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This 24-year-old moved from Delhi to Manali and now lives on just ₹25,000 a month
A remote worker opens up about the benefits of moving from Delhi to Manali, and breaks down her monthly expenses.
Almost one year ago, Manisha made the life-altering decision to leave the chaos of Delhi for the serenity of Manali. She says it’s one of the best decisions she’s made.
In a chat with HT.com, Manisha, 24, said she is able to save more money in Manali — a tourist hotspot in Himachal Pradesh famous for its scenic beauty. The cleaner air has also helped her sinus issues and she feels healthier and happier.
The move to Manali
Kolkata-born Manisha obtained her undergraduate degree in English from Delhi University in 2022. She got a job right out of college where she spent the next two years.
In 2024, she switched companies and landed a job at an Indian D2C wellness company that allowed her to work remotely. Today, she works remotely from Manali as a brand specialist.
While a remote job allowed her to move to Manali in December 2024, the idea of working from the hills had been in her mind long before that.
“I’ve always loved travelling and the hills. In 2023, I went on my first solo trip. It was to Jibhi in Himachal and it was life-changing. The way people live here inspired me,” she told HT.com. (Also read: Delhi couple quits corporate jobs, moves to the hills and opens a cafe, taking pay cut for happiness)
Frustration with city life
Manisha candidly admits to another factor behind the move — after roughly two-and-a-half years of working in Delhi, she was feeling fatigued with city life.
“My decision to move basically stemmed from my fatigue with city life. Delhi with its pollution did not suit me,” she said. “I was inspired to explore a different kind of lifestyle, so I thought let me get a remote job and move.”
A little house in Manali
One question that Manisha has been asked frequently is how she managed to find a house in Manali — the 24-year-old lives alone in a 1RK (a one-room apartment) that is perfect for solo living.
The beautiful house has also featured on her Instagram, where Manisha pursues content creation as a side hustle along with her full-time job.
Manisha told HT.com that she found the house the old-fashioned way — she spent a weekend traipsing around Manali, talking to people and knocking on doors.
“I found my house by walking around and speaking to auto drivers and shopkeepers. There were no agents or brokers involved — just one weekend was enough,” she revealed.
Rent and other expenses in Manali
The rent for her 1RK is just ₹15,000 a month. Other expenses, including WiFi, electricity and groceries, add up to roughly ₹10,000 a month.
All in all, Manisha’s monthly expenses come up to around ₹25,000 a month. On rare occasions, this tally can go up to ₹30,000 a month.
Even so, the 24-year-old remote worker says she is able to save a lot more in Manali as compared to Delhi. Even though her rent in both cities has been comparable, other expenses are lower in Manali.
For one thing, she does not have to commute to work every day. She also has no domestic help in Manali and cooks most of her meals herself.
In fact, when she switched companies and landed a remote job, Manisha also got a 50% salary hike. When I switched to my current job, I actually took a 50% hike. People think remote jobs mean a pay cut, but that wasn’t the case for me,” she said.
Manisha says she is able to save 50% of her salary every month. This money goes into an emergency fund, mutual funds and her PPF account.
Healthier and happier life
Saving more is not the only perk that comes out of working remotely from the hills — there are also health benefits to the move.
“I’ve definitely felt the impact of the clean air. I’m someone with chronic sinus issues. I’ve always had a runny nose and allergies all my life, and they were extremely aggravated when I was in Delhi. All those problems have largely subsided in Manali,” Manisha told HT.com.
She is also walking a lot more than she did in Delhi. “I am always on foot whenever I go out. I rarely take public transportation,” she says.
The trade-offs
While there have been many benefits of moving to Manali, Manisha warns there are trade-offs too.
For anyone looking to make a similar move to the hills to work remotely, she has a warning — “Be prepared to be inconvenienced, because life here is not as easy as in the city.”
Domestic workers are hard to come by, and Manisha does all the chores herself. Juggling household chores with a demanding work schedule is not a problem for her, but she knows others may not feel the same way.
“We do have quick-commerce in Manali, but it’s not as quick and instant as you would expect,” she says. “You do have to do your own work, your own chores. Help here is not as easily available,” she added.
