A post about a man earning ₹20 lakh a year and still unable to afford an apartment has sparked a conversation around the price of real estate in various Indian cities. A techie claimed that if his friend, earning ₹1.2 lakh a year, had to buy a house with proper amenities, he would end up living “paycheck to paycheck”.

“Was having a discussion with a friend in Gurgaon. His CTC is 20 lakh. His in-hand is around 1.2 lakh per month after taxes, epf, and deductions. He doesn't splurge. No car. No kids. just a waifu,” a techie who goes by Akhilesh on X wrote.
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“Every project he visits starts at 2.5 crore. The brochures talk about infinity pools, Zen gardens, Italian marble, biometric lifts. If he buys this, he has to live paycheck to paycheck. No buffer. No vacations. No emergencies,” he added.
While talking about his friend, the techie further claimed, “He earns more than maybe 95% of India, still can’t buy a home in his city. The market is not broken. It’s working exactly as designed - for someone else.”
Take a look at the entire post here:
{{/usCountry}}While talking about his friend, the techie further claimed, “He earns more than maybe 95% of India, still can’t buy a home in his city. The market is not broken. It’s working exactly as designed - for someone else.”
Take a look at the entire post here:
{{/usCountry}}Social media had a lot to say:
An individual wrote, “That 95% statistic is correct? Or just people paying taxes? Because who’s buying these expensive flats?” Akhilesh replied, “Data is only available for people with legalised sources of money. It's not difficult to guess who are the ones buying expensive flats.”
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Another commented, “Gurgaon is attractive for investors. I've seen a few projects where more than 90% are investors. Since the rally has already ended & the projects are still under construction, many investors want to exit now. I don't know if it's safe or not.”
A third remarked, “It's wild how even a high salary feels inadequate in certain cities. Many people are in the same boat, juggling expenses while trying to save. It makes you question what success means nowadays.”
A fourth expressed, “95% of India doesn’t make this less. The fact is most businessmen make more and never declare true income to save tax. The market is broken for taxpayers.”