11 Best Weather Cities to Live in India

Curious about the best weather cities to live in India?  When the words ‘weather’ and ‘India’ are spoken in the same sentence, many people conjure images of debilitatingly sweltering humidity capable of taking the unaccustomed out of commission completely.  Sure, the deluge brought about by monsoon season offers some relief, but it also presents problems of its own.  After all, who really wants to confront daily downpours that are the stuff of biblical lore for months on end?

What most don’t know about the subcontinent’s characteristic weather patterns, however, is that some regions are frequently plagued by snow, frigid winds, and sub-zero temperatures.  Cities such as Migyitun, Katao, and Dras couple high altitude-induced low temperatures with precipitation to make them equally cold, bleak, and generally undesirable.

For the uninitiated–and perhaps the initiated as well–Cities with the Best Climate in the World Year-Round would be ideal.  A city warm enough to remind its inhabitants that all of their extremities are still attached to their torso, while simultaneously cool enough to ensure that a routine jaunt to the corner for chai and samosas doesn’t feel like a Tripadvisor walking tour through a mile-long sauna.

In order to encounter such a climate, locals and travelers alike would do well to seek out cities with very specific characteristics, as few throughout the whole of India offer the rare, aforementioned, Goldilocks-like not-too-hot, not-too-cold conditions that just about anyone would find pleasurable.

With this in mind, let’s start by identifying the climatic characteristics we’d rather avoid.  A few keywords that come to mind when thinking of undesirable weather patterns include:

• Monsoon
• Desert
• Cold
• Humid; and
• Subarctic

Effectively, we’re looking for cities with average temperatures somewhere between 75-95°F and annual precipitation under 1500mm, though under 1000 would be ideal.  Finding a list of only 11 cities that match these criteria, hot and rainy though India is, is likely impossible given India’s sheer size.  Without question, there will be hundreds, if not thousands, of locales throughout the massive subcontinent that will adhere to these standards.  As such, the simple solution is to take into account two further criteria:

1. Which cities that match these criteria match them best?  I.e. relatively low rainfall and most middling temperatures; and
2. Which weather patterns remain the most constant over the course of the year?  I.e. predictability and continuity from one month to the next.

In searching for climates that meet these standards, it’s important to remember that beggars can’t always be choosers.  This is India.  It rains a lot, and the weather is generally extreme–irrespective of the end of the spectrum–let’s be grateful for the good weather we can find.  The other thing to note is that we want a bit of diversity in this list.  That’s to say some cities can be a bit cooler or warmer than others, with slightly more or less rainfall.  Our best bet is most likely going to be looking at Warm-summer Mediterranean, Oceanic, and Subtropical Highland Oceanic climates, with a specific focus on hill stations within such regions.  It was these places, after all, that served as points of refuge for European colonists during India’s brutally hot summers, as towns with greater elevation offered more shade and generally cooler temperatures than comparatively hotter metropolises such as Delhi.  Using some crowdsourced recommendations from local experts as a starting point as well as a bit of research from other aggregated climate data, we’ve whittled down a dauntingly giant list to the 11 best weather cities to live in India.  With any luck, these cities will save you from a literal meltdown on your next Indian expedition.

11. Nashik

Situated just hours from the banks of India’s west coast, Nashik is located in the northwestern corridor of Maharashtra in the foothills of the Western Ghats mountains.  It enjoys the highest elevation among cities within its region, and is also one of the highest-elevated cities in all of India.  This high-altitude location allows the city to enjoy relatively mild temperatures–usually between 77 and 86°F–as well as low precipitation, which is only torrential in July.  Average high temperatures are worst in May, at 97°F, while average lows bottom out in January at 54°F.

10. Tenkasi

A nearby neighbor to Nashik, Tenkasi that ranks 10th in our list of best weather cities to live in India can also be found in the foothills of the Western Ghats, located in Tamil Nadu’s Tirunelveli district.  Though the annual precipitation is slightly more noticeable here than in Nashik, Tenkasi benefits from a more consistent year-round climate, with very little variation in weather from one month to the next.  Average monthly temperatures from one month to the next are typically around 80°F, with highs only getting up to around 90°F and lows consistently above 70°F.  October and November tend to be the wettest months of the year, but both remain just above 200mm in precipitation, making the downpours that the area does experience very tolerable.

9. Shimla

Characterized by its subtropical highland climate, Shimla, Himachal Pradesh’ capital city, exposes visitors and residents temperature ranges that are a bit more expansive than many other cities on this list.  Average highs range from below 50°F in January to 75°F in June.  Lows, on the other hand can drop all the way to 32°F, though this is quite rare, and only occurs fleetingly in January.  Rainfall is felt most acutely in July and August, with both months experiencing over 300mm.  Other months, however, are relatively dry, and boast warm temperatures, making Shimla a generally pleasant city to visit.

