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'Buying a home in Bengaluru in 2026 feels like a fever dream': NRI's take on property prices
A Bengaluru man's post on rising property prices has started a discussion about housing affordability.
A man shared his concerns about Bengaluru's rising housing costs, saying that owning a home in the city now feels out of reach for many working professionals. In his post, he questioned whether Bengaluru is quietly pricing out its own workforce, prompting many users to share similar experiences.
The post was shared by X user Shankar von Mysuru.
The caption read, "Buying a home in Bengaluru in 2026 feels less like a goal and more like a fever dream. A decent 2BHK in any good locality now routinely starts at ₹1.4 to ₹1.8 crore, while homes under ₹1 crore have almost vanished from the core city. For most mid-level professionals, the monthly EMI alone sits between ₹80,000 and ₹1.1 lakh, a number that swallows a huge chunk of even a high-tech salary.
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"This is the generation that earns more than their parents ever did, yet owning a house here feels more impossible than it did a decade ago. The gap between rising incomes and exploding property prices keeps widening, leaving many people stuck in the 'almost ready' phase year after year. Is Bengaluru quietly pricing out its own workforce, or is this simply the new normal we all have to accept? Be honest in the comments. Are you still planning to buy here, or have you already started looking at other cities?"
Take a look:
What did social media users say?
The post prompted a flood of responses from users who shared similar experiences from Bengaluru and other cities across Karnataka.
One user wrote, "You have not seen the situation in Mysuru. A simple 30×40 site is selling for ₹1.2 to ₹1.5 crore."
Another commented, "It's become impossible to own a house or even a flat. I cannot describe how painful it is to find land or an independent house, even one that needs renovation. If Bengaluru doesn't expand towards the north and east, it will put even more pressure on public transport and infrastructure."
A third shared, "One of the reasons we started constructing a house in our hometown."
Recalling how prices have changed over the years, another user wrote, "This has been the new normal for the past four years. Every November and December, we used to go property hunting in BSK 6th Stage. In 2023, land was ₹8,000 per sq ft. In 2024, it was ₹10,000 to ₹11,000. In 2025, it reached ₹13,000 to ₹15,000. I finally bought it for ₹15,000 per sq ft in 2026, and now they're asking ₹16,000. The real tragedy is that my friend bought the same property in 2019 for ₹5,000 per sq ft."
Some pointed out that the issue is no longer limited to Bengaluru. "You are talking about Bengaluru? In the Tier 2 city of Mangaluru, flats now start at ₹3 crore. Flats worth ₹1 crore are considered basic and come with minimal amenities," wrote one user.
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Not everyone agreed with the original post. One person argued, "I don't think you've researched this well. There are plenty of second-hand 2BHK flats available for as low as ₹1 crore through distress sales caused by job losses."
(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.)
