A Bengali woman living in Bengaluru has gone viral after attempting to spend an entire day in the city with just ₹500. Taking to Instagram, Priyanka Mondal shared a video documenting her budget experiment, offering a glimpse into how she managed food, travel and small breaks within a tight limit in one of India’s most expensive cities.
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In the video, she explained her motivation and experience, saying, “Can you survive an entire day in an expensive city like Bengaluru with just ₹500? I gave it a try, and the result was surprising. I started my morning with idlis, and honestly, at that point, life felt pretty sorted. For travel, I managed with the metro since cabs were out of budget. I took a short tea break in between to keep myself going.”
She added that lunch was the most challenging part of the day due to high prices. “When it was time for lunch, just looking at the menu almost gave me a shock because of the prices. But somehow, I managed to fix a meal within ₹120,” she said.
Managing costs and ending on a high note
As the day progressed, Mondal stuck to her budget with careful spending. “By evening, I grabbed a vada pav and another cup of tea, and my budget was already telling me it was time to head home,” she shared. Surprisingly, she ended the day with money left in hand. “In the end, I still managed to save ₹200 and even celebrated with a little happy dance!”
{{/usCountry}}As the day progressed, Mondal stuck to her budget with careful spending. “By evening, I grabbed a vada pav and another cup of tea, and my budget was already telling me it was time to head home,” she shared. Surprisingly, she ended the day with money left in hand. “In the end, I still managed to save ₹200 and even celebrated with a little happy dance!”
{{/usCountry}}The video was shared with the caption: “Bengaluru me ₹500 me pura din survive kiya. Sach bolu… survive ho gaya, and enjoy bhi kiya.”
Watch the clip here:
Social media reacts
The clip has drawn a range of reactions from social media users, many of whom were both amused and impressed by the attempt. One user wrote, “This is actually impressive, especially in Bengaluru where even a coffee costs a lot.” Another commented, “Metro is the real hero here, otherwise ₹500 would not be enough.”
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(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.)