At a time when Bengaluru is regularly blasted for sky-high living costs and suffocating traffic, a young voice has cut through the noise—not with a rant, but a revelation. A 22-year-old Redditor has gone viral for sharing how he’s been comfortably surviving in India’s startup capital on a modest ₹20,000/month.

In his post titled “6 months of living alone in India—here’s what my monthly expenses look like” on r/personalfinanceindia, he lays out his simple yet effective budget: ₹9,000 rent (thanks to a 2BHK flat shared with two others), ₹8,000 for food, ₹2,000 for travel (mostly Rapido and buses), and ₹2,000 for miscellaneous needs. No frills, no fluff—just practical living.

What drew admiration wasn’t just the figures, but his self-awareness. “My lifestyle is not lavish, but definitely manageable,” he writes, quickly adding: “Don’t be like me. Go enjoy your 20s if that’s your vibe.”

The post sparked intense reactions. Some reflected on their excessive spending, while others questioned if the city’s affordability crisis is partly a matter of perspective. Comments poured in, contrasting this budget hack with ongoing rants on X and LinkedIn, where professionals bemoan that even ₹20 LPA doesn’t cut it in Bengaluru.

This Redditor’s story becomes a quiet rebellion against Bengaluru’s cost-of-living spiral—a sign that with clever choices, it’s still possible to breathe in a city that’s increasingly pricing out its middle class.