AECORD

AECORD Data · Updated March 2026

India Construction Cost Index 2026

Construction cost per sq ft across 10 major Indian cities, by quality tier, with benchmark prices for 100 building materials. Free and citable.

₹2.1K
National avg /sq ft (Standard)
10 cities
Mumbai to Jaipur
100
Materials tracked

Construction Cost by City (₹ / sq ft, 2026)

Turnkey construction cost per built-up square foot, excluding land. Standard-tier figures shown as bars; the table gives the full range across all four quality tiers.

Mumbai
₹2.9K
Delhi NCR
₹2.7K
Bangalore
₹2.5K
Chennai
₹2.4K
Pune
₹2.4K
Hyderabad
₹2.3K
Kochi
₹2.1K
Kolkata
₹2.0K
Ahmedabad
₹2.0K
Jaipur
₹1.9K
CityBudgetStandardPremiumLuxury
Mumbai₹1.9K–2.4K₹2.4K–3.4K₹3.4K–4.7K₹4.7K–6.8K
Delhi NCR₹1.8K–2.3K₹2.3K–3.1K₹3.1K–4.4K₹4.4K–6.3K
Bangalore₹1.6K–2.1K₹2.1K–2.9K₹2.9K–4.0K₹4.0K–5.8K
Chennai₹1.5K–2.0K₹2.0K–2.8K₹2.8K–3.9K₹3.9K–5.5K
Pune₹1.5K–2.0K₹2.0K–2.8K₹2.8K–3.9K₹3.9K–5.5K
Hyderabad₹1.5K–1.9K₹1.9K–2.6K₹2.6K–3.7K₹3.7K–5.3K
Kochi₹1.4K–1.8K₹1.8K–2.5K₹2.5K–3.5K₹3.5K–5.0K
Kolkata₹1.3K–1.7K₹1.7K–2.4K₹2.4K–3.3K₹3.3K–4.8K
Ahmedabad₹1.3K–1.7K₹1.7K–2.4K₹2.4K–3.3K₹3.3K–4.8K
Jaipur₹1.3K–1.6K₹1.6K–2.3K₹2.3K–3.1K₹3.1K–4.5K

Figures are ₹/sq ft ranges (low–high) per quality tier. Source: AECORD Construction Cost Index 2026 — see methodology below.

Material Price Index (National Average, 2026)

Benchmark prices for core construction materials, averaged across 10 cities, with the city-to-city range.

MaterialUnitAvgCity range
OPC 53 Grade Cementbag (50 kg)₹384₹342–433
PPC Cementbag (50 kg)₹364₹324–410
Fe500D TMT Steel (12 mm)kg₹57₹50–64
Fe500D TMT Steel (16 mm)kg₹56₹50–63
M20 Ready-Mix Concretecu.m₹5.6K₹5.0K–6.3K
M30 Ready-Mix Concretecu.m₹6.3K₹5.6K–7.1K
River Sandcu.m₹2.8K₹2.5K–3.2K
M-Sand (Manufactured)cu.m₹1.8K₹1.6K–2.1K
20 mm Aggregatecu.m₹2.0K₹1.8K–2.3K
Red Bricks (Standard)piece₹9₹8–10
AAC Blocks (200 mm)piece₹69₹61–78
Fly Ash Brickspiece₹7₹6–8
Granite (S. Indian Black)sq.ft₹121₹108–137
Marble (Italian White)sq.ft₹253₹225–285

Headline materials by city

MaterialMumbaiDelhi NCRBangaloreChennaiPuneHyderabadKochiKolkataAhmedabadJaipur
OPC 53 Cement₹/bag433418380388403372395350361342
Fe500D TMT 12 mm₹/kg64625657595558525350
M20 RMC₹/cu.m6.3K6.0K5.5K5.6K5.8K5.4K5.7K5.1K5.2K5.0K
River Sand₹/cu.m3.2K3.1K2.8K2.9K3.0K2.7K2.9K2.6K2.7K2.5K
Granite (Black)₹/sq.ft137132120122127118125110114108

Where the Money Goes

How a typical turnkey residential build splits across cost heads.

