What are the pros and cons of living in Pune?

has given most of the details and I cannot add much to them. My advice would be: Enter at your own risk, proceed with caution. I'll put down a few pros and cons as I can remember that Gauri has not mentioned (or try to give my view on some). Pros: 1. History: Pune has a very rich history. It was one of the most important towns in medieval India and played an important role in shaping the history (and geography) of India. It essentially was the working capital of India under the Peshwas. You will see many traces, and evidences of all the bygone glory. And we are very proud of our history. Even in general discussions, you might get references to history. The upside of this is that people from Pune are very enthusiastic about trekking. So if you love trekking, Pune is the place to be, as it is surrounded by approximately 100 forts within 2-3 hours drive. 2. Culture and Festivals: You will get to enjoy the true Marathi culture here. Festivals are celebrated in much more traditional manner (or at least they used to be upto a few years ago. Now with the large influx of people from many parts of the country, things have changed.) Especially you will notice the difference between Ganpati festival celebrated in Mumbai and Pune. Cons: 1. Traffic: Although you will spend less time in the traffic and the distances would be smaller than in (greater) Mumbai, the traffic is not as well ordered as it is in Mumbai. People have less regard for traffic rules and would not mind cursing you for following the law. Car driving in the central area is fun. (Good luck with that :P) 2. Arrogance, sarcasm, or whatever you might call it: This is a special warning for the central part of the city. People on the street are generally helpful, but don't be too shocked by a sharp, sarcastic reply from a shopkeeper about some query. Even at a casual, social place you might hear some sarcastc remarks/comments if you speak something that the person does not like or agree with. 3. The lack of 'nightlife': This is a complain of many outsiders who have come here to stay. Pune practically does not have any night life. All the pubs are closed after 11.30pm. It's even difficult to get some tea and street food at night except at major bus or train stations. Also, why don't you listen to P. L. Deshpande's "Punekar, Mumbaikar, ani Nagpurkar". I think for most parts, it still holds true.

Though Gauri has answered pretty well , let me try to explain it from Mumbaikar point of view. I came down to Pune in 2010 and i am still here (willingly and unwillingly too). Why Willingly (Pros) : 1. Weather : Its not that Mumbai weather is bad , i have stayed in Mumbai for good 23 years and i never complained about its humid weather because we were used to it. But once you come to Pune , you will like its pleasant , non humid climate. Winters can get really cold here but it doesnt last for more than a month. 2. Career / Education : Somehow many missed out this point. Pune has great educational institutions , so you can pursue various courses side by side while you work. Being from IT , somehow i feel there are more opportunities in Pune compared to Mumbai as far as core IT goes. 3. Travel : Travelling is a breeze if you have a two wheeler. I travel around 24 kms daily (Baner - Kothrud) and it doesnt take me more than 25 mins cover distance of 12 kms. 4. Green Cover : Pune does pretty decent green cover. Early morning drive around areas like Pashan Lake , Bavdhan , Pashan , Parvati you feel are on a vaccation. You also have Lavasa , Mulshi , Pauna , Khadakvasla. You will find these experience to unexceptionally cold than rest of the city. Unwillingly (Cons) : 1. Slow Pace : Some prefer slow pace of the city , but in case in your Mumbai , you will miss the high activity life of Mumbai for sure. Your patience gets tried at times ;) 2. Transport : Its bad. You just need have your own vehicle. You would find buses around , but its not efficient as Mumbai. 3. Traffic : Traffic sense is really bad here. Majority dont care about Traffic Signals. They dont think signals are to be followed. Driving in wrong way is actually the right way for some here. And here is where you will see road rage and arrogance. Do not ever try pointing out their mistakes or try explaining them driving sense. Its worthless. 4. Arrogance : Somehow i feel people here dont believe customer is king policy. They dont care much about serving their customer well or keeping them happy. Only thing i would say is that there would be numerous occasions you would keep comparing Mumbai vs Pune. Best way to enjoy Pune , would be accepting the change positively.  Mumbai has its own charm , you will miss marine drive , locals , best buses , the crowd , etc etc , but Pune has its own charm too. Accept it , you will enjoy it. Trust me , moving to Pune is anytime a better option for Mumbai than shifting to other cities like Bangalore , Hyderabad , Gurgaon , etc. Can you be Mumbaikar and Punekar at the same time ? ;)

