‘25 LPA feels like nothing’: Netizens react as man regrets leaving Pune for 40% higher-paying job in Bengaluru

A LinkedIn user claimed his friend regretted leaving a job in Pune that offered him ₹18 lakh per year for a Bengaluru firm that offered him a 40 percent hike. He said his friend complained of "exorbitantly high" rents, "terrible" traffic and high commuting costs.

In a LinkedIn post, Ishan Arora wrote, “A friend left his 18 LPA job in Pune. And joined a firm offering him 25 LPA in Bangalore. After spending a year in the city, he called me yesterday to express his disappointment.”

Arora said his friend told him that he " shouldn't have switched cities."

"Pune was way better, 25 LPA feels like nothing in Bangalore," Ishan's friend said.

As Ishan Arora expressed astonishment over his friends remarks, the latter elaborated on the difficulties he was facing in Bengaluru.

"It's [40% increment in salary] peanuts for Bangalore. Rents here are exorbitantly high. Landlords are misers, asking for 3-4 months' of deposit. Traffic is terrible and commuting costs a fortune," the friend said.

"I miss Pune's ₹15 vada pav," he added, as quoted by Ishan Arora. He reportedly said that "life and savings were decent" in Pune.

At the end of the post, Ishan Arora asked LinkedIn members, "Do you think 25 LPA is less for a city like Bangalore? Which would you prefer, 'a metro city or a tier 2 city' and why?"

As many as 356 people commented on the LinkedIn post, which garnered over 1700 likes.

‘Bangalore is becoming the next San Francisco’

An IIT Bombay Alumnus, Prandeep Gyanvir, reacted to the post saying, "Totally relate to this! I spent 8 years in Pune and absolutely loved the balance it offered—great weather, affordable living, and a chill vibe."

"Shifting to Bangalore two years ago made me realize how different things are. The traffic, high rents, and overall cost of living can really eat into that salary hike," Gyanvir said in a comment.

He added, "Pune still feels like home, and honestly, I sometimes miss the simpler, more affordable life there. More money doesn’t always mean a better lifestyle!"

However, another user said it's "not about package [salary], it depends on your lifestyle. How many people in Bangalore are getting salary package 25 lakh. [sic]" He said people with ₹5 lakh- 6 lakh salary package “live happily in Bangalore.”

Another LinkedIn user weighed in saying, "Not even 25 LPA, 35 LPA, or even 40+ LPA is enough for a city like Bangalore. The number sounds good to say out loud, but that’s where it ends."

She said that Bengaluru is the city that "makes you feel inferior day by day. It makes you curse at least 3-4 people unintentionally. It deteriorates your health year after year."

"The unimaginable rise in rent, travel costs, and lifestyle expenses turns you into a greedy person—always wanting more just to keep up," the user said.

One person even called Bengaluru "the next San Francisco". He said, "Bangalore is becoming the next San Francisco without having the swag of San Franscisco. On top of it Companies want people to be in office more than 3 days and attend Zoom calls from office. Human life is no longer respected in Bangalore. We have becomes slaves of this fragile economy."