5 Professionals On Living In Bengaluru, Where To Stay, How To Budget

Bengaluru, the Information Technology (IT) capital of India, has a large number of people from different parts of the country moving in each year to start on jobs. It is also one of the most expensive cities in South India, making those in their first jobs – “freshers” – sceptical about being able to afford living here.

To ease their concern and provide them with a fair idea about living in Bengaluru and the expenses they can expect to incur on rent, food, travelling and more, Careers360 spoke to five professionals who work in different domains and live in different locations in the city. Their experiences will help you know more about Bengaluru, where rent is low, how to save on food and what to do on weekends.

Teja | Admin in an NGO

Three years ago, I had moved to Bengaluru to pursue my postgraduate studies in an esteemed private university. By the end of the last semester, I had as many as three job offers in hand. Two opportunities were from popular firms for which I was required to relocate, and one was from a local non-governmental organisation (NGO).

Although they offered a good sum of money, I refused the first two offers and joined the local NGO as its work aligned with my interests – issues related to society and the environment. I am from Andhra Pradesh and I live in a 3BHK [bedroom, hall, kitchen] apartment with five other colleagues who are from different states.

Since we live in the most costly area of Bengaluru which is Whitefield, the rent of our apartment is high – Rs 25,000 per month – and the security deposit we paid was Rs 1 lakh. We cook by ourselves, so the cost of food doesn’t exceed Rs 8,000 per month. On weekends, I hang out with my friends. Either we attend concerts, explore beautiful places, or go for short trips. So, I spend around Rs 1,000 to Rs 2,000 on weekends including eating outside, and for a mini-trip, it would cost between Rs 5,000 and Rs 7,000. I end up saving Rs 20,000 to Rs 30,000 per month. Apparently, I am able to manage my expenses well as I get a reasonable pay package from my job. But, for someone with a salary around Rs 3.6 lakh or Rs 4 lakh per annum, it is extremely difficult to survive here because you need to compromise on a lot of things, which becomes really difficult in the long run.

My job role involves frequent travel to different locations. I own a two-wheeler and it has made my life a bit easier. Initially I had joined as a team member, and within six months, I got promoted to being an administrator of the programme. As I have been living in Bengaluru for the past three years, I got accustomed to Bengaluru's heavy traffic and high-cost living standards. The best part of Bengaluru is its weather, where you can experience summer, winter, and rainy season in a single day. And Bengaluru has plenty of beautiful tourist spots. You may run out of money, but not places to visit!

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Prashanth Sharma | IT Employee

I studied BTech in my hometown Bhubaneswar, Odisha. After facing multiple rejections, last year I finally got a job in the Silicon Valley of India, in my dream domain. But, I had to give it a lot of thought given the package and cost of living in Bengaluru, but looking at the name and fame of this leading IT company, I got convinced to move here. Two months after receiving the offer letter, I finally came down to this city.

The first problem I faced was the language barrier. I wasn't able to communicate even with local vendors and rickshaw drivers. My office is in Jaya Nagar. Three days passed in the rigorous search for an affordable apartment. At last, I rented a 1 BHK on Sarjapur Road for Rs 5,000 per month and I also paid Rs 35,000 as security deposit. As I live alone, I bought all the necessities by myself and it cost a lot.

My office is 16 km away. I use public transportation to travel. It should 30 minutes to travel 16 km. But not in Bengaluru. It takes 1 hr 30 mins to travel the same distance. For the first six months, I was completely dependent on street food and nearby restaurants. It was costly, but I felt it was worth it concerning the quality and quantity. Later, I realised that I am spending too lavishly. So, I decided to cook and save some money. Meanwhile, I also made a few friends in the neighbourhood and also in the office. On weekends, I go to nearby parks and famous spots because they are feasible and do not involve any mode of transportation. The weather of Bengaluru is excellent. Especially in spring, you see blooming pink and purple flowers in every corner of the city, which soothe your mind and help lift your spirits.

Aditya Dev | System Engineer

I am around 30 and hail from Patna, Bihar. Last year, I moved to Bengaluru and have been working as a system engineer in an IT company for the last 11 months. Prior to moving here, I was working in Pune. I shifted to Bengaluru from Pune because I got a good salary offer from my current company and secondly, I wanted to live in the Silicon Valley of India as I had heard a lot about it from my friends living here. My office is in Richmond Road and I stay in Malleswaram. The distance between my flat and office is approximately 10 km. After coming here, I stayed at a friend’s flat for around 10 days while I looked for a flat for myself. Since Bengaluru is a very costly city, it took me time to find reasonable accommodation.

