‘Local Train My Second Home’: 4 First Jobbers On The Cost Of Living In Mumbai

Mumbai, the financial capital of India, is the country’s major commercial hub. Along with being the birthplace of many success stories, it offers career opportunities that every fresher dreams of. However, its gargantuan living expenses are a cause for concern for many, especially for people who are moving there for their first-ever jobs. To address these concerns, we spoke to employees who are currently in their first jobs in Mumbai in MNCs, NGO and BPO. Their experiences can help you find your way in Mumbai.

There's ample information to help you choose (relatively) modest accommodation, planning out your budget, and much more. Areas like Borivali, Kandivali, Malad, Ghatkopar, Kurla, Vikhroli, Chembu, Airoli, Thane, Panvel, Powai and Shahapur are the most preferred low-cost areas to live in Mumbai. The rent of a 1BHK flat on rent in Mumbai ranges between Rs 10,000 to Rs 15,000. Food is very expensive, other than the local street food; and the majority of Mumbaikars take local trains for travelling.

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Aswati Varun | Digital Content Producer

I am basically from Uttarakhand. I came to Mumbai in 2018 to start working as a digital content producer for a reputed media organization. I live in Thane in a rented apartment. I take the local train to go to the office. On average, I spend at least two hours a day travelling. Since I am new to the city and culture, it took me some time to get adjusted and slowly things became normal for me. I have got a friendly work environment and made many friends. It made my life easier despite having a hectic lifestyle. I work from 10am to 4pm, around 5 days a week. On weekends, I spend my time watching movies. Every month, I spend around Rs 3,000 to Rs 4,000 for travel, including train, taxi and rickshaw. Concerning food, Mumbai has the best and cheapest fast food, but a proper square meal is very expensive. The best comfortable low-cost areas to live in Mumbai are Borivali, Kandivali, Malad, Ghatkopar, Kurla, Vikhroli, Chembu, Airoli, Thane, Panvel, Powai, and Shahapur. As far as my experience is concerned, Mumbai is a highly competitive cosmopolitan city both in terms of work and also in meeting deadlines. I have a suggestion for all those who are planning to move to Mumbai whether in search of a job or to join in a placed designation, initially it will be tough and very competitive but consistent efforts can take you to greater heights that you never even dreamt off.

Anand Kumar | BPO Telecaller

I completed my graduation in 2020, and three months ago I joined a BPO as a telecaller. I stay in Andheri with one of my colleagues in a 2BHK apartment. With the help of friends and relatives, I somehow managed to find a reasonable accommodation. My office is quite far away; so, everyday, I travel 2 hours by local train. More than half of my monthly earnings is spent on rent, travel and other essential expenses, which in total would be approximately Rs 15,000 per month. Staying in Mumbai has an equal amount of merits and demerits. One can meet many people which enriches the social life, it has an awesome beach nearby to go and relax at, and it also hosts multiple concerts and high-buzz events. However, you do need to have a high salary to experience these things. My earnings are modest and so is my life in Mumbai. I barely save 20% of my earnings every month. I am finding it difficult to balance my professional life with my personal life here. I feel local trains are my second home because I spend most of my time on trains rather than home. Considering the hectic work schedule, travelling, pollution, crowd and the increasing competition, I urge job seekers to find a decent job in a less expensive city and lead a happy life. Please, please don’t opt for big cities like Mumbai if you don’t have a high salary package.

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Vikas Meena | Marketing Associate

I have been living in Mumbai since 2019. After I completed my MBA in Marketing from JIMS Rohini (Delhi), I got placed in a multinational company based in Mumbai as a Marketing Associate. My salary package was Rs 4.4 lakh per annum and the net salary that I draw every month is around Rs 33,500. I joined my office in July 2019. Since I didn’t have any idea about Mumbai, I started living with one of my college friends who works in a private bank on Mira Road and has been living in Mumbai for the last six years. My office is in Worli and I live in Bhayandar which is approximately 40 km from my office. The rent of our flat is Rs 16,000, 50 percent of which I pay every month. We cook food by ourselves so it hardly costs us much. Every month on average, I spend around Rs 3,500 on food including snacks and fast foods outside. The local fast-food of Mumbai, like vada pav, bhelpuri, Bombay sandwich, ragda-pattice etc., is not very costly and I love eating these, especially on weekends. Coming to the travel expenses, I travel by local trains and sometimes by taxis. I have a monthly train pass of Rs 215. I spend around Rs 1,500 per month on travelling; cabs and auto are costly here. Every month, I send Rs 15,000 to my father. I work five days a week, and on weekends, I watch movies and window shop at local markets. I love hanging out with my colleagues and friends. My miscellaneous expenses are around Rs 1,500-2,000 per month. I also save around Rs 2,500 every month. The low-cost areas of Mumbai are Thane, Panvel, Chembu, Kandiwali etc. As far as my experience is concerned, I have been enjoying living in Mumbai since I came here and haven’t faced any big problem except for not knowing Marathi (a few times I have faced this language barrier issue). I can say that Mumbai is known as the city of dreams and a fast city where no one cares for others but anyone, be it a poor man or someone from a good family, gets a chance to fulfill his dreams. One needs to push himself to the limits and keep working hard.

Samuel Roy | NGO Programme Co-ordinator

I graduated in MA Development in 2021 and immediately got placed in an NGO as a Programme Co-ordinator with a CTC of Rs 4 lakh per annum. Soon after the confirmation of my Job, I began enquiring about the best low-cost areas to live in Mumbai. That is how I chose a 1 BHK paying guest house in Andheri. I pay Rs 10,000 per month for it. But my office is 80 km away from home and I travel 2 hours daily by local train. My plan of saving money seems to be impossible here because each month approximately, I spend around Rs 25,000 for my necessities such as rent, travel, shopping and other personal expenses. I cook by myself to have a healthier diet and also to save money as eating food outside is quite costly here. On weekends, I hangout with colleagues at the beach and on rare occasions, pubs. I can say that this is the best place to work and live for those who have high salary packages. The must-visit places in Mumbai are Juhu, heritage walk, and the Marine drive. Considering my experience, all I can say about working in Mumbai is that it is really hectic with respect to travelling and time management. It is very difficult to have a great amount of savings here unless you have a really big pay package.