Where to live
Neighbourhoods, Housing Market, The IKAN Method. 8 min read.
01Neighbourhoods
Neighbourhoods we recommend
Delhi is a city of distinct, established neighbourhoods. The right one depends on where your office is, your family, and how you balance rent, space and lifestyle. These are the seven we rate highest for families moving from other Indian cities in 2026.
The map of Delhi loads here.
Photo: Biswarup Ganguly, CC BY 3.01
Dwarka
Affordable Planned Sub-City
₹40k to 3L a month30 min to Aerocity
Best forBudget-conscious families, airport & Gurugram commuters
A large, well-planned sub-city in South-West Delhi with abundant apartment stock across DDA flats and cooperative group-housing societies. The most budget-friendly of the recommended areas, wide roads, parks, and its own metro Blue Line. Close to IGI Airport and the Dwarka Expressway corridor to Gurugram, it is ideal for families on intra-India budgets.
Photo: Biswarup Ganguly, CC BY 3.02
Vasant Vihar / Vasant Kunj
Green South-West Apartments
₹40k to 3L a month45 min to CP
Best forFamilies, mid-level corporate, airport-area commuters
Vasant Vihar is one of South-West Delhi's most established premium residential addresses, leafy, embassy-adjacent and favoured by senior corporate movers. Neighbouring Vasant Kunj and Dwarka are largely budget-segment apartment stock and DDA flats, offering more space for the rupee. The whole corridor is close to the airport, Vasant Square and Ambience Mall, with good schools and hospitals nearby and strong connectivity to central South Delhi.
Photo: KuwarOnline, CC BY-SA 3.03
Saket / Malviya Nagar
Established South Delhi Value
₹30k to 1.5L a month45 min to Gurugram Cybercity
Best forFamilies with school-age children, mid-budget movers
Saket sits beside Max Super Speciality Hospital and Select Citywalk mall, with strong builder-floor and apartment stock and Yellow Line metro access. Adjacent Malviya Nagar offers more affordable rentals with the same metro connectivity and a lively local market. A well-rounded, mid-budget South Delhi choice.
Photo: Axshazxaf, CC BY-SA 4.04
Hauz Khas / Green Park / SDA
Historic & Connected
₹75k to 1.5L a month
Best forYounger professionals, design / media / tech, couples
Built around a 14th-century reservoir and Hauz Khas Village, this enclave draws younger professionals with its restaurants, design studios and proximity to IIT Delhi. Adjacent Green Park and SDA (Safdarjung Development Area) offer quieter residential streets with the same Outer Ring Road and metro access (Magenta & Yellow Lines). A lively, well-connected mid-budget option.
Photo: Deepanshu Madaan, CC05
New Friends Colony / East of Kailash
Leafy South-East Value
₹50k to 1L a month
Best forFamilies, value-seeking movers, South-East corridor offices
Established, tree-lined South-East Delhi neighbourhoods with generous builder floors and apartments at better value than central South Delhi. New Friends Colony is known for its quiet avenues and proximity to the Ashram corridor; East of Kailash offers convenient ring-road and metro access. Good space for the rupee.
Photo: Nikhilb239, CC BY-SA 4.06
Greater Kailash I & II
South Delhi Prestige Value
₹65k to 2L a month
Best forUpper-budget families, established movers, space-seekers
M-Block Market (GK-I), N-Block and GK-II's E-Block offer independent floors of generous size, a strong community, and excellent access to Max Saket and the Outer Ring Road. A prestigious South Delhi address that still offers good space-to-rupee value at the upper end of the intra-India budget.
Photo: Ankitsahayshalu, CC07
Defence Colony / East Nizamuddin
Central South-Delhi Heritage
₹1L to 3L a month
Best forIntra-India relocators, central-Delhi office commuters, families
Defence Colony is a mature, tree-lined enclave of independent builder floors with the lively Defence Colony Market at its heart and AIIMS within easy reach, a long-standing favourite of intra-India relocators. Neighbouring East Nizamuddin offers quieter heritage streets beside Humayun's Tomb and Nizamuddin Dargah, with strong connectivity to central Delhi, the airport and the Ring Road.
A tip: As most corporate offices are in Gurugram, Aerocity or Noida, we have suggested affordable housing areas within South Delhi only. There are other areas that can be considered in West Delhi, East Delhi, Gurugram, Faridabad, Ghaziabad and Noida as well. Weigh your budget and travel time when you choose.
Commute
Vasant Kunj → CP
45 min
Ring Road (off-peak)
Commute
Saket → Gurugram Cybercity
45 min
Outer Ring Road / NH-48
Commute
GK-1 → Noida Sector 18
45 min
DND Flyway / Magenta Line
Commute
Dwarka → Aerocity
30 min
Airport Express / NH-48
02Housing Market
What rent costs in 2026
Delhi's rental market is made up of independent floors (one floor of a house each). You usually get more space than in Mumbai or Bangalore for the same rent, but you still pay noticeably more than in Hyderabad or Pune. Negotiate with IKAN's help, because Delhi landlords expect it.
