Investment banker Sarthak Ahuja explains how high earners in metros still struggle with financial comfort amid rising inflation, lifestyle costs, and real estate EMIs
June 19, 2025: A LinkedIn post by investment banker Sarthak Ahuja has gone viral for exposing the harsh truth behind India’s high-income illusion—arguing that even a ₹70 lakh annual salary no longer guarantees comfort in India’s major metro cities.
🔹 The Harsh Math of Earning ₹70 Lakh
Ahuja breaks down how a ₹70 lakh annual income translates to about ₹4.1 lakh per month after paying nearly ₹20 lakh in taxes. On the surface, this seems substantial—until the fixed expenses are laid out:
- 🏠 Home Loan EMI (₹3 crore flat): ₹1.7 lakh
- 🚗 Car Loan EMI: ₹65,000
- 🎓 International School Fees: ₹50,000
- 👩🍳 Domestic Help: ₹15,000
That leaves roughly ₹1 lakh for all remaining expenses—groceries, electricity, fuel, medical needs, dining out, shopping, and saving for vacations.
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🔹 Why High Earners Still Feel ‘Middle Class’
Ahuja identifies three key reasons for this financial squeeze:
- City Inflation – Rapid rise in living costs in cities like Mumbai, Bengaluru, and Gurugram.
- Asset Aspirations – Real estate and vehicles are wildly priced relative to income.
- Social Pressure – Lifestyle benchmarks set by social media and peer circles fuel costly aspirations.
“By the end of the month, there’s nothing left,” Ahuja laments, calling high earners in this bracket the new “sub-middle class.”
🔹 Practical Advice From the Banker
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Ahuja closes with a word of caution:
🛑 Avoid housing loans unless absolutely necessary.
He urges readers to rethink long-term debt and shared a link to his personal blog, offering more sustainable real estate insights. The post sparked wide-ranging agreement, with many professionals in IT, consulting, and finance echoing the same urban affordability frustration in the comments.
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Tags: cost of living, urban India, ₹70 lakh salary, metro cities, real estate, lifestyle inflation, Sarthak Ahuja, investment banker, financial stress
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