The monthly rent of my 1BHK flat is Rs 13,500. I live alone. I pay around Rs 800 for electricity, Rs 200 for water and Rs 550 for maintenance. After completing my probation period of three months, I bought a bike to commute to office. It takes me 30 minutes to reach my office. My expenditure on petrol is roughly around Rs 3,000 per month, as per the petrol price in Bangalore.

As far as my expenses on food are concerned, I spend around Rs 2,000 to Rs 2,500 on groceries. I cook for myself. On weekends, I love hanging out with friends, watching movies or going for drinks. The expenses on weekends range from Rs 1,000 - Rs 2,500. As I am earning a decent amount of money, I try to save as much as possible, invest and send some to my parents. So, my total expenses apart from savings and investments are nearly Rs 22,000. Now, coming to living in Bengaluru and my experience here so far, I can say that Bengaluru is a good city to live and work in, provided you are earning well. If you are earning less, then you will have to stop yourself from giving in to the temptation of immersing yourself in the city’s luxuries. The traffic here is quite similar to that of other big cities like Delhi and Mumbai. The roadside food is costly here. The weather here usually remains pleasant, so you need not worry about hot and humid or overly cold.

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Sumana Koli | School Teacher

I did my BEd from the English and Foreign languages University (EFLU), Hyderabad, and I’m currently working as a teacher of English in an IB school. I actually belong to a district located in the north part of Chennai and worked for three year there in a local private school in a nearby village. It’s been three years since I started working in this Bengaluru school. Through my connections and relatives, I got an accommodation with fair facilities – a 1BHK apartment for which I pay Rs 8,000 per month.

I avoid eating outside and cook for myself. Altogether, food costs Rs 5,000. School is one hour away, I used to go by my scooty. Monthly expenses on fuel and travelling is around Rs 4,000. I am an introvert, I spend all my holidays and weekends in my apartment reading books, or trying out new recipes. Initially, I spent three months in the school and those were the most exhilarating days for me in Bengaluru. I thought I would be judged for my skin-tone and over-sized body. To my surprise, the school environment was quite friendly, and free of stereotypes as far as my case is concerned. But, people would stare at me in a weird manner when I went out to buy groceries or anything else. It hurts me even now but I am learning to ignore them.

Apart from these minor inconveniences, and being highly expensive and hugely crowded, Bengaluru is a good city to live in. You can get everything at your door without stepping out. I have an advice to those who are planning to go to Bengaluru, please find an alternative activity to keep yourself occupied during traffic jams like reading a book, journal because getting stuck in traffic is a very common thing and you will definitely be spending many hours on the road.

Viplav Bhushan | Subject Matter Expert In EdTech

I completed my BA in English from a Bengaluru college last year. After completing my graduation, I started looking for jobs but wasn’t getting good opportunities. This year, in January, I joined an ed-tech company as a Subject Matter Expert (SME) of English language. Being a fresher, my CTC is low but I am happy to join a big ed-tech company. Since I have been living and studying here, I have a pretty good idea of Bengaluru. My office is located in Indiranagar and I reside at Hebbel with three friends who are engineers and work in an IT company.

We have taken a 2BHK flat, the monthly rent of which is Rs. 16,000. None of us knows how to cook, so we have hired a cook who comes twice every day. We pay her Rs. 4,000 per month. Our expenses on groceries are roughly around Rs. 6,000 per month. Apart from these expenses, we also pay around Rs 1,200 per month for electricity and water.

So, my monthly expense is Rs. 7,000 in total, which I think is not at all costly for a person living in Bengaluru.

My office is nearly 12 km away. I use public transport, usually metro trains and buses, to commute. I spend Rs. 2,500 per month on travelling. On weekends, we go watch movies or hang out with friends. There are a lot of places to visit and enjoy in the city. When I estimate my total monthly expenses, it comes to nearly Rs 12,000 which also includes miscellaneous expenses like mobile recharge, flat wi-fi recharge, expenses on weekends etc. I save around Rs 10,000 per month. As far as living and related expenses in Bengaluru are concerned, I feel that although Bengaluru is a costly city, people can find low-cost areas to live in but they will have to explore a lot.

One very important thing to know before you take a flat on rent in Bengaluru is that most of the landlords take security amounts that are equal to the rent of one year. For instance, if your rent is Rs. 10,000 per month, you will have to pay Rs 1.20 lakh as security deposit which is refundable plus another Rs 10,000 as rest in the very first month. House rent is quite high, as is the petrol price in Bangalore today.

Outside food is costly here and for a person not earning a decent income, it will be a huge pressure. So, one must try to cook or hire a cook. This saves a lot of money. So far, I found the people of Bengaluru very good, amiable and helpful.