Pay more or travel more: Rents hit new highs around Hyderabad IT hubs

By: Kolakaluri Lavanya ChopraHYDERABAD: Rising house rentals are reshaping the way people live in Hyderabad. As rents soar across Madhapur, Gachibowli, Kondapur, HiTec City and other localities along the IT corridor, many residents are being pushed into shared flats, crowded PG accommodations and longer daily commutes.For a growing number of professionals, finding a place to live is no longer just about comfort or convenience; it has become a tradeoff between saving money and saving time.Shakina Fatima, who works in Jubilee Hills, said, “Given the traffic, commuting from Kondapur would take me nearly an hour every day. So I shifted to Banjara Hills. I now pay ₹26,500 for a 1BHK apartment, but my travel time has reduced significantly.”A standard 1BHK that rented for Rs 10,000-12,000 a month last year now costs Rs 15,000-20,000, while 2BHK apartments command Rs 30,000-35,000. Premium gated-community homes in the IT corridor are fetching anywhere between Rs 50,000-70,000 per month. In Madhapur, average rents for 2BHK apartments increased from Rs 20,000-32,000 in 2025 to Rs 22,000-38,000 in 2026. In Hi-Tec City, rents rose from Rs 22,000-35,000 to Rs 28,000-42,000 during the same period. Similar increases were recorded in Gachibowli, where rents climbed from Rs 18,000-30,000 to Rs 22,000-35,000, and in Kondapur, where they rose from Rs 15,000-25,000 to Rs 18,000-40,000.Even 1BHK apartments now command rents ranging from Rs 15,000 to Rs 30,000 in these localities. Pratham Sharma, an IT professional, described the challenges faced by newcomers to the city.“When I first came to Hyderabad and started looking for accommodation near my office in the IT corridor, the prices felt unreasonably high. Paying Rs 8,000 for a four-sharing PG room seemed expensive, while Rs 10,000 for a single room was beyond my budget. Eventually, I moved into a 2BHK apartment in Bachupally with three other roommates, paying a total rent of Rs 20,000 per month.”“These increases, ranging from 10% to 20%, have become common, but the pace of growth is now accelerating,” said a broker. The impact is not limited to apartments and independent houses.Anu S, a software employee, said, “I stayed in a women’s PG in Kondapur for two years. The rent started at Rs 8,000 for a four-sharing non-AC room and increased to Rs 9,500 in less than a year. It feels like PG rents are rising faster than salaries. I eventually moved to Kukatpally in search of more affordable accommodation.”The rise in rents has been fuelled by the rapid expansion of Global Capability Centres in IT corridor, along with an increasing influx of professionals driven by return-to-office policies. Perikala Ratnakanth, who works in Madhapur, said travel in overcrowded metro adds to the fatigue of working hours.“I tried to find a room near my office in Madhapur, but the rents were shocking. Most landlords were charging between Rs 12,000 and Rs 20,000. I chose to stay in SR Nagar, where I found hostel for Rs 5,500 a month,” he said. However, the decision comes at a cost. Ratnakanth spends nearly one hour commuting every day.While many senior employees in software firms and private banks receive house rent allowance, freshers and midlevel employees are finding it increasingly difficult to keep pace with Hyderabad’s rapidly evolving rental market.For young professionals entering the workforce with salaries of Rs 20,000 a month, paying Rs 15,000 for a small apartment near major hubs is often impossible without sharing accommodation.