A Bengaluru-based employee’s transparency about her ₹1 lakh monthly expenses has sparked online debate about the city’s living costs and lifestyle choices among young professionals.
A Bengaluru-based employee has drawn attention on social media after posting a month-by-month account of her spending, showing total outgoings of about ₹1 lakh, according to a viral Instagram post reported by LiveMint. Ishita Chaudhary described herself as a “corporate girlie working at Rubrik” and broke her costs into categories under the caption “Budget Breakdown: Living in Bengaluru”.
Her largest fixed expense was rent: ₹21,000 for a 3BHK, including maintenance. She also listed smaller housing-related items such as ₹500 each for furniture, an air purifier and Wi-Fi. Day-to-day household costs added up quickly, with ₹7,000 for groceries, ₹2,000 for a cook and ₹2,000 for a maid, alongside ₹3,000 for food delivery, ₹5,000 for eating out and another ₹5,000 for hobbies and activities. She said commuting within the city cost her ₹10,000 a month, bringing that portion of the budget to roughly ₹56,500.
The rest of the bill was dominated by lifestyle spending. Chaudhary said she set aside ₹15,000 for shopping, ₹20,000 for travel and trips, ₹5,000 for parlour visits and ₹3,000 for sports, lifting the monthly total to around ₹1 lakh. She added that she did not spend separately on office lunches, breakfast, gym fees, snacks at work or commuting to the office, marking those items as zero.
The post prompted a flood of comments, with many users joking about how little would be left to save. One wrote, “Savings: 500/- Living on the edge.” Another said, “Itne mein mera do ghar chal jayega.” The reaction reflects a wider online fascination with the cost of living in Bengaluru, where independent apartments, transport and lifestyle expenses are frequently discussed by young professionals sharing their budgets. Broader cost-of-living guides for the city also show how sharply monthly expenses can vary depending on area, housing type and lifestyle, with estimates for a single person ranging widely across accommodation, food, transport and leisure.
Disclaimer: This article is intended to inform and educate, not to recommend or endorse any financial product, investment or strategy. Please consider your own financial circumstances and seek professional advice where appropriate before making financial decisions.
