Bengaluru engineer’s viral post on high earnings and higher expenses sparks debate

A Bengaluru-based Principal Software Engineer has triggered widespread discussion on social media after revealing that, despite earning ₹1.8 crore annually, he ends up in a monthly deficit. The viral post highlighted how even high-income professionals are not immune to the rising cost of urban living.

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The engineer, whose take-home income is around ₹1 crore per year or ₹8.3 lakh per month after taxes, broke down his lifestyle expenses in a LinkedIn post. His monthly spending includes ₹1.5 lakh in rent for a 3BHK apartment in Indiranagar, an ₹80,000 EMI for a luxury car, and ₹70,000 on food delivery platforms. Fine dining and hotel outings reportedly cost another ₹1.2 lakh, with additional expenses on luxury clothing, premium wine, travel, and lifestyle add-ons such as domestic help, fitness memberships, and crypto investments. 

Altogether, his monthly outgoings total ₹8.87 lakh, leaving him with a shortfall of ₹57,000. While the post was later clarified as satire, it resonated with many professionals who shared similar sentiments about urban financial stress.

The exaggerated expense list struck a nerve with netizens, highlighting a divide between aspirational spending and sustainable living. While some related to the financial pressures of city life, others criticized the post for normalizing extravagant lifestyle choices under the guise of financial strain.