he rising cost of living in Bengaluru has once again come under the spotlight after a Russian expat’s social media post went viral, sparking a lively debate online.
Yulia Aslamova, who has lived in the city for over a decade, shared her personal experience of how expenses for a family of three have skyrocketed, drawing comparisons with European cities.
Yulia moved to Bengaluru 11 years ago for a work project. “Back then, everything was very reasonable for me,” she wrote on Instagram. “Maybe because my own country’s currency was super strong, and I was dividing all prices by half.” She recalled renting a 2BHK apartment near HSR Layout for Rs 25,000 and taking a Meru cab to the airport for Rs 700 — a stark contrast to the prices she sees today.
Fast forward to 2025, and Yulia estimates that a family of three now needs at least Rs 2.5 lakh per month to maintain a comfortable lifestyle. She shared a detailed breakdown of her monthly expenses: rent Rs 1,25,000, school fees Rs 30,000, food and household expenses Rs 75,000, house help Rs 45,000 (covering multiple staff), health and fitness Rs 30,000, and petrol Rs 5,000.
Despite the high costs, Yulia remains upbeat about life in Bengaluru. “I do not complain. I work harder and party harder. I love making money, spending it, experiencing life, and growing further. I’m super thankful to be living in India in 2025, a country with endless opportunities,” she said.
Her post quickly drew reactions from locals, many questioning the figures. One Bengaluru resident commented, “I’ve lived here for 20+ years and have never spent even half of that in a month. Rent 35k, house help 5.5k, groceries 14k, fuel, internet, phone 4k, dog 4k, eating out 5k. Lifestyle is the big factor here.”
Another wrote, “Do you live in the Taj Hotel? Even a 3BHK in a Prestige apartment wouldn’t go above 40k per month.”
Others pointed out that such expenses are not aligned with typical salaries in the city. “If Rs 2.5 lakh per month was the benchmark, the gross salary would have to be Rs 45 lakh per year, which most MNCs don’t pay even at the VP level,” one user noted.
