Bengaluru man says Rs 1.5 lakh per month not enough: 'Everything is super inflated'

A Redditor recently posted his disappointment with life in Bengaluru, showing how his previously romanticized perspective of the city has turned into a more stressful and delicate reality. In a post called "Why does life in a metro feel so fragile?", user onepoint5zero, a resident of Bengaluru with his family, complained about the high cost of living and the hectic lifestyle. He underscored how the city's costs, high rates of growth, and challenging nature have led to a feeling of instability, in contrast to his previous romanticized vision of residing in one of India's most populous metro cities.

Even with the monthly earnings of more than Rs 1.5 lakh, he described how precarious his finances felt, clarifying that a single loss of his job can easily deplete his savings and leave him struggling to pay bills. The myth of being financially secure at first glance, more than Rs 1.5 lakh of monthly earnings would appear to be quite a lot. But living in Bengaluru soon punctures any feeling of financial security. For onepoint5zero, much of his earnings is going towards supporting his family in his hometown and loan servicing. So, after settling all his dues, he only has a monthly savings of Rs 30,000 to Rs 40,000.

Even having a comparatively high salary, onepoint5zero's worst fear is the uncertainty of his financial stability. Having saved hardly anything for unexpected expenses, the fear of losing his job is a nagging one. He fears that in case he gets laid off, his savings would dwindle immediately within three to four months. With every expense added to the EMIs and the overall high standard of living, his financial stability feels risky.

Apart from the job insecurity pressure, onepoint5zero also struggles with finding suitable housing. He and his fiancée share a paying guest (PG) accommodation now, as the prospect of looking for a rental apartment in Bengaluru seems daunting. The real estate market in Bengaluru is particularly pricey and competitive, and it is hard for young professionals like him to locate reasonable and decent housing.
The high cost of living in Bengaluru also contributes to his stress. While most would find his salary good, the truth of everyday expenses is not easy. The city's high inflation rates mean that even essential items such as food, groceries, and accommodation have high price tags. Affordable options usually have poor quality, and he feels caught in a vicious cycle of financial pressure and emotional burnout.

In addition to his own personal financial woes, onepoint5zero also feels a tremendous burden to look after his family in his hometown. His parents depend solely on his monthly remittances, and in their absence, their very existence would be at stake. This economic burden is weighing on him, making his anxiety worse and exacerbating the stress of living in Bengaluru even more.
As he ponders his predicament, onepoint5zero wonders if the difficulties he's experiencing are singular to Bengaluru or if aspiring professionals everywhere else in the nation are also living through similar adversity. What previously was a coveted lifestyle—habiting a hectic city, securing a decent paycheck, and enjoying an exciting way of life—is now a fretful and shaky one.

Onepoint5zero's post presents an unrestrained glimpse of the austere realities that most young professionals have to endure in India's city life. The aspiration of a comfortable and affluent life in a metropolis has been, in many cases, substituted with a life of incessant financial hardship, worry, and uncertainty. His experience mirrors the emotional and financial fatigue that most are dealing with yet making what was deemed a good salary in the past.
The post, which was shared on the well-liked subreddit Indian Workplace, soon went viral and attracted many comments from fellow Redditors who could associate with the experience being described. One of the users wrote, "Income isn't wealth. It's a sad realisation. The only ones who get to be secure are those with generational wealth. Everyone else gets to experience the heat…" Another user dryly added, "Welcome to adult life. Endless anxiety and money worries are the norm."
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