If you ask people in India whether earning Rs 1 lakh a month is a decent salary, most would say yes. After all, many still aspire to hit six figures, as more money brings a better lifestyle, financial security, and the ability to afford luxuries that once seemed out of reach. But for those who do earn a lakh or more, reality often falls short of expectations. Despite a comfortable paycheck, many find themselves just scraping by, constantly venting about how they are just managing things.

Take, for instance, a 26-year-old Bengaluru techie earning Rs 1.5 lakh per month. Dream salary for many. Yet, he feels financially unstable, confessing that he “feels like a fragile pot of flowers that will crack one day”.

The Bengaluru techie, who goes by “Onepoint5zero” on Reddit, shared his frustrations on the platform’s “IndianWorkplace” community, a space for “office canteen discussions” without the “bosses or HRs listening”.

In his post titled “Why does life in a metro feels so fragile?”, he revealed that despite earning well, he struggles to balance multiple financial responsibilities. He lives with his soon-to-be wife in Bengaluru while supporting his parents in his hometown and managing EMIs – all of which leave him with little to no savings.

The man said that the life he is currently living is the life he has always dreamt of but he is not financially stable. “ I’m living on thin ice. Not much saved up for a backup – If I lose my job, my EMIs and expenses will consume my savings in just 3-4 months,” he wrote on Reddit. 

Although he lives in a PG and not a flat, he feels Bengaluru is “super inflated”. 

He added, “The chaos of the city is just paralysing… You don’t even get decent (not great, just decent) things for a fair price. For a cheap price, you just the shittiest quality of food/grocery/stay/services.”

“Since when did life become this hard for someone earning a decent wage of 1.5L? Is it just Bangalore, or is this the case everywhere else?” he turned to Reddit in the hope of answers. 

Why does life in a metro feels so fragile ?
byu/onepoint5zero inIndianWorkplace

Earlier, an IITian shared a stark reality check, claiming that even a ₹1.5 lakh salary is not enough to support a family of four in a metro city. Pritesh Kakani, an alumnus of IIT Kharagpur shared a detailed breakup on social media, claiming that Rs 20 lakh a year is required for a “decent” standard of living. His estimate factored in expenses like ₹35,000 for rent, ₹10,000 for food, ₹5,350 for petrol, ₹8,000 for medical expenses, and ₹1,000 for electricity and gas, among others.

“Middle-class family of 4 Expense in Metro city in India is 20 lakh per year for a comfortable life. No luxury expense added,” he wrote while sharing a screenshot of the expense plan he made.

While some agreed with his estimate, others tagged most of the expenses on the list as “luxury”. “You are bang on. It is the minimum, I guess,” said one social media user. Another, however, argued that “trip, pets, car EMI” are luxury and not necessity.