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Glossary

Cent (Land Unit)

A land measurement unit equal to 1/100th of an acre (435.6 sq ft), commonly used in Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Karnataka for residential plots.

What is a Cent?

A cent is a unit of land measurement equal to 1/100th of an acre, which translates to 435.6 square feet or 40.47 square meters. It is widely used across South India — Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Karnataka — for measuring residential and small commercial plots. 100 cents make one acre. Common residential plot sizes range from 2 to 5 cents for individual houses and 10 to 20 cents for small residential developments.

Cent to other units

Key conversions: 1 cent = 435.6 sq ft = 40.47 sq m. 100 cents = 1 acre. 1 ground (used primarily in Chennai) is approximately 5.5 cents. 1 hectare = 247.1 cents. When working across regions or with international stakeholders, converting cents to square feet or square meters is essential for accurate communication and comparison.

Usage in land pricing

Price per cent is the standard metric for residential land transactions in Tamil Nadu outside major cities. For example, a price of 10 lakh per cent translates to approximately 2,296 per square foot. Always clarify whether a quoted price is per cent, per square foot, or per acre to avoid costly misunderstandings — a confusion between cent and ground, for instance, would represent a 5.5x pricing error. In urban areas, particularly Chennai, the ground is more commonly used, so conversion between the two units is a frequent requirement.

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