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Bengaluru corporate couple in Whitefield breaks down ₹1.5 lakh monthly budget: ‘We treat money as one household income’
A Bengaluru corporate couple revealed they spent ₹1.5 lakh monthly, shared a detailed budget split, and aimed to save nearly 50% of their combined income.
A Bengaluru based corporate couple living in Whitefield has opened up about their monthly expenses, financial planning strategy and life in India’s technology capital.
Speaking with HT.com, Ekansh and Radhika, both Senior Product Managers working in Bengaluru, shared details about their household budget and how they approach money management as a married working couple. Ekansh works at SaaS company Vonage, while Radhika is employed at Oracle.
Monthly budget crosses ₹1.5 lakh
The couple revealed that their expenses reflect the realities of living in a premium neighbourhood in Bengaluru.
Speaking with HT.com, they said, "Our average monthly household budget is approximately ₹1.5 lakh."
A major portion of their spending goes towards housing. The couple pays ₹60,000 as rent for a two bedroom apartment in a premium gated society. Groceries account for around ₹15,000 each month, while utilities such as electricity, internet and maintenance also total approximately ₹15,000.
Their transport and commute expenses come to nearly ₹10,000 monthly. Lifestyle spending, which includes dining out, experiences and digital subscriptions, stands at about ₹25,000. The couple also sets aside ₹25,000 every month as a dedicated travel budget.
Treating income as one household system
The couple said marriage significantly changed their approach to finances, prompting them to adopt a shared financial structure.
Explaining their strategy to HT.com, they said, "The biggest shift we made after marriage was treating money as one household income instead of two separate salaries. We divide our income into four buckets: 1. A personal allowance for Ekansh 2. A personal allowance for Radhika 3. A fixed household expenses account 4. Savings. The personal allowance is guilt free spending. The household budget is monitored strictly. Whatever remains goes into savings and we aim to save around 50% of our combined income. Even as our salaries increase, we try to keep our lifestyle costs relatively stable so our savings rate improves over time."
According to them, this system helps maintain financial discipline while still allowing individual flexibility in spending.
Bengaluru’s lifestyle versus affordability
Despite rising costs, the couple believes Bengaluru continues to offer strong professional opportunities along with a desirable lifestyle.
Sharing their views with HT.com, they said, "Bengaluru offers an excellent quality of life, especially because of its pleasant climate for most of the year. It also provides strong career opportunities, access to the tech ecosystem, and high convenience in terms of services and amenities. However, infrastructure and traffic remain major challenges. While the city offers great professional growth and lifestyle options, rising rents and transport inefficiencies are key concerns. The goal is to eventually move to a Tier 2 city and live a peaceful life."
