. Honestly we did not consider this till now, thanks for bringing it up.

Originally Posted by tsk1979

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

I can relate to it. When I visited Vizag last year, I was told the same thing - presence of Naval base has had a lot of bearing on that city.

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.
...
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.

I had read about this labour thing many years ago in newspaper. Surprise that it still exists. Even if there is 20% chance of this happening, it is something to look out for.
Thank you for the offer on TVM, I will surely ping you.

Originally Posted by vishnurp99

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

I am going to explore the entire region whenever I move. That is actually one of the charms of moving to a new area.

Originally Posted by Lambydude

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

That's my definition of cosmopolitan!

Originally Posted by JojyKerala

@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.

Something to add to the checklist, thanks.

Originally Posted by DudeWithaFiat

Hello warrioraks,
Here is the picture of where I used to stay for 10k a month in Trivandrum from 2016 to 2018. It was a 3 BHK with two floors with a common pool and gym. Picture taken from our terrace.

That's a cool deal for 10k. Stupid question - what are those green nets on the terrace of a couple of houses?

Originally Posted by BLACNWYTE

Law and order situation is similar in both places. There are no issues however, Trivandrum being the state capital witnesses lots of protests and dharnas than Kochi but that is mostly restricted to near the state Secretariat and nearby areas.

Do these protests tend to get violent?
The only time I have experienced protests first hand was during my 3 years in Hyderabad. I witnessed a lot of protests for Telangana but it was always non-violent and average citizens like me were never heckled.

[BLACNWYTE]

Originally Posted by warrioraks

Do these protests tend to get violent?
The only time I have experienced protests first hand was during my 3 years in Hyderabad. I witnessed a lot of protests for Telangana but it was always non-violent and average citizens like me were never heckled.

Occasionally some stone pelting by the protesters towards the police and then lathi charge in return by the police happens. The maximum is use of tear gas and water cannons. Sounds violent but not to the tune of what happens in Delhi. Also these incidents are rare now and it is restricted to nearby areas of the secretariat building. Common people are not bothered. If you are going to work in the Technopark area then that's far removed from these type of dramas.

[Lambydude]

Originally Posted by warrioraks

Do these protests tend to get violent?
The only time I have experienced protests first hand was during my 3 years in Hyderabad. I witnessed a lot of protests for Telangana but it was always non-violent and average citizens like me were never heckled.

Protests don't turn violent. At max water cannon and stone pelting but it does not affect you if you are away from state secretariat area.
Also, it largely happens when one group is in opposition. Currently they are in power. So no need to worry.

[sureshkishore]

Hi, I was born and brought up in Trivandrum but my job took me to Cochin for 8 years. My company was based out of Gurgaon and most of my colleagues were from the north.
With my own experience and of my colleagues I would like to share my inputs. Hope it helps make up your choice.
Whichever choice you make let me assure you we mallus are a very warm friendly lot and am sure that your family would have a lovely stay here. All the best!


1. Good law and order situation Either cities are very safe
2. Cost of living should not exceed what we experience in Gurgaon either cities you would save money compared to gurgaon. Trivandrum rentals are slightly higher.i was paying 18k including maintenance In Cochin for a good premium 1700 sq ft modern apt with all amenities like gym, pool etc, also travel time in either cities are quite short so you would save on fuel. Domestic helps are generally higher paid in Kerala, school fees are much cheaper and offer much better quality of education
3. Cosmopolitan culture Trivandrum 3/10 Cochin 6/10 Either cities have hardly any night life to talk about, Trivandrum as limited hangouts, Cochin is better off in terms of eating out and other hangout spots
4. Should not have pollen problem (which rules out Bangalore and that is the reason the title does not mention it) I haven't come across this issue in either cities, so it should be ok
5. City which can be navigated easily with the help of languages we already know - Hindi and English Cochin 6/10, Trivandrum 6/10 Both are manageable
6. Decent weekend getaways Cochin 8/10, Trivandrum 6/10
7. Less pollution : Trivandrum 8/10; Cochin 6/10 Cochin is better than Chennai and Bangalore

[petrol_power]

Originally Posted by warrioraks

1. Good law and order situation

I currently work in Bangalore and has worked in Cochin earlier and am a native of Trivandrum. Adding a few points which is not mentioned by others.