8. Srinagar

Weather-wise, Srinagar, the next one in our list of best weather cities to live in India shares a lot of the same characteristics as Shimla.  It boasts a wider range of temperature than most other cities listed here, with annual average highs reaching 85°F, and annual average lows dropping as far down as 25.  A great thing about the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir is its low precipitation.  Only one month, March, experiences more than 100mm of rain, and in general, Sringar’s precipitation and average temperature remain constant throughout the year.

7. Mysore

Though Karnataka boasts a number of excellent weather cities, Mysore may be among the best.  This southern Indian city benefits from a tropical savanna climate, which enables residents and visitors to enjoy pleasant average temperatures around 77°F year-round.  In its steamiest months, Mysore’s temperature can climb to 90°F, though average lows still remain in the mid to high 50s.  What’s more, average rainfall from month to month remains relatively constant around 60 to 70mm, with monsoon season rains remaining manageable at around 125mm, for total annual rainfall of around 800mm.

6. Bangalore

As it shares similar geographic coordinates with Mysore, Bangalore’s weather is similarly warm and devoid of heavy rain.  The south Indian metropolis has average high temperatures right around 85°F, while average lows are still a comfortable 70°F.  Though September represents a relatively heavy month with respect to rainfall at above 200mm, Bangalore is an ideal option for those looking for the best weather cities to live in India, as the city has an average of just five rainy days per month throughout the year.

5. Nainital

Located in the heart of Northern India’s Uttarakhand state, Nainital is unique in its generally pleasant weather offerings given its geographic location.  One of India’s more popular hill stations, Nainital enjoys a subtropical highland climate boasting average yearly high temperatures in the high 60s, and average lows of around 50°F.  Rainfall in Nainital that ranks 5th in our list of best weather cities to live in India is quite a bit heavier than in other cities mentioned on this list, with July’s 725mm in downpours enough to make the city’s inhabitants want to build an arc.  With this month as the exception, however, Nainital offers mild weather that affords residents a very livable city in terms of climate.

4. Hyderabad

As the capital of Telangana, one of southern India’s foremost states, Hyderabad, the next one in our list of best weather cities to live in India, boasts tropical wet and dry climates that see average temperatures of around 80°F year-round.  Though some months, such as April and May, can be particularly toasty, with temperatures nearing 105°F, the city generally offers a particularly attractive climate to its residents in that both temperature and rainfall remain more or less consistent over 12 months.  Though July, August, and September represent an uptick in monthly rainfall at over 150mm in each of those months, average rainy days per month in the de facto capital of Andhra Pradesh remain low at just over five.

3. Thekady

The keyword for Thekady is “consistency.”  From month to month the temperature varies only slightly, if at all, with a pleasant average annual temperature of 74°F.  What’s more, this lush natural sanctuary, located in southern India’s Kerala state, maintains rainfall levels that, while more than many other cities on this list, is never overly substantial in any given month.  At 350mm in precipitation, July is by far the worst month of them all, but with stable temperatures and generally predictable weather. And now, let’s see the top two entries in our list of best weather cities to live in India.

2. Belgaum

Located in the northwestern quadrant of India’s Karnataka state, Belgaum that ranks second in our list of best weather cities to live in India enjoys a tropical savanna climate that affords residents a pleasant average annual temperature of nearly 77°F.  While high temperatures rarely surpass 95°F, lows tend to hover around the high teens year-round.  As is the case in most Indian cities, rain is a bit more substantial during monsoon months, but with an average of only 9 rainy days per month, a figure heavily weighted by July’s 17 rainy days, Belgaum inhabitants are almost ensured a warm climate with minimal precipitation year-round.

1. Pune

With average temperatures that range from 70 to 85°F depending on the month, Pune and its three annual weather seasons–summer, winter, and monsoon–is perhaps the most pleasant weather city in India. Though temperatures occasionally soar north of 95°F from March through May, daily averages tend to remain constant around 77°F for the majority of the year.  What’s more, temperatures seldom drop below 60°F, and monthly rainfall is very tolerable, with the highest yearly average coming in July at a mere 180mm.  This, in turn, creates an inviting atmosphere characterized by a mere four rainy days per month.  The combination of minimal precipitation and consistent warmth, but not overpoweringly so, weather makes Pune an easy first choice among the best weather cities to live in India.