HOME
3 BHK Builder Floor
₹1.2L to 3L
/month (premium S Delhi)
| Area | 3 BHK / Month | 4 BHK / Month | Profile |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vasant Vihar, Vasant Kunj, Dwarka | ₹40k to 3L | ₹55k to 5L | South-West Delhi premium, independent floors, leafy, airport-proximate |
| Jor Bagh / Sundar Nagar | ₹3L to 6L | ₹5L to 12L | Heritage Lutyens-adjacent, Lodhi Gardens at the doorstep, ultra-premium |
| Defence Colony, Nizamuddin | ₹1L to 3L | ₹2L to 4L | Mature tree-lined streets, AIIMS proximity, popular intra-India relocator choice |
| Greater Kailash I & II | ₹65k to 2L | ₹1.5L to 2.5L | South Delhi prestige, large floors, M-Block Market, best value premium |
| Hauz Khas / Green Park | ₹75k to 1.5L | ₹1.8L to 4.5L | Historic enclave, HKV nightlife, IIT Delhi adjacent |
| Saket / Panchsheel Park | ₹30k to 1.5L | ₹95k to 2.5L | Max Hospital adjacent, Select Citywalk, established south Delhi |
| East of Kailash / Friends Colony | ₹50k to 1L | ₹1L to 2.5L | Older established residential, larger plots, good value vs central south Delhi |
A tool
What a month costs
Pick a home and tick what you will pay for. Every figure is from this guide, as written.
3 BHK Builder Floor
₹1.3L to 3.2L a month
- Rent, 3 BHK Builder Floor₹1.2L to 3L
- Monthly Groceries₹12k to 20k
- Monthly Metro Spend₹500 to 1.5k
One off, before you move in: the deposit, three months' rent, ₹3.6L to 9L at this rent.
Indicative figures from this guide. Your IKAN consultant confirms rents and fees before you act on them.
Rental Rules
Delhi Market Practices
- Security deposit: 3 months rent is standard in Delhi
- Lease duration: 24 / 36-month Leases are standard practice, renewable with 5-10% annual escalation. Lease tenures longer than 1 year must be registered at the Sub-Registrar's Office in Delhi.
- Real estate agent fee: Equivalent to one month's rent, payable at the time of Lease signing.
- Lock-in period: 6-12 months (negotiable). Neither the Lessee nor the Lessor may terminate or break the contract during the lock-in period.
- Furnishing: Semi-furnished accommodation is standard offering with built-in cupboards and kitchen. Fully furnished accommodation is rare and comes at a premium.
- Independent floors: The Delhi norm, floor-wise units (Ground/1st/2nd/3rd) in a four-storey house
- TDS: Under Section 194-IB, Tax Deducted at Source applies at 2% (reduced from 5% with effect from 1 October 2024) where monthly rent exceeds ₹50,000
- Documentation: Aadhaar, PAN. IKAN helps negotiate and prepare your Lease.
2026 Trends
What's Moving in Delhi
- South Delhi appreciation: 12-18% across GK, Saket and the southern corridors over 24 months
- Metro Phase 4 effect: Properties along upcoming Golden Line seeing 8-12% premium creep
- Builder floor refresh: Older floors getting full renovations to compete with new-build supply
- Aerocity expansion: Corporate offices shifting closer to airport, driving Vasant Kunj, Dwarka and Dwarka Expressway demand
- Lutyens & Golf Links: Prime Lutyens' bungalow zone remains India's most expensive postcode, tightly held, near-zero inventory, NRI and promoter buyers paying ₹1.5 to 2.5 lakh/sq ft for the rare resale
- New premium supply: DLF, Godrej and M3M launches along the Dwarka Expressway and in West Delhi are pulling corporate-lease tenants toward ready-to-move towers with structured maintenance
- Rental yields: South Delhi builder floors yield a modest 2.5-3.5%, but furnished GK / Defence Colony units leased to expats and senior executives push gross yields to 4-5%
- Best value segment: Larger, well-built independent floors in East of Kailash, CR Park and Safdarjung Enclave offer the strongest space-per-rupee, landlords here negotiate 8-12% on a 36-month lease
03The IKAN Method
How your move works
Every relocation runs on fixed clocks. These are the sequences your IKAN consultant drives for you, from the first viewing to the day you have keys in hand.
Move-in
How your move-in inspection works
Every fixture and meter is photographed in move.report, then locked as your baseline. See a sample report.
- 1Move-in inspection with IKAN consultant
- 2Check-in: meters, keys, fixtures photographed
- 3Record made in move.report
- 424 hours to comment from receipt
- 5Report locked as move-in baseline
Lease
From walk-through to keys
Your consultant runs the term sheet, review and registration for you.
- 1Shortlist walk-through with your IKAN consultant
- 2Term sheet agreed within 48 hours
- 3Six-Eyes review: lease vetted by three IKAN reviewers
- 4e-stamp paid and agreement registered
- 5Keys handed over on possession day
Where should you live in Delhi?
A quick route to the right shortlist, built from the neighbourhoods in this guide.
What matters most?
- If you wantPremium, central, top schoolsLook atNew Friends ColonyGreater Kailash I & IIDefence Colony
- If you wantClose to work and the tech hubsLook atHauz Khas
- If you wantMost space and value for moneyLook atDwarkaVasant ViharSaket
Already moving with IKAN?
Your homes, dates and papers are in i-Navigate, IKAN's app for families. It opens with the email address your IKAN consultant has for you, then sends you a six digit code.
Open your move Not moving with IKAN yet? Write to relo@ikan.com and a consultant will reply.