A techie who moved from India to London 6 months ago has said that rising expenses and a shaky job market have left him living “paycheck to paycheck,” prompting him to question whether the move was worth it. The anonymous post, shared on the workplace discussion platform Blind, has sparked a discussion among tech workers about the costs and compromises of relocating to the UK.
In the post titled ‘India - London. Savings wiped out. Is it worth it?’, the user wrote that while he enjoys living in the city, the financial reality has been difficult. He said he was able to save 70–80% of his salary while working in India, but now spends 3,000-4,000 pounds a month on living costs in London, leaving him with no savings. With an uncertain job market and fears that generative AI could automate parts of software development, he said even a single layoff would leave him vulnerable.
“Is the ‘London experience’ worth the risk of having zero savings when the industry is this shaky? Or should I just pack it up?” the anonymous user wrote.
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Social media reactions
The post struck a chord with several others who shared similar experiences.
One commenter, who said they had also moved to London for a role at Meta, wrote that they were not just unable to save but were dipping into past savings, adding that rent remained the biggest burden. “Same thing here. I also relocated to London for Meta, and financially it's a big loss, not only I am not saving up, I am actually using my previous savings. Rent is my biggest expense, I have to find a family friendly area and move out of London, that's the only way I can think of to reduce costs. I am waiting for the next performance cycle/layoffs, before I make my move,” the user wrote.
“London definitely has 3rd world vibes now. It's not the same as it used to be. Better growth opportunities in Bangalore and Mumbai. Either go to US or be in India. Uk is not worth it,” commented another.
{{/usCountry}}“London definitely has 3rd world vibes now. It's not the same as it used to be. Better growth opportunities in Bangalore and Mumbai. Either go to US or be in India. Uk is not worth it,” commented another.
{{/usCountry}}“I moved out of London four years ago, and my work is mostly remote. I have a single income and a family. Although I have a decent job, my savings are pretty much the same—or only about 10% more—after taking taxes and the cost of living into consideration, compared to Indian metro cities. You might ask why I am still living here; I honestly don’t know the answer. I’m just going with the flow, but I clearly see that this is not a place where I would stay for next 5 years,” wrote a third user.
“No one goes to the EU or worse UK to make money - USA is still king in that aspect,” said another.
(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.)