Posting on LinkedIn, a user identified as Aas Vora Jain described how, even with a take-home pay of ₹8.3 lakh a month, he ends up in a monthly deficit of ₹57,000. His claim instantly set off a flurry of reactions across social media, with some sympathising and many more ridiculing what they saw as an exaggerated account of luxury gone wrong.
“I make ₹1.8 crore per year in Bangalore as a principal software engineer, and it’s utterly unlivable,” Jain wrote.
“Let’s break it down. After taxes, my take-home is approximately ₹1 crore or ₹8.3 lakh/month.”
₹8.87 Lakh a month—and still in the red?
Jain’s post offered a meticulous account of where the money goes.
“Rent for a 3BHK in Indiranagar: ₹1.5 lakh. EMI for a luxury car (BMW/Mercedes): ₹80,000. Domestic help & laundry service: ₹15,000. Swiggy/Zomato orders: ₹70,000. Cocktails and fine dining at 5-star hotels: ₹1.2 lakh. Weekend trips to Goa & Dubai: ₹1 lakh,” he wrote.
He continued with details that drew sharp reactions, “Branded white t-shirt: ₹10,000, Premium organic wine: ₹50,000, Gym & fitness memberships (Cult + personal trainer): ₹12,000, Crypto & stock investments: ₹1 lakh. Total costs: ₹8.87 lakh.”
Even after all that, he said, the maths didn’t add up.
“Despite working remotely for 40 hours per week and making ₹1.8 crore per year, I am somehow in a position where I’m losing ₹57,000 per month. What is wrong with this city?”
“This is satire”—But the internet was already triggered
The post, which Jain later admitted was meant in jest, went viral within hours.
“Relax guys, this is satire. The real pain is seeing Swiggy’s ₹20 packaging charge,” he wrote in an update.
By then, however, thousands had already seen—and reacted—to the original post. The reactions were a mix of humour, disbelief, and tough love.
One user noted, “Income isn’t wealth. It’s a sad realisation. The only people who get to be secure have generational wealth. Everyone else gets to face the heat.”
Another summed up the anxiety many young adults feel, “Welcome to adult life. Constant anxiety and money worries are the norm.”
Netizens respond: “It’s not the city, it’s you”
Many pointed out that Jain’s financial stress stemmed not from Bengaluru itself but from his own extravagant choices.
“Nothing is wrong with the city because the city is not asking you to spend or live a luxurious life, nor is it promoting it. It’s you who wants a luxurious life,” one user commented.
“Even if you were in Mumbai or Delhi with this mindset, you would still spend more. I have seen people in Bengaluru living happily on a salary of ₹30K, paying rent, and enjoying life—maybe not as luxuriously as you, but they are happy with what they have.”
Others responded with dry wit and sarcasm.
“70k ka Swiggy/Zomato, is Deepinder Goyal the one delivering your food?” asked one user.
“If you are eating out worth 70k a month, don’t worry about Blore. Cardiovascular problems will put you out of your misery sooner,” said another.
Though Jain’s post may have been satirical, it struck a nerve. In recent years, Bengaluru has seen soaring rents, inflated service costs, and rising expectations from young professionals chasing aspirational lifestyles.
The city, long known as India’s tech hub, now represents both opportunity and pressure. And that pressure doesn’t just affect those struggling at the margins. It’s increasingly felt even by those with what should be considered dream jobs.
As one commenter advised bluntly, “I believe you should carefully consider your needs and wants.”
Another put it even more sharply, “You are severely underpaid, borderline below property line. Better you quit India and relocate to some Tier 1 country, hopefully then the situation will be better.”
Whether satire or not, the viral post laid bare a growing sentiment—earning more doesn’t always mean feeling secure. In the pursuit of comfort, image, and aspiration, even crores can start to feel like crumbs.
And in India’s booming cities, that uncomfortable truth is becoming harder to ignore.
