Russian woman reveals paying ₹1.25 lakh rent, ₹45,000 for house help in Bengaluru. Internet stunned

A RUSSIAN woman living in Bengaluru has gone viral after revealing her monthly cost of living in the city — and her expenses have left the internet divided.

Content creator Yulia, who has been in India for over a decade, posted a video on Instagram titled “How Much Life In Bengaluru Really Costs.” In it, she shared a detailed breakdown of her family’s monthly expenses, which includes a staggering ₹1.25 lakh for rent and ₹45,000 for house help.

“When I first came to Bengaluru 11 years ago for a work project, things felt very affordable,” she wrote in the caption, recalling how a 2BHK flat in HSR Layout could be rented for ₹25,000 and a cab ride to the airport cost just ₹700.

In her video, Yulia listed her current monthly expenses:

    Rent: ₹1,25,000
    School fees: ₹30,000
    Food and household: ₹75,000
    House help: ₹45,000
    Health and fitness: ₹30,000
    Petrol: ₹5,000

She also noted that while her personal expenses can sometimes be kept as low as ₹25,000–35,000 (prioritising fitness, nutrition, and mental health), family expenses are much higher. According to her, the bare minimum required for a family of three to “live decently” in Bengaluru is nothing less than ₹2.5 lakh per month.

Yulia further added that the cost of living in cities like Gurgaon and Mumbai is even higher.
Check out the viral video here:

Her post has triggered a wave of reactions online. The video has already crossed three lakh views, with many users expressing shock at her spending habits. While some argued her lifestyle was far from “average,” others said her expenses highlight how rapidly the cost of living has risen in Indian metros.

“House help 45000. You are actually overpaying and that will be problem for locals,” a user wrote.

“It depends on the lifestyle. If 2.5lakhs pm was the benchmark then the Salary Gross would have to be 45lakhs p.a. That is not the norm as yet in Bengaluru and most MNCs don’t pay that even at the VP level,” another user wrote on Instagram.

“Yes, that’s true. While the cost of living in Gurugram is comparable to, or even higher than, Bengaluru, one significant advantage is the superior road infrastructure. Although Gurugram also experiences traffic congestion during peak hours, the overall situation is still more manageable compared to Bengaluru. Gurugram handles nearly three times the traffic volume of Bengaluru, yet thanks to its wider roads and better infrastructure, it manages the flow relatively well,” the