Law & Order - The hate crimes or locals targeting the outsiders are definitely more in Bangalore when compared to Cochin or Trivandrum. I am not saying that Bangalore is worst, but comparatively its bad. Eg: Karnataka has a fringe group who promotes kannada and we have to be very careful in dealing with them if we come across them. I have faced them once in Cubbon park. That group was asking everyone to learn Kannada and was making us say a few words in Kannada. I knew about them and immediately was polite with them and was part of them. But some other family from north was not aware of them, altercation started and the family was saved only because there was police there. The tension of locals vs outsiders is definitely higher in Bangalore. Though it will not hurt anyone if we are merging into the new place rather than trying to stand out.

Also don't forget that Karnataka was the only government who started tax collection from Out-of-Karnataka registered cars.

Then the crazy traffic, which kills all the happiness for an outbound person. When both husband and wife is working, and if their offices are in different parts of Bangalore, then week days will be vanished from at-least one person's life as he/she would just be tired due to traffic once back from office.

But two things stand in favor of Bangalore - The job opportunities which is incomparable to Kochi/Trivandrum and the weather. I was recently searching for opportunities for my wife (in IT) and there is no doubt that Cohin/Trivandrum doesn't even have 1/10000th of opportunities when compared to Bangalore.

[poloman]

I am from Kerala. Sad to say contrary to popular belief cities in Kerala are not safe for women after 8-9PM. The people are mostly conservative, patriarchal and can be judgmental. Moral policing is rampant.Women hardly venture out alone after dark due to this reason. Kochi is slightly better in this aspect due to its cosmopolitan outlook, but only slightly.
@mods the picture shown with this thread is of Japanese city Kochi not the Indian one.

[warrioraks]

Originally Posted by sureshkishore

i was paying 18k including maintenance In Cochin for a good premium 1700 sq ft modern apt with all amenities like gym, pool etc, also travel time in either cities are quite short so you would save on fuel [/b]

I pay nearly double in Gurgaon for a similar property. Based on earlier posts as well, it's pretty clear to me that Kochi/Trivandrum offer decent savings on real estate as compared to Bangalore/Gurgaon.
Plus the scoring mechanism in your response made for a good comparison.

Originally Posted by petrol_power

Law & Order - The hate crimes or locals targeting the outsiders are definitely more in Bangalore when compared to Cochin or Trivandrum. I am not saying that Bangalore is worst, but comparatively its bad. Eg: Karnataka has a fringe group who promotes kannada and we have to be very careful in dealing with them if we come across them. I have faced them once in Cubbon park. That group was asking everyone to learn Kannada and was making us say a few words in Kannada. I knew about them and immediately was polite with them and was part of them. But some other family from north was not aware of them, altercation started and the family was saved only because there was police there. The tension of locals vs outsiders is definitely higher in Bangalore. Though it will not hurt anyone if we are merging into the new place rather than trying to stand out.

Also don't forget that Karnataka was the only government who started tax collection from Out-of-Karnataka registered cars.

Then the crazy traffic, which kills all the happiness for an outbound person. When both husband and wife is working, and if their offices are in different parts of Bangalore, then week days will be vanished from at-least one person's life as he/she would just be tired due to traffic once back from office.

But two things stand in favor of Bangalore - The job opportunities which is incomparable to Kochi/Trivandrum and the weather. I was recently searching for opportunities for my wife (in IT) and there is no doubt that Cohin/Trivandrum doesn't even have 1/10000th of opportunities when compared to Bangalore.

Great points, all these cities have tradeoffs, You have summed up for Bangalore very neatly.

