What to Pay Domestic Help in 2025 — A City-by-City Guide
Twelve Indian cities, four kinds of help, and the honest ranges we found after speaking to 340 households.
Between November 2024 and February 2025, we spoke to 340 households across twelve Indian cities to understand what people are actually paying for domestic help — not what agencies quote, not what internet averages suggest, but the real number that appears on the household spreadsheet each month.
How we collected the data
Every number below is a median across at least twenty households in that city, adjusted for hours worked and tasks included. Where the sample was smaller we've flagged it. Salaries are for full-time work; part-time hourly rates are covered in a separate note.
The metros
- Mumbai — ₹16,000 · Delhi NCR — ₹15,000 · Bengaluru — ₹15,500
- Hyderabad — ₹13,000 · Chennai — ₹12,500 · Pune — ₹13,500
- Kolkata — ₹11,000 · Ahmedabad — ₹11,500
Tier-two cities
In Jaipur, Chandigarh, Kochi, and Indore, the median is closer to ₹9,000–₹11,000 for full-time work — but expectations around live-in accommodation and food are often higher, which changes the total cost of employment materially.
Festival bonus, PF, and gifts
A one-month Diwali bonus is now standard practice in metros and expected in most tier-two cities as well. A smaller New Year gift, a saree for a wedding in the family, and paid leave for a child's board exam are the kind of small dignities that keep good staff for a decade.
