A Reddit post titled “I earn less than 50k a month and breathe just fine in Delhi!” has gone viral for its grounded account of living simply in one of India’s most expensive metros, without a luxury job, car, or debt.

The poster, a freelance content strategist, outlined a modest but stable lifestyle shared with their full-time-employed partner in a 2BHK DDA flat in South Delhi. Their monthly budget includes ₹24,000 for rent, ₹5,000 for rented furniture, ₹20,000 for groceries and domestic help, and ₹5,000 for utilities and subscriptions. Discretionary spending, including eating out and shopping, is capped around ₹10,000. They have no EMIs, no credit cards, no car, and no iPhones—and they say they’re not missing any of it.

“So no, we don’t need ₹7 lakh a month to breathe. We do it for ₹70,000 instead,” the post reads.
“And let me repeat. We are privileged middle class Indians to even be able to do that.”

The message resonated with many online, especially for its restraint in a time of rising lifestyle inflation and social-media-fuelled comparison. One user wrote:

“Good going, it takes a lot of courage to say one’s happy with what they’ve got in today’s social media world… You’re already ahead of the 90% crowd mindset.”

Others pointed out the limitations of such a budget, especially when it comes to planning for the future.

“Medical emergency funds, investments, contingency funds etc… you are living paycheck to paycheck. Any single event can topple your life,” one commenter warned.

Despite this, the post struck a chord with users frustrated by performative wealth online.

“In a country where the median income is about ₹30K a month, I’m always infuriated when I hear people complain about being poor at 30 LPA incomes,” another commenter wrote. “You are an inspiration.”

The post closed on a reflective note, “We don’t have an active holiday budget, but we are committed to making one. And I hope the ones earning ₹7 lakh a month, living in Gurgaon, realize that too.”