TV
Bhubaneswar has emerged as one of India’s least affordable capital cities for housing, with even the top 5% of urban families in Odisha requiring over 50 years of savings to afford a mid-sized home.
The data estimates in this regard come from a comparative analysis by the National Housing Board (NHB) and The Times of India, using 2025 house price data and income statistics.
Affordability Crisis Despite High Incomes
The study bases its calculations on the annual savings potential of the top 5% urban earners in each state, using the national average savings-to-GDP ratio of 30.2%.
In Odisha’s case, while these households have higher monthly per capita expenditure compared to national averages, housing prices in Bhubaneswar far outstrip their savings capacity.
A standard 1,184 sq ft house in Bhubaneswar, considered the median size by NHB, remains out of reach even for the affluent, replicating trends observed in other high-cost urban centres like Mumbai and Gurgaon.
Bhubaneswar Joins List of Expensive Urban Markets
Bhubaneswar joins the list of 10 Indian capital cities where it takes over 30 years of savings to afford a home. While Mumbai tops the list at 109 years and Gurgaon follows at 63, Odisha’s capital too demands more than five decades of disciplined savings from its wealthiest urban dwellers.
By contrast, cities like Chandigarh and Jaipur present a far more optimistic picture, with home ownership theoretically achievable in 15 to 20 years, respectively.
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Real Estate Dreams Slip Away Even for the Wealthy
The findings underscore a growing affordability gap in India’s urban housing market. With property prices continuing to rise and wages unable to keep pace, home ownership is increasingly becoming a distant dream, even for those at the top of the income spectrum.
Bhubaneswar, once hailed as an affordable and liveable urban centre, is now grappling with a growing housing crisis. With property prices in the state capital regularly breaching the Rs 1 crore mark, home ownership has become an unattainable dream for many middle-class and low-income residents.
Government’s Push for Affordable Housing
To address this challenge, the Odisha government is drawing up an ambitious plan to provide residential units in the Rs 15 lakh to Rs 50 lakh range.
Reports had pointed out that the Housing and Urban Development Department aims to cater to various income groups through low-income group (LIG) and middle-income group (MIG) housing. These units will be developed within Bhubaneswar as well as in its newly proposed expanded periphery.
‘Greater Bhubaneswar’ Vision Gains Momentum
The reports come amid the state’s larger blueprint for Bhubaneswar’s expansion. With the city’s population growing rapidly, authorities are increasingly concerned about overburdened infrastructure, limited land availability, and rising congestion.
To tackle these issues, the Bhubaneswar Development Authority (BDA) is moving forward with the Town Planning Scheme (TPS), which is expected to widen the city’s boundaries and incorporate new zones for residential, commercial, and public use.
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With such bold expansion plans, renewed focus on affordable housing, and systemic urban upgrades, the Odisha government is attempting to steer the capital into a more inclusive and sustainable phase of development, even when statistics are increasingly moving out of favour of even the richest in the state.
