Chartered accountant and content creator Kushal Lodha has revealed that he used to pay half of his salary on rent while living in Mumbai. Lodha revealed in an X post this morning that he used to earn ₹1 lakh per month, of which he spent ₹50,000 on rent in Mumbai’s post Lower Parel area.
In his X post, the host of the Konversation with Kushal podcast explained that spending half his salary on rent was a sound financial decision because his surroundings directly affected how he thought and worked.
“I was earning ₹1 lakh”
“When I earned Rs. 1 lakh a month, I moved to Lower Parel and paid Rs. 50,000 in rent,” Lodha said in his X post.
He acknowledged that most people did not understand his reasoning, even going so far as to call him “mad” for spending half his salary on rent. Lodha, however, contended that living in Lower Parel placed him in an environment that exposed him to a certain lifestyle which in turn changed how he thought and worked. In his view, the ₹50,000 was therefore not merely an expense for a house; it was an investment in an environment that pushed him to aim higher.
{{/usCountry}}He acknowledged that most people did not understand his reasoning, even going so far as to call him “mad” for spending half his salary on rent. Lodha, however, contended that living in Lower Parel placed him in an environment that exposed him to a certain lifestyle which in turn changed how he thought and worked. In his view, the ₹50,000 was therefore not merely an expense for a house; it was an investment in an environment that pushed him to aim higher.
{{/usCountry}}“Everyone called me mad for spending 50% of my salary on rent. But that environment completely changed the way I thought and worked,” he said.
“Sometimes, the value of a place is not measured by its rent. It is measured by the ambition it creates within you.”
Internet reacts
The X post drew a ton of attention, with many people agreeing with Kushal Lodha’s take.
“This is a great reminder that environment is an investment too. Sometimes being surrounded by ambitious people, opportunities and energy can change your trajectory in ways that a spreadsheet simply can’t capture,” wrote one X user.
(Also read: ‘In Mumbai, your only dream becomes paying the rent’: Man on the reality of chasing dreams in the city)
“Environment is an underrated form of leverage,” another said.
Some people opined that moving to high-rent places is well worth it for the quality of life it provides.
“The quality of life it gives you. That’s not really quantifiable in monetary terms. The several intangible things it bestows on us. And not everything should be analytical. Life needs emotional decisions too,” a user said in the comments section.