From salaries and savings to rent and daily expenses, social media users have increasingly been sharing detailed glimpses of what it costs to live independently in India's major cities. Bengaluru, in particular, has become a frequent talking point, with young professionals posting their monthly budgets and sparking debates over the city's cost of living. Now, a Bengaluru-based woman has shared a breakdown of her monthly expenditure, revealing that she spends approximately ₹1 lakh every month.
In an Instagram post, Ishita Chaudhary described herself as a "corporate girlie working at Rubrik" and shared a category-wise breakdown of her expenses under the title, "Budget Breakdown: Living in Bengaluru."
According to the breakdown, ₹21,000 goes towards rent for a 3BHK, including maintenance. She listed another ₹500 for furniture, ₹500 for an air purifier and ₹500 for Wi-Fi.
She revealed that her household expenses include ₹7,000 on groceries, ₹2,000 for a cook who prepares lunch and dinner, and another ₹2,000 for a maid handling cleaning and washing.
She also spends ₹3,000 on Zomato/Swiggy, ₹5,000 on eating out, ₹5,000 on hobbies and activities, and ₹10,000 on city commuting. These expenses bring the total to around ₹56,500 a month.
The remaining expenses are largely lifestyle-related. She listed ₹15,000 for shopping, ₹20,000 for travelling and trips, ₹5,000 on parlour visits and ₹3,000 on sports, taking her overall monthly expenditure to approximately ₹1 lakh.
{{/usCountry}}The remaining expenses are largely lifestyle-related. She listed ₹15,000 for shopping, ₹20,000 for travelling and trips, ₹5,000 on parlour visits and ₹3,000 on sports, taking her overall monthly expenditure to approximately ₹1 lakh.
{{/usCountry}}She also said that she does not spend separately on commuting to the office, weekday lunches or breakfast at work, gym expenses or snacks at the office, listing each of these as zero.
(Also Read: Rude couple mistakes 26-year-old Bengaluru flat owner for blue-collar worker due to ‘clothes, complexion’)
Social media reactions
The spending breakdown prompted several humorous reactions from users, with some focusing on how little might be left for savings.
"Savings: 500/- Living on the edge," one user jokingly commented.
"Itne mein mera do ghar chal jayega," another wrote.
"Adopt me," a third user commented.