Rs 2.5 lakh is the new Rs 1 lakh: Bengaluru founders post sparks debate

Dwivedi's remarks, aimed at highlighting the impact of inflation and soaring living expenses, drew both support and criticism online.A Bengaluru-based startup founder has set off a debate on social media after suggesting that a monthly salary of Rs 2.5 lakh today offers roughly the same lifestyle that Rs 1 lakh did a few years ago. His remarks, aimed at highlighting the impact of inflation and soaring living expenses, drew both support and criticism online. Niket Raj Dwivedi, founder of the professional networking platform Medial and a Forbes 30 Under 30 honouree, shared the opinion on X, writing, “2.5 Lac per month is the new 1 Lac.”He later clarified that the comparison was “specially true in Bangalore/Mumbai,” arguing that rising costs in these cities have dramatically changed what people consider a comfortable income. Check out the post:

2.5 Lac per month is the new 1 Lac — Niket Raj Dwivedi (@niketrajdwivedi) June 24, 2026

The statement soon sparked a lively discussion, with many users questioning whether the comparison reflected reality. “Genuinely impressive how detached from reality some people are,” one user wrote. Another said, “Either post the city where you think this math applies or just straight up admit that this is engagement-bait.”

Others, however, felt the claim resonated with their own experiences. “Inflation, lifestyle creep, and a collapsing job market conspired together. Rs 1L felt rich in 2015, Rs 2.5L feels survival in 2026,” one person commented. Some users pointed to Bengaluru’s steep housing costs to back the argument. “A 3BHK in Belladur, HSR, Koramangala etc almost costs you 80k-1L in rent only… so now one can calculate… you need 2.5L just to survive…” read one reply.Story continues below this ad Another user echoed a similar view, writing, “Unfortunately this is the Hard Truth in India right now. Spoke to very close friend who was moving to an African country. He explained why even a Rs 1 crore CTC is not attractive if living in a metro city. Inflation is the real tax!”