It's been a while since musician Raman Iyer woke up before noon. After eons, the 31-year-old admits to have dragged himself out of his bed by 9 am, to meet us at a Bandra café on a rainy morning. Iyer's day job begins only at 3 pm, rehearsing with the indie band Kabir Cafe, where he plays the mandolin. The group practices thrice a week for around five hours, reserving weekends for shows. This gives Iyer ample time to catch up on sleep, read and, most importantly, cook. Ankita Chowfin, 32, who joins us for coffee, works as a freelance assistant director, and has been rigorously putting in over 12 to 14 hours at work daily. Today, isn't going to be any different, she informs.

Earlier this week, a study conducted across 77 cities by Swiss investment bank UBS, revealed that the Maximum City works the hardest in the world, with an average Mumbaikar investing 3,315 hours a year. Vietnam's Hanoi, Mexico City and New Delhi — with 2,691, 2,622 and 2,511 hours respectively — come a close second. So, does Mumbai love its work so much that it's blinded by the hours it puts in, or do we toil because money is still scarce?