A Bengaluru resident has sparked discussion online after explaining why he spends nearly ₹40,000 every month on rent, saying he sees it as paying for a lifestyle rather than just a place to live.
(Also read: ‘Missing simple Bengaluru life’: Resident regrets moving to Bellandur from Basavanagudi)
Taking to Instagram, Manik Salaria shared a video of himself reflecting on a conversation with a colleague who questioned his housing choice. In the video, he said that many people evaluate rent only based on the apartment itself, but his perspective is different.
“I pay almost 40,000 rupees per month in Bengaluru. And recently, my colleague told me that you live so far away and you pay so much rent. I think you are wasting your money. And at that moment I realised that people see rent only from the perspective of the flat. But my opinion is a little different,” he said in the clip.
‘I see rent as a lifestyle’
Explaining his reasoning, Salaria said the facilities and environment offered by his gated society make the cost worthwhile.
{{/usCountry}}Explaining his reasoning, Salaria said the facilities and environment offered by his gated society make the cost worthwhile.
{{/usCountry}}“I see rent as a lifestyle. I'm spending on a lifestyle. How? See, I live in a gated society. The biggest benefit you get is security. The second biggest benefit you get is the clubhouse,” he said.
He added that the community offers a wide range of recreational facilities that significantly improve his daily life.
“There are so many facilities in the clubhouse. You can play sports, play table tennis, play badminton, swim, gym, and after that there is a lawn tennis court outside. Box cricket. Almost every week we play box cricket,” he said.
According to him, the atmosphere of the society also plays a major role.
“And if I leave all these things, the society in itself is so clean and green that you feel like evening walk, morning walk, running, it feels like home,” he said.
Festivals, community life and mental peace
Salaria also highlighted the strong sense of community in the housing complex. He said residents celebrate festivals together, which adds to the overall experience.
“And every festival is celebrated with so much enthusiasm. We recently celebrated Holi, and it was a lot of fun,” he said.
However, he added that the most valuable benefit is the mental break he gets after work.
“But do you know what matters even more to me than all of that? When I come home from the office in the evening, I can mentally disconnect from work. So yes, I prefer comfort over commute.”
Watch the clip here:
The video was shared with the caption, “Not paying for a house. Paying for a lifestyle.”
Social media reactions
The clip has garnered several reactions online. One user wrote, “This is actually a good perspective. If you can afford it and it improves your quality of life, it is worth it.” Another commented, “Bengaluru rents are crazy, but gated communities do offer a completely different lifestyle.” A third user said, “People always calculate rent only in terms of square feet, but environment and amenities also matter.” Another added, “Mental peace after work is priceless. If your home gives that, the rent makes sense.”
(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.)