Even I shifted from Dombivli (lived here for 18 years, since childhood) to Pune for graduation so I can very well understand your situation. I don't think you would face any challenges as such. Challenges is a big word for that but yes you would feel a drastic change in your lifestyle and acquaintances. Life in Pune and the changes which you might face : Since you are shifting here from Mumbai, initially Pune would seem extremely slow and dull to you. Of course that is not the reality but that's the first feeling you might get when you come here. It took me 2-3 months to get acclimatized to the lifestyle here. It's like being in a phase of inertia. Everyday I used to run after local trains, buses, rickshaws in Mumbai and then suddenly one day I shifted to Pune. I remember coming to Dombivli every 15 days to get that 'fast life' feel. But once you are over this phase of inertia everything seems normal. Initially, you would feel like you are on a holiday here. Again the reason remains the same - the fast life of Mumbai. The Punekars. I had heard a lot of stories about typical Punekars but when I actually got acquainted with some of them, honestly speaking, I was never offended by their sarcasm or curtness. I was actually amused by the way they speak/argue, their refined Marathi language, sarcasm and their ability to give opinion on each and every topic irrespective of their expertise in that particular subject(sarcasm adapted after living here since seven years :P). Jokes apart, Punekars are very proud of even the smallest things associated with Pune. Right from Chitale's Bakarwadi to Shaniwarwada, which I think is very sweet and genuine. And they do expect outsiders to be the same. If you don't present the same pride about these things in front of them, you may have to deal with some sarcastic and snappy comments. But don't judge them by these comments because deep down their heart, they are very sensitive about things associated with Pune. Everybody is proud of things associated with their city but with Punekars it's comparatively high. Pros : If you have been commuting for work/college by local trains in Mumbai, then let me tell you that you are going to save umpteen of time and energy here. Get a two wheeler once you get here and just roam around the city. Commuting would be quite easy then. You won't have to run after local trains/buses. Save all that energy for doing something worthwhile once you get back from work/college. These days travelling by local trains is the most torturous thing one has to go through and it's like wasting an important time of your life. Life in Mumbai is awesome only if you stay in areas like Bandra, Churchgate, Dadar and you don't have to travel by local trains. But then the traffic is much more as compared to Pune. Staying in Pune can be beneficial because you would escape the frenetic lifestyle of Mumbai and can easily access the city when in need. It's hardly three-four hours from here. Also, Pune is not yet as crowded as Mumbai is. Comparatively green and clean. The Weather. I am in love with it! Except for the month of April (terribly hot), the weather here is never hard on you. Pune has good educational institutions and the youth here keeps the city lively. You won't have hard time socializing with different groups. Throughout the year you can enjoy many events related to different fields - Theatre, art, trekking, exhibitions. Join some of these groups (if interested) and stay updated about things you love. Cons : Well, it's not Mumbai! I don't think I need to elaborate here. If you are from Central/Western/South Mumbai then you are bound to miss it. Badly! (I was from Dombivli, just a suburb and that too in Thane. Still I missed the lifestyle for many months) Public transport is horrible. The PMT conductors and bus drivers are rude. They won't even bother to stop an empty bus at the bus stop. Happened many times with me when I was new in the city. You might end up arguing with some rickshawala once in a while. Having a vehicle of your own is the best option here. People here are not disciplined as far as traffic rules are concerned. Some of them would even shout at you even if they are at fault. The trend of share ricks is not that prevalent here. In some areas people do prefer share rickshaws but not in all the areas unlike Mumbai. In Mumbai, people get out of the stations and just hop into rickshaws on a sharing basis. That's very convenient actually. Here, you may have to wait for the bus. Most of them have their own vehicle and those who don't prefer commuting by bus or rickshaw but not by share ricks. I can't generalize this point but I think that I was a lot more active when I was in Mumbai. I have developed this tendency of being a little laid back and I do see it as a con. But obviously it's in the air here. Mumbai is very fast whereas in Pune shops open at 10:30/11.00 and again close down at 1:00 pm. In Sadashiv peth (a core Puneri area), if you happen to ring someone's house at around 2:00-3:00 pm, they won't mind shouting at you for disturbing their afternoon nap.:P. The rhythm of the city obviously reflects in your lifestyle too. Or maybe I am just using the reason of the lifestyle here to shun my laziness ;-). May be you would develop a comfort zone around you and then it's hard to get out of it. But as I said, it can't be generalized. Pune has great food joints but the chaat here simply doesn't match with the chowpatty taste. I am a fan of chaat and so that was a con for me. As said by Gauri, the inclusiveness seen in Mumbaikars won't be there. Mumbaikars are more open and flexible as compared to Punekars. The reason remains the same. Punekars are so proud of the things associated with them or their city that it's hard to be a bit open for them. Mumbai is still and probably would always be ahead on some fronts. Entertainment industry, fashion, advertising, studios, foreign retail outlets, spas, lounges, metro first hits the city of Mumbai. Being a capital city that is inevitable. But it depends on how much these things affect you and your daily lifestyle to label it as a con.                                                                                                                                                                                Apart from these, Pune is a city to experience on your own and being near from the capital city, I don't think you should feel isolated or lonely. Now that you have decided to shift here, just go with the pros. I am sure you would have a great life here too!

If you try to blend in, there will be a lot of pros. If you go determined to feel and act like an outsider, it's gonna be very bad for you.

Most of the points are already mentioned. Apart all those points mentioned earlier, Pune has few very nice hotels and shopping places. Not that big compared to Mumbai, but you won't need to worry about it. Life in Pune is pretty slow as compared to Mumbai. Also public transport and rickshaw are in a very worse situation. If you buy a place in a remote area or area where there is no bus route, you may need to pay much for rickshaw. Traffic and drivers in Pune like to break the rules and believe me their  driving habits are not something Mumainkar like.