Agra, a city reportIndia · population 1.4 million · index 5.3 of 10

Agra in 200 words.

Agra scored 5.3 on the everycity index in 2026, a figure that sits in the index tier its country and region support. The headline numbers: a central one bedroom rents at 12,000 rupees, the monthly all in cost lands at 440 dollars for a single resident, the income tax position runs a progressive income tax that runs from 5 percent to 30 percent under the new regime, with a rebate that leaves income up to 700,000 rupees a year effectively untaxed, plus a 4 percent health and education cess on the tax due, and the safety score is 6.6 on the same 10 point scale we apply to Tokyo, London, and Singapore.

The case for Agra, in shortest form, is the Taj Mahal and a rock bottom cost of living. The 17th century Mughal capital on the Yamuna holds three UNESCO World Heritage sites, the Taj Mahal, Agra Fort, and Fatehpur Sikri nearby, and draws millions of visitors a year. It runs a leather and footwear export industry, a marble inlay handicraft trade, and a tourism economy, all on a single resident budget of 440 dollars a month, among the lowest of any major city on this index. That gives a city of 1.4 million a base that ranks among the more distinctive of its size, with Delhi, Jaipur, Lucknow within reach for the wider regional picture.

The case against is the infrastructure and the air. Agra sits in the Indo Gangetic plain where winter air quality ranks among the worst in the country, the summer heat passes 107F, and public services lag the metros. Violent and petty crime, traffic risk, and the pressure of mass tourism at the monuments shape daily life. The white collar job market is thin; the deeper opportunity sits in Delhi, two hours north by expressway.

The data feeding this report comes from our methodology page, with primary sources listed at the bottom. Numbers are May 2026 unless stated otherwise. For the headline figure with your own weights, the city score generator returns the index number in 30 seconds. For the country view, India places Agra on the national table. For the regional view, Asia sets Agra alongside peer cities, and the best cities of 2026 ranking holds the global frame.

A 10 point read on streets, day and night.

Agra scored 6.6 overall. The breakdown matters more than the headline.

Set against the rest of the index, Agra reads against Tokyo at 9.6, Singapore at 9.5, London at 7.4, and Berlin at 8.0 on the same scale. The safest cities ranking seats those cities near the top of the global table; the position of Agra reflects the specific mix of property crime, violent crime, traffic safety, and emergency response the four scores above capture. The low crime ranking tracks the same axis across the wider index.

Practical notes for new residents: violent crime is the lower probability event in most cities at scale; property crime, traffic incidents, and the specific street pattern of the city matter more for the daily resident. Carry an international policy from SafetyWing or Cigna Global for the first six months while local cover gets sorted. The full safety method sits on our methodology page, and the family safety ranking shows how Agra places on that axis.

The four categories behind the overall score are violent crime rate per 100,000, property crime rate per 100,000, traffic fatality rate per 100,000, and emergency response time in minutes. Primary inputs include the EIU framework, Numbeo crime indices, WHO traffic data, and the national statistics office where city level data is published.

Who pays, and how much the tax takes back.

Salary medians are May 2026, sourced from Glassdoor, the national statistics office, and OECD wage data. Tax figures are from the official revenue authority.

The major employers in Agra are the leather and footwear export units that supply European brands, the marble inlay and handicraft workshops, the hotel and tourism operators at the monuments, Indian Railways, and a growing back office and services sector. The tax calculator tool is the cleanest way to run a real offer. For benchmarking, the highest paying cities ranking, the cities for tech jobs ranking, and the cities for jobs ranking cover the major destinations on the same chart.

Note on tax: the headline figures apply above the relevant thresholds; lower bands kick in earlier, and social and health contributions are typically additional to the headline income tax. Read the visa and tax guide 2026 before assuming the headline rate is the take home rate; for most relocating professionals the effective rate runs 6 to 12 points below the marginal top depending on deductions and credits. For the dual income household, spouse work rights depend on the visa class; the spouse visa guide covers the most common destination cities.

Where to actually live.

Eight neighborhoods, each with the rent number and a one line verdict.

The neighborhood scores feed our neighborhood matcher tool, which takes your lifestyle inputs and returns the right area within Agra on a 1 to 10 fit. For comparable neighborhood guides elsewhere, see Mumbai neighborhoods, Bangkok neighborhoods, London neighborhoods, and Tokyo neighborhoods.

For long term rentals beyond the first month, residents use the local property portals and regional housing networks for fast moving units; the rental portal guide sets out how to read the listings. Bring the documentation the local system expects, typically proof of identity, an employment contract, and three months of bank statements. The relocation checklist covers the documentation pattern by destination city.

Schools, if you have kids.

The international school option, the local school option, and the cost of each.

Schooling runs on a wide private school market in English, the practical default for relocating families, alongside the public system in Hindi. Agra has long established private and convent schools and Agra University and the agricultural university anchor the higher education layer, but families needing a full international curriculum on a recognized board will find deeper options in Delhi two hours north.

The family rating for Agra weights school quality, park access, safety, healthcare, and the cost of a three bedroom flat. See the best cities for families ranking for the full table and the cities for students ranking for the university view. The relocating with kids guide covers the school admissions calendar, which typically opens months ahead of enrollment; plan two to three application cycles ahead.

Beyond school, the family experience in Agra is shaped by what is free: public parks, public libraries, public pools, and low cost cultural admission are the four amenities that move a family budget the most. The family budget guide models the realistic monthly all in figure for a family of four, and Babbel remains the cleanest entry point for the parent who wants a working level of the local language inside six months.

What makes Agra itself.

The food signatures, the nightlife rating, the cultural calendar.

Food in Agra is Mughlai and North Indian, with a local signature in petha, the translucent ash gourd sweet the city is famous for across India, alongside dalmoth namkeen, rich curries, and the kebabs of the old city. The cultural anchor is the Mughal heritage itself, the Taj Mahal at dawn, Agra Fort, and Fatehpur Sikri, set within the wider Braj region of Hindu pilgrimage. The nightlife scores 3.5 on the 10 point scale, modest and early closing, built on rooftop restaurants with monument views rather than bars. The best cities for nightlife ranking places Agra in context against Berlin, Bangkok, and London.

Tour bookings for first time visitors and friends arriving for a long weekend run cleanest through GetYourGuide; the local operators mostly resell the same stock at a markup. The cities for foodies ranking lists the food capitals on a single chart, and the cities for history ranking covers the heritage view.