Techie Earns ₹1.5 LPA, But Only Saves ₹15,000 Cost Of Living In Bengaluru Leaves Netizens Divided

(MENAFN- Live Mint) The cost of living in Bengaluru is often debated on the internet. While some blame the rising rental and real estate costs, others argue that commuting expenses remain high due to the city's traffic. Amid this, a post revealed how even people with a ₹1.5 lakh salary per month in Bengaluru end up saving only ₹15,000 to ₹20,000 in a month.

Cost of living in Bengaluru

Surfaced on X, formerly Twitter, the viral post by the user named AlfinCodes talked about a young software developer who moved to Bengaluru for his first job. The techie, despite earning ₹1.5 lakh, struggles to save due to the high cost of living. The post described that although the man's family and friends thought he had achieved financial freedom at a young age, the reality in Bengaluru was different.

"My cousin moved to Bangalore for a ₹1.5L/month tech job. Six months later, he realised something no one tells freshers. Computer Science graduate. First software developer job. Moved to Bengaluru for better opportunities Salary: ₹1.5L per month. Back home, everyone thought he had made it. Big tech job. Big city. Big salary. But a few months later, reality looked different," it read.

Non negotiable

The post claimed that the man's expenses are high despite earning what many would consider a good-paying salary. According to the breakdown, he spent around ₹36,000 on rent for a small apartment close to his office, while food and groceries cost between ₹13,000 and ₹15,000 per month. Daily commuting added another major expense, with cabs and auto rides costing ₹6,000–8,000, largely due to Bengaluru's traffic. "Traffic is insane," the post mentioned.

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Lifestyle spending, such as Swiggy orders, coffee runs, and weekend outings, further pushed monthly expenses up by ₹10,000–12,000.

Other expenses

However, the post also pointed out that recurring subscriptions, medical costs, unexpected bills, and sending money back home put additional financial pressure that often goes unnoticed.

Despite appearing financially independent, the techie, by the end of each month, saves typically just ₹15,000–20,000.

"That's when he realised something most people outside big cities don't see. ₹1L+ salary sounds huge in your hometown. But in a city like Bangalore, it often just means you're getting started. Big salary. Small savings," the post concluded, sparking a debate online.

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Reacting to the post, a user wrote in the comments, "True, completely depends on your living costs."

"If your cousins spending 10 k-12 k for weekends out Swiggy and coffee and also 15k for groceries.. he don't know how to spent wisely," said another.

Someone else said,“The expenses listed are mostly exaggerated and discretionary.. You can do away with most of these.”

Yet another commented,“Tbh a sum total of 20k being saved every month is still better than lack of opportunities in home town. Thats literally how urban civilizations and modern capitalism converge. Its not that he will downgrade from here and the next paycheck will be better only.”

(Disclaimer: This report is based on user-generated content from social media. Live Mint couldn't independently verify the claims and does not endorse them.)

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