‘Bangalore feels cheaper’: 21-year-old shares ₹43,000 monthly budget breakup while living alone in Gurgaon

The rising cost of living in India’s major cities continues to fuel discussions on social media, as more young professionals reveal how much they spend each month to manage life independently. Detailed breakdowns covering rent, groceries, transport and leisure are offering a glimpse into the financial realities of urban living.

Joining the trend, a 21-year-old woman from Gurgaon has gone viral after revealing that her total expenditure for July was just over ₹43,000 while living by herself.

Rent, shopping among biggest monthly expenses

Instagram user Chahat Yadav posted a video titled “How much I spend in July as a 21-year-old living alone in Gurgaon,” where she listed her expenses category by category before asking viewers whether her monthly spending was justified.

According to Yadav, rent accounted for the largest share of her budget. She said she pays ₹15,000 a month for a fully furnished 1RK apartment. Her electricity bill stood at ₹2,000, while gym and other membership fees came to ₹1,800.

She also spent ₹2,142 on fuel and maintenance for her scooty. Groceries, food deliveries and daily essentials together cost ₹6,879. Shopping emerged as another major expense at ₹12,805, while outings added ₹2,470 to her monthly bill.

After calculating all her expenses, Yadav said she spent a total of ₹43,096 in July. Ending the video, she asked viewers, “So, should I be concerned about it, or is it fine?”

In the caption accompanying the post, she clarified that the total was “excluding the investments.”

Social media users say spending is ‘normal’

The video prompted a wave of responses from social media users, many of whom said her monthly budget was typical for someone living alone in Gurgaon.

“No, nothing to be concerned about, it’s pretty normal if you’re earning and living alone,” one user commented.

Another wrote, “After watching this reel BANGALORE feels cheaper for me.”

A third user said, “40-50k spent is normal here…. No worries its normal.”

Echoing a similar view, another commenter wrote, “This is so true and it’s just a basic expenses lifestyle. If you do weekend parties, roaming around it would cost more. Living alone in Gurgaon is quite expensive.”

However, one user noted that the spending was acceptable only if savings were being set aside, commenting, “I think it’s good if you’re investing some of your money in other expenses, but if not, I think it’s a bit of a concern.”

(Disclaimer: This report is based on user-generated content from social media. Livemint has not independently verified the claims and does not endorse them.)