Cost of Living in India: Is Rs 2.5 Lakh the New Rs 1 Lakh? Viral Bengaluru founder’s claims spark debate over cost of living in India

A viral post by a Bengaluru-based entrepreneur has sparked wider discussions about inflation, rising rents and changes in the cost of living in the city. As social media users debate whether Rs 2.5 lakh is the new benchmark for financial comfort, the debate highlights the widening gap between metropolitan realities and the incomes of most Indians.

Think back to ten years ago. A monthly salary of 100,000 rupees is a figure that people talk about. The parents proudly mentioned the incident to relatives. New graduates dream of achieving this goal before they turn 30. This is more than just a pay check—it’s proof of your success.Fast forward to 2026, and the same numbers don’t inspire the same confidence, at least in India’s largest cities. Ask anyone who pays rent in Bangalore, copes with school fees in Mumbai, or watches their grocery bills rise month by month, and you’ll likely hear the same refrain: everything feels more expensive than before.This day-to-day frustration spilled over to social media, Bengaluru-based entrepreneur and Medial founder Niket Raj Dwivedi wrote on His comments quickly sparked a heated debate. Some say the approach is completely unrealistic in a country where a monthly salary of 100,000 rupees is still beyond the reach of most workers. Others believe he was simply speaking out loud what many city professionals have felt silently for years.However, there is much more to the discussion than just one viral post. This reflects growing unease that inflation, soaring housing costs and changing lifestyles are redrawing the boundaries of financial security in Indian cities.

One article, hundreds of comments

Dwivedi’s post was brief, but the response was anything but. Within hours, people from all walks of life joined the conversation. Some agreed almost immediately, saying they could relate to the pressure to manage expenses in cities like Bengaluru and Mumbai. Others say the comparison ignores a simple reality: For millions of Indians, a monthly salary of Rs 1 lakh remains an aspiration.AnAnother user saw it from a completely different perspective. According to them, inflation, lifestyle changes and job market uncertainty have gradually eroded the value of a six-figure salary. “In 2015, Rs 1 lakh felt rich. In 2026, Rs 2.5 lakh felt alive,” the user wrote.The deeply divided responses suggest that the debate isn’t actually about a salary number. It’s about where people live, how they live and what they expect their income to cover.When rent eats into your paycheck. Perhaps the strongest support for Dwivedi’s views comes from people concerned about housing costs.The One Once rent takes up a large portion of income, the remaining salary must go toward transportation, groceries, utilities, health care, children’s education, insurance, taxes, and savings.For many professionals, this math feels increasingly difficult. Another user simply said: “Yes, inflation keeps raising everyone’s standards.”This sentiment may explain why discussions around salary sound much different today than they did a decade ago. People’s focus is no longer just on how much money a person makes, but on how much purchasing power that income actually brings.

Inflation is only part of the story

At the same time, some users argue that inflation alone cannot explain changing views on comfortable wages.Financial experts often point out that higher income usually comes with higher expenses. As careers advance, people tend to move into larger homes, eat out more frequently, travel more frequently, and spend more on conveniences. Economists describe this as lifestyle inflation or lifestyle creep.That doesn’t mean concerns about rising costs are unfounded. Rather, it shows that today’s spending patterns are determined by a combination of necessity and changing desires.The debate about X reflects exactly this tension. While some users are concerned about the soaring cost of daily necessities, others believe that what is now called “survival” may still represent a relatively superior urban lifestyle.

A metro problem, not an Indian problem?

Some discussion participants attempted to bridge these two perspectives. One user acknowledged that Dwivedi’s claims may sound unrealistic to most Indians, but added that the cost of living in cities such as Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru has risen sharply over the years.The user even said that eating out in Tokyo sometimes feels cheaper than eating at restaurants in Delhi, using the comparison to highlight how expensive the Indian metropolis is.Whether everyone agrees with the comparison is another matter. But it reflects a growing recognition among many urban professionals that their salaries can no longer buy the lifestyle they once expected.

real takeaway

The debate sparked by Dwivedi’s post is unlikely to end anytime soon because it touches on something deeply personal: people’s relationships with money.For people living in tier-II cities with moderate housing costs, Rs 1 lakh per month can still provide a very comfortable life. For families paying high rent, school fees and commuting fees in Bangalore or Mumbai, even a salary two or three times higher may no longer be as secure as it once was.Perhaps that’s why the article resonated so widely. It is not just a question of whether Rs 2.5 lakh is the new Rs 1 lakh. It’s about how quickly expectations, spending and definitions of financial comfort change, and how these changes look different depending on which part of India you call home. This raises a larger question: Are employers taking these issues into consideration?