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Bengaluru venture capitalist shocked by Indiranagar ironing prices after paying ₹5 per piece in Noida
Venture capitalist Sajith Pai said he was surprised by the cost of ironing clothes after recently moving to Bengaluru earlier this month.
As rising prices continue to affect everyday life in Indian cities, even routine household services are becoming a topic of discussion online. From rents and groceries to commute and utility expenses, urban residents have increasingly been comparing how basic living costs vary across cities. Amid this, a Bengaluru-based venture capitalist’s post about ironing charges in the city has gone viral after he compared prices in Bengaluru and Noida.
In a post on X, venture capitalist Sajith Pai said he was surprised by the cost of ironing clothes after recently moving to Bengaluru earlier this month. “I moved early this month to BLR, and one of the most surprising findings was the higher cost of ironing,” he wrote.
Pai said he previously paid around ₹5 per piece in Noida and expected Bengaluru prices to be slightly higher. However, ironing rates in Indiranagar, ranging between ₹12 and ₹20 per piece, caught him off guard. The venture capitalist added that even people who had moved from Mumbai told him ironing costs appeared higher in Bengaluru.
He also shared a possible explanation behind the price difference. He explained that many ironing vendors in Bengaluru use LPG-powered irons instead of traditional charcoal-filled iron boxes commonly seen in NCR cities. “One interesting finding is that most istriwallahs in BLR use LPG-powered irons,” he noted, referring to Udhyam’s Istri Project.
Pai also wondered whether factors such as charcoal availability in North India, possibly linked to the larger number of tandoor restaurants in NCR, could influence ironing costs. “I don’t know, but I would love to hear theories for higher ironing costs in our Luru,” he wrote.
(Also Read: 'That's someone's monthly salary': ₹1.1 lakh rent for Bengaluru 3BHK leaves internet divided)
What did social media say?
The post quickly went viral, with users from different cities sharing local ironing prices and their own experiences.
Reacting to the post, one user wrote, “ ₹7 per piece for normal istri and ₹20 for steam iron in Thane. Some of the costs in this thread are mind boggling. Didn't know any other city could be more expensive than Mumbai Metropolitan Region.”
“In Surat it costs ₹10 for normal press and steam press at ₹25. Electric is the only option I have seen here. Pickup and drop is free comes 3 times/wk,” commented another.
“In BLR, I was paying 7/ piece when I moved to Hyd,was surprised to see the price being 15-20 rs/piece. On closer look, in BLR it was more like electric-based ironing and in HYD its coal-based ironing(haven't seen LPG). Road side ironing is expensive compared to proper shop,” wrote a third user.
“BLR istri inflation is real! Pre-Hormuz my guy charged ~ ₹10/piece. LPG prices spiked, it became ₹15 overnight. My regular istri guy says the small Indane cylinder "Chhotu" itself went from ~ ₹500 to ~ ₹1300 during the initil days,” said one user.
“This happened to me exactly 2 weeks back and I was taken aback coz we pay 6-7rs in NCR, but indiranagar charges 15rs/cloth. Still can’t wrap my head around it,” commented another.