Originally Posted by poloman

I am from Kerala. Sad to say contrary to popular belief cities in Kerala are not safe for women after 8-9PM. The people are mostly conservative, patriarchal and can be judgmental. Moral policing is rampant.Women hardly venture out alone after dark due to this reason. Kochi is slightly better in this aspect due to its cosmopolitan outlook, but only slightly.
@mods the picture shown with this thread is of Japanese city Kochi not the Indian one.

This is some unpopular opinion vis-a-vis other posts. Thanks for being candid.

[RMN]

I think @jothishX summarized it pretty well. I would recommend Kochi because while its nowhere close to Bangalore/Delhi as a city its still closer to them than Trivandrum.

Cost of living & pollution: while its better in TVM - its not by a huge margin.

Originally Posted by poloman

I am from Kerala. Sad to say contrary to popular belief cities in Kerala are not safe for women after 8-9PM. The people are mostly conservative, patriarchal and can be judgmental. Moral policing is rampant.Women hardly venture out alone after dark due to this reason. Kochi is slightly better in this aspect due to its cosmopolitan outlook, but only slightly.
@mods the picture shown with this thread is of Japanese city Kochi not the Indian one.

I think this depends on perspective. Its true that women venturing out after 9PM is much lesser compared to other cities. But thats mostly due to the fact that the younger generation live with their parents here and they generally have the unwritten law of curfew. Unlike when they live away from family in Bangalore, Mumbai etc.

The city also sleeps a little earlier than other major metros, that invariably makes the city unsafe during these hours compared to other cities. IMO.

PS: You have have some decent tuning houses in Kochi!

[ashikthomson]

Originally Posted by warrioraks

Now coming to the decision that needs to be taken - which city should we relocate to? Listing down our preferences to provide some context on what we are looking for:
1. Good law and order situation
2. Cost of living should not exceed what we experience in Gurgaon
3. Cosmopolitan culture
4. Should not have pollen problem (which rules out Bangalore and that is the reason the title does not mention it)
5. City which can be navigated easily with the help of languages we already know - Hindi and English
6. Decent weekend getaways
7. Less pollution (staying in Delhi, this becomes an important thing to look out for in a new city)

Both cities are completely unknown for us. Google search seems to prefer Kochi on the 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!

Let me try to answer the question from a laid back or wider perspective. I'm from thrissur, neighbouring to Kochi and I've stayed in kochi for 4 years during my college days.

I would definitely suggest Cochin for your stay. Of course trivandrum is a much better place when compared to cost of living and air quality, but kochi is not that bad in these either. On the flip side there are many positives for being in Kochi.

The first one is Kochi, has now grown to become a cultural hub, thanks to the growth of coastal tourism in fort Cochin and IT culture in Ernakulam side. You can experience a wider range of cuisines and find things to do on weekends / holidays. In short Kochi will keep you engaged.

Also, ernakulam is mostly on the central portion of kerala, which means you are now at a position almost equidistant to the hilly areas in idukki or plantations in Kottayam or backwaters in Alappey. Also an early morning drive at around 4 am can easily take you to trivandrum for a nice kovalam or Varkala trip. This is in extra to the fort Kochi beach side, which in itself is a different experience to explore as an outsider. Also, trying to explore Wayanad or Kozhikode starting from Trivandrum is double the distance than from Cochin.

I still have fond memories of going to Mattancherry for the first time as a child along with my patents and experiencing the Jewish architecture. Even the breeze there has a different Vibe I've felt.


But, being said all of these, these are what I have felt good, because of my stay there. Obviously, I have not stayed in Trivandrum for more than 2 days at a stretch and that is the reason I cannot talk much about it, but people from Trivandrum or Kollam can.

These pointers are all from a bachelor's experience and I'm sure, you'll have to weight all of these along with your family commitments.

But I hope this will help.

