A Bengaluru woman has sparked a discussion online after claiming that people earning less than ₹1 lakh a month should reconsider moving to the city, pointing to soaring property prices and high rents.
(Also read: Bengaluru man highlights salary-rent gap, says 'salary stuck in 2006, but rent is living in 2046')
Taking to Instagram, a woman named Atreyee shared a video in which she spoke about the cost of living in Bengaluru and argued that buying or even renting a home has become increasingly difficult for middle-class residents.
‘Don’t come to Bengaluru’
"If you don't earn a minimum, minimum ₹1 lakh monthly, then please don't come to Bengaluru. I know this might be a little controversial, but truly, if you're not earning a minimum of ₹1 lakh, then don't come to Bengaluru," she said.
Explaining her argument, Atreyee said home ownership remains a common aspiration among middle-class families, but property prices in Bengaluru make that dream difficult to achieve.
{{/usCountry}}Explaining her argument, Atreyee said home ownership remains a common aspiration among middle-class families, but property prices in Bengaluru make that dream difficult to achieve.
{{/usCountry}}"Because as middle-class, all of us have a small dream of having our own house. All middle-class [people] can relate to this thing, that everyone has this dream that they will have their own house. And in Bengaluru, when you go to buy a house, the starting minimum price starts at ₹2 crore," she said.
She added that flats in better localities and housing societies could cost between ₹3 crore and ₹4 crore.
High rents in the city
Atreyee also highlighted rental costs, claiming that a 2BHK apartment in a housing society could cost around ₹40,000 to ₹45,000 per month.
"And if you're not buying a flat and you're living on rent, even then the price here doesn't seem any lower. If you want to live in a society in a 2 BHK, then the minimum, basic price starts at ₹40,000 to ₹45,000," she said.
She further claimed that even an individual house outside a gated society could cost at least ₹30,000 in rent.
"So basically, Bengaluru is definitely not for middle-class people. Truly. Bengaluru is only for those people who are earning ₹3 to ₹4 lakh in a month," she concluded.
The video was shared with the caption, "Don’t come to Bengaluru if you’re not earning atleast 1 lakh monthly."
Watch the clip here:
Internet reacts
The post has garnered limited reactions so far, with users offering mixed views on her assessment. One user wrote, "Rent in Bengaluru is getting out of control." Another said, "Buying a house here feels impossible now." A third disagreed, saying, "Bengaluru is expensive, but ₹1 lakh isn’t the minimum." Another user pointed out, "Not everyone needs to live in a gated society."
HT.com has reached out to the user for her comments, and the copy will be updated once her response is received.
(Disclaimer: This report is based on user-generated content from social media. HT.com has not independently verified the claims and does not endorse them.)