A viral Instagram post by 23-year-old JPMorgan Chase engineer Arushi Garg has sparked fresh debate around Bengaluru’s rising cost of living. By breaking down her monthly expenses, savings, and lifestyle, she offered a glimpse of what it may actually cost young professionals to live in the city.

A detailed expense breakdown shared by the tech professional shows how quickly costs add up in a metro city. Her rent alone takes the biggest chunk of her salary at ₹17,000 per month, followed by ₹2,000 spent on household help. Garg’s grocery bills are around ₹5,000 per month, while dining out can cost between ₹3,000 and ₹6,000. Shopping is another major cost for Garg, typically ranging between ₹3,000 and ₹7,000.

Apart from this, she spends ₹2,000 to 6,000 on miscellaneous expenses, such as gifts and medicines, and ₹1,000 to 2,000 on travel. In total, Garg said her monthly expenses range from ₹30,000 to ₹35,000.

“Am I cooked?” Garg wrote in her caption, capturing the sentiment many young professionals may resonate with as they navigate finances in expensive cities like Bengaluru. Cities like Mumbai, Bengaluru and New Delhi are generally considered among the most expensive places to live.

How did netizens react to the post?

The post gained some traction, triggering widespread online discussion. Many users questioned whether her spending reflects a typical cost of living in the city or shows the growing financial pressure in India’s urban hubs.

“I’m earning 50k my expenses 48k so why I’m here,” a person wrote. Mirroring the sentiment, another user said, “Big city means big expenses.”

Another user wrote, “You are doing fine, this is pretty standard for a metro city lifestyle,” suggesting that this may be a typical budget for city living, though costs can vary from person to person.

How costs eat into wealth generation — CA explains

Similarly, another person sparked a discussion on LinkedIn after highlighting that a higher income may not always be a fast track to financial security. According to Meenal Goel, a chartered accountant, many individuals earning over ₹1 lakh a month struggle to build savings, highlighting a gap between income growth and actual wealth creation.

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She said that the problem is not how much people earn, but how quickly their expenses rise as their income rises. This phenomenon, often referred to as lifestyle inflation, can block your attempts to build savings even at higher salaries.

“High income doesn’t mean you’re building wealth. I’ve seen people earning ₹1.2L a month and still ending up with barely anything saved. The issue isn’t income, it’s how quickly lifestyle expands with it, ” Goel wrote in a LinkedIn post last week on Thursday.

Explaining where most individuals may go wrong, Goel pointed to how quickly expenses may eat into income. “Rent ₹35K, EMI ₹30K, lifestyle spends ₹20K+, utilities and basics ₹15-20K. Suddenly, most of the income is already committed before the month even begins,” she said. All these costs leave little room for savings, which is the main issue she has flagged in the post.