Mumbai founder shares reality of living in city beyond rent: ‘Don’t spend all your money on the Instagram life’

A Mumbai-based founder shared six practical lessons she learnt after living in the city for nearly three years.

A Mumbai-based founder has shared a candid take on what it is really like to live in the city, from choosing a home based on commute time to dealing with deposits, brokerage and the everyday cost of living. Jahnvi Shah, who has been living in Mumbai for nearly three years, shared a video on Instagram detailing the things she wishes someone had told her before she moved to the city.

A Mumbai-based founder revealed the things she wished she had known before moving to the city. (Instagram/jahnvi.shah)

“Mumbai is expensive, but rent, honestly, is not even the only problem. I have been living here for almost three years now, and if you are planning to move to Mumbai for the first time, here are a few things I would wish someone has told me,” Shah said.

‘Choose your house based on where you work’

Her first piece of advice was to prioritise location over how attractive a house looks. “First, please choose your house based on where you work, not how pretty the house is, because in Mumbai, 8 kilometers can either mean 20 minutes or even your entire evening.”

She also warned people moving to the city to budget for expenses beyond rent. “Secondly, when someone tells you the rent, mentally add more money. Deposit, brokerage, agreement, moving, setup. You will spend money before you even, you know, had your first peaceful night at your house.”

According to Shah, living in Mumbai also changes how people think about distance. “Third, you will slowly start measuring everything in commute time. Not, you know, like, ‘Where do I live?’ More like, ‘How much time does it take to reach Bandra?’ (Kitna time lagta hai Bandra pahonchne mein?)”

She also advised newcomers to learn how to use public transport instead of relying entirely on cabs. “Fourth, learn public transport. This is very important. You can keep saying, ‘I’ll just take a cab.’ Even I am like that. Your bank account will eventually teach you that you don’t have to.”

‘Don’t spend all your money trying to live the Mumbai life’

Shah joked that Mumbai can also completely change one’s perception of space. “Fifth, Mumbai makes you realize how little space a human being actually needs. The house here you would have called small town, you know, like a small house in another city, but here you will feel like, ‘Wait, there’s even a balcony (balcony bhi hai)! It is luxury!’”

Her final advice was to avoid spending heavily just to recreate the glamorous Mumbai lifestyle often seen online. “And one serious tip: don’t spend all your money trying to live like the Mumbai life you saw on Instagram. You don’t need to brunch every Sunday, right? Coffee every day and plans every night. You don’t need that.”

She added, “Find your routine, find your people, find the places that work for your budget, because Mumbai is expensive. It’s crowded, it’s chaotic, and sometimes genuinely exhausting. But three years later, there is still something about this city that makes you feel like if you’re willing to work for it, maybe something can actually happen here.”

The clip was shared with the caption, “Mumbai doesn’t just test your ambition. It tests your budget, patience, and commute tolerance too.”

Watch the clip here:

Internet reacts

The video prompted reactions from users who related to Shah’s observations about life in Mumbai. One user wrote, “Mumbai really teaches you budgeting.” Another said, “this is very true”. A third commented, “This is actually useful advice.” Another summed up the city’s space crunch by writing, “‘Balcony is luxury’ is peak Mumbai.”

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.)