An Indian man, who has been living in the US for the past 15 years, has sparked a discussion online after comparing his finances on an $8,000-a-month (around ₹1 crore annually) package in America with what he earned on a ₹25 lakh package in India. Despite the significantly higher salary in the US, he claimed he was able to save more when he was living in India.
In a video shared on Instagram, Nitin Malhotra broke down his monthly expenses in the US and explained why a seemingly lucrative American salary does not necessarily translate into higher savings. "1 crore ka package hai mera America mein, yani lagbhag 8,000 dollars ka. Wahi India ke andar mera 25 lakh ka package tha. Mujhe lagta hai mera paisa wahan par zyada bachta tha," he said in the video.
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Life in India vs US
{{/usCountry}}(Also Read: 'Buying a home in Bengaluru in 2026 feels like a fever dream': NRI's take on property prices)
Life in India vs US
{{/usCountry}}Malhotra explained that a significant portion of his $8,000 monthly income goes towards housing and taxes. He said around $2,500 goes towards his home mortgage, while another $1,500 is deducted as tax, leaving him with around $4,000.
He then listed several other expenses. According to him, around $500 goes towards insurance for his two cars, while another $500 is spent on health insurance for himself, his wife and their child.
He said that his monthly food expenses range between $1,000 and $1,200. He also spends another $500-$800 on miscellaneous expenses, which can include medical costs and medicines. Additionally, phone and internet bills also add to the monthly expenditure. "Toh aapke paas 1,000-1,200 dollars hi bachta hai," he said.
Malhotra also spoke about childcare expenses. He said he had not included daycare costs in his calculation as his wife is not working right now. However, he said that if she starts working, daycare and other associated costs would also increase.
He then compared this with his financial situation in India, where he earned ₹25 lakh annually, or around ₹2-2.5 lakh a month. "Toh ₹30,000 agar main rent pe makaan loon, khaana-peena bhi khaun, toh khushi-khushi se 1-1.25 lakh rupees bacha leta," he said.
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Social media reactions
The post has since triggered a debate about salaries, savings and quality of life in the two countries.
One user wrote, "I feel you bro but I choose work life balance. It's what it is."
"US is expensive . i have spent my life in India and recently came to usa . quality of life , no corruption and good infrastructure and emergency services are prompt are good in US . But here fear is always of job loss . In india you can still survive with low salary , but US mai nahi chalega," commented another.
"India me 100000/- bachte wah bhi 1200/- dollar bachta hai yani same hai but the quality of life means atmosphere , enviourment is better from india so, don't worry you are on right place," wrote a third user.
"The problem is India don't have work life balance, and no good work culture, USA is best in this case," said another.