Hyderabad has been the meeting place of many different cultures and traditions. Historically, Hyderabad has been the city where the distinct cultural and linguistic traditions of North India and South India meet. The Muslim culture of Hyderabad has fused with south Indian traditions of the region.

Hyderabad is a unique cosmopolitan city and home to people practicing Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, Jainism, and Zoroastrianism. Hyderabadis have developed their own distinctive culture, which is a mixture of the centuries old Islamic Culture and the Hindu traditions of the Telugu people.

Telugu and Urdu are the principal languages spoken in Hyderabad. Telugu being the official language of Andhra Pradesh (and the second largest language in India after Hindi), is widely spoken here. Hyderabad has always had one of the largest Urdu speaking populations in India, and the famous Osmania University here was the first Urdu medium university in India.

Deccani, a dialect of Urdu and Hindi, is spoken and understood there. Both Urdu and Telugu have linguistically impacted on each other in this region. The Telugu dialect spoken in Hyderabad and rest of Telangana is very distinct from the one spoken in coastal Andhra. A large percentage of the population is also well-versed in English.

Women of all cultures and faiths in Hyderabad typically wear either the traditional Indian dress, the sari, or, increasingly, the Shalwar Qamis especially among the younger population. A large percentage of Muslim women in the city wear either the burqa or the hijab. The traditional Hyderabadi garb for females are the Khara Dupatta and the Shalwar Qamis, and for the males, it is the Sherwani. This one of the more visible cultural attributes of Hyderabad.
Hyderabadi cuisine is a blend of heavy Mughal influences, traditional Andhra and Telangana cuisine. A number of restaurants have come up that serve a variety of cuisines. All the major hotels in city host one or more restaurants that are popular among the cityfolk.

The most famous dish of Hyderabad is Hyderabadi Biryani. Other culinary delights include Khubani ka Mitha, Pheni (a sweet vermicelli delicacy eaten during the festival of Diwali) and Haleem (a meat dish traditionally eaten by Muslims during the holy month of Ramadan).

Indian Mithai(sweet) shops are famous for their pure ghee sweets. Karachi Bakery near Mau'zzam Jahi Market, Nampally, is popular for making biscuits including the local Osmania biscuits. A family residing in Azeez Bagh palace in the old part of the city is famous for the preparation of Badaam Ki jaali (Almond lattice confection).

The more popular restaurants in the Twin Cities are the Madina, Bawarchi, Cafe Bahar and the Golden Persis at Paradise Corner in Secunderabad. Other restaurant chains in the city include The Taj Mahal, Kamat Hotel, and Hyderabad House.

Also widely found on the corners of every street are the cafe's which offer 'Irani chai' and 'Osmania biscuit'. People sit leisurely over a cup of 'chai' and talk for hours. The waiter's do not write down the order but have a remarkable memory of making the exact bill even after hours.

Hyderabad is also a major centre for Art, and some leading painters have been associated with Hyderabad - M. F. Hussain, Vaikutam, K V Sridhar (Pops), Laxma Goud and Jagdish Mittal (renowned collector of Indian modern art).