Structure · RCC frame, brickwork, foundation40%
Finishing · Flooring, painting, plastering, doors & windows25%
MEP · Electrical, plumbing, HVAC15%
Interior · Woodwork, fixtures, fittings12%
Miscellaneous · Approvals, soil test, contingency, overhead8%

Methodology & Sources

The AECORD Construction Cost Index 2026 combines two data sources. First, a material-rates dataset covering 100 construction materials priced across 10 Indian cities (Mumbai, Delhi NCR, Bangalore, Chennai, Pune, Hyderabad, Kochi, Kolkata, Ahmedabad and Jaipur), benchmarked against CPWD DSR rates and refreshed in March 2026. Second, AECORD's per-sq-ft construction-cost model — quality tiers and city multipliers — which also powers the Construction Cost Calculator.

Per-sq-ft figures are turnkey construction costs excluding land, registration and premium interior furnishing. City variation is modelled with multipliers (Mumbai 1.35×, Delhi NCR 1.25×, Bangalore 1.15× down to Jaipur 0.90×). Material rates are real averages with the observed city-to-city spread.

Disclaimer: These are AECORD estimates published for guidance, not official government statistics. Actual quotes vary with site conditions, design complexity, contractor and season. Figures are point-in-time as of March 2026 and updated annually.
Licence & citation: free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 — cite as “AECORD Construction Cost Index 2026 (aecord.com/tools/construction-cost-index)”.

Understand what you are buying

A rate only helps once you know which grade or class it refers to. These plain-English lessons explain the specification behind each material price above.

Cement

Cement grades explained

OPC vs PPC, and what 43 grade and 53 grade actually change on site.

Steel

TMT steel bars explained

Fe 500 vs 500D vs 550, per-kg vs per-tonne pricing, and how to spot weak bars.

Masonry

Bricks vs blocks

Red clay, concrete and AAC compared on cost, weight and thermal performance.

Guide

Building materials guide

Cement, steel, bricks, tiles and fittings — specification and procurement in one place.

Method

Rate analysis & SOR

How a per-unit rate is built up, and how the Schedule of Rates is used in India.

Course

Construction 101

The full free course: contracts, payments, approvals, quality and materials.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the average construction cost per sq ft in India in 2026?
According to the AECORD Construction Cost Index 2026, the national average turnkey construction cost is about Rs 2,150 per sq ft for Standard-quality construction. By quality tier it ranges from Rs 1,400-1,800/sq ft (Budget) to Rs 3,500-5,000/sq ft (Luxury). Metro cities cost more: Mumbai runs about 35% above the national base and Delhi NCR about 25% above, while Jaipur and Kolkata are 5-10% below.
Which Indian city has the highest construction cost in 2026?
Mumbai has the highest construction cost among major Indian cities in 2026 — roughly 35% above the national base — driven by expensive labour, material transport, and stringent BMC norms. Delhi NCR follows at about 25% above, then Bangalore at about 15% above. The most affordable major cities are Jaipur (about 10% below) and Kolkata/Ahmedabad (about 5% below).
How much do cement and steel cost in India in 2026?
Per the AECORD Construction Cost Index 2026 (averaged across 10 cities): OPC 53-grade cement costs about Rs 384 per 50 kg bag (Rs 342-433 by city), PPC cement about Rs 364 per bag, and Fe500D TMT steel about Rs 57 per kg for 12 mm bars (Rs 50-64 by city). M20 ready-mix concrete averages about Rs 5,561 per cubic metre and river sand about Rs 2,831 per cubic metre.
How is the AECORD Construction Cost Index calculated?
The index combines two AECORD data sources: (1) a material-rates dataset covering 100 construction materials priced across 10 Indian cities, benchmarked against CPWD DSR rates and refreshed in March 2026; and (2) AECORD’s per-sq-ft construction-cost model with quality tiers and city multipliers (the same model behind the AECORD Construction Cost Calculator). Figures are AECORD estimates published for guidance, not official government statistics.
Can I cite or reuse the Construction Cost Index data?
Yes. The data is free to use under a Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY 4.0) licence. Please cite it as "AECORD Construction Cost Index 2026" with a link to aecord.com/tools/construction-cost-index. The figures are point-in-time estimates as of March 2026 and are updated annually.

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