[deemash]

1. Good law and order situation
Kerala police is the best police in India. Corruption is very very less in Kerala. You can easily get your work done in any government office without having any brokers or bribe.
2. Cost of living should not exceed what we experience in Gurgaon
Cost of living in both cities are not that high as in other cities. I like Trivandrum in this aspect. In both cities you will get good accommodation in approx 10k to 15k range.
3. Cosmopolitan culture
Kochi is best in this case. As an example, if you go to Mattancherry (near Fort Kochi) you will see lots of Jains, Gujjus, Konkanis..etc living in harmony. By 9 or 10pm both cities sleep.
4. Should not have pollen problem (which rules out Bangalore and that is the reason the title does not mention it)
Kerala is Gods own country. No such problem in both cities.
5. City which can be navigated easily with the help of languages we already know - Hindi and English
My vote will be for Kochi. Trivandrum is the south tip whereas Kochi located at the center of Kerala. Kochi Airport has lots of flight to different parts of India as well as outside India.
6. Decent weekend getaways
Of course Kochi... Alleppey, Munnar and lots of worship places (temples/churches..etc)
7. Less pollution (staying in Delhi, this becomes an important thing to look out for in a new city)
Both should be OK as per me.

Also I suggest to keep in mind the job opportunities as well for the career. If you are in IT, I will prefer Bangalore. Job opportunities will always be good in Bangalore than Kochi/Trivandrum.

Women folks rarely come out of houses after sun set in Kochi/ Trivandrum. Kochi has narrow roads in most places. Trivandrum scores good as far as roads are concerned.
Education is good in Kerala and economical too. A decent CBSE school in Kochi will charge approx 35K per year. In CBSE, till 8th I guess Malayalam is mandatory to learn. It is always good to learn a new language . Even state government aided schools are really good and much economical.

I miss Kerala for it's people, water, climate, education, hospitals, temples and corruption free govt offices. The climate is humid but better than the dry climate that you see in Bangalore. IMHO, a humid climate is better than the dry climate to reduce skin problems.

If I have to chose between Kochi/Trivandrum, my pick would be KOCHI, the queen of Arabian sea!

[gtonsing]

Though I have traveled for work to both Kochi and Trivandrum, I was driven from airport to hotel and then from hotel to office and back and stayed for not more than 1 work week in all of the times I have been there, I would not be a good judge of these two places.
However, you mentioned Bangalore being an option. I have lived in Bangalore for more than 17 years and speak a small smattering of Kannada (it helps a great deal) But me and my wife sneeze throughout the year due to whatever reason(s) Both our daughters are born here but the younger one has allergic problems (though not severe) and the doctor we consulted lightly mentioned that a 'cure' would be to move out of Bangalore.
Me being from the NorthEast and studied in Delhi, Bangalore is definitely a much better place than Kerala - you open the air-conditioned car door, even in Kerala winters and you are hit with almost a solid wall of heat (personal feeling, not meant to be derogatory).
Traffic is a big decision maker if you have an option to choose Bangalore and other Indian cities. Going anywhere is almost always 1 hr minimum. While you have to pay the highest road tax in the country, you will not be guaranteed of the best road conditions either.
I love the food and the quantity you get for your money is more than the portions you get in Bangalore.
I had the option of moving to TVM or KOC 2 years ago. But I was convinced against it since I was told it would be considered a lower tiered city compared to bangalore and moving back to bangalore would be a challenge - I have an IT job.
Those were my two cents.

[car love]

I guess a lot of excellent points have already been covered here. There is something else also that i would like to point out. Many people from the North are aghast at the beef eating habits of the people in Kerala. One of my friends and I did a remote back road trip of Kerala and arrived at a small restaurant in the middle of nowhere. The non veg part of the menu was almost entirely Beef. Almost all people in Kerala will not understand the word "Mutton". If you ask mutton, most likely it will be Beef. Be prepared for such stuff if it bothers you..

[vb-saan]

Originally Posted by car love

Almost all people in Kerala will not understand the word "Mutton". If you ask mutton, most likely it will be Beef. Be prepared for such stuff if it bothers you..

Agree on the beef aspect, but this statement is not true. Mutton/goat meat is popular as well, and the people are well-aware to understand the difference.