‘Won’t get 10-min grocery’: Man refuses US job offer to live king-size in India; social media reacts

A social media user has posted a unique example of his relative refusing a job opportunity in the United States. And, the reason itself is interesting.

“A relative is refusing US opportunity in his own company. His reason - in the offered salary he will have to clean house himself, eat at home, won’t get 10-min grocery, won’t get at home massages - here he is single and lives king-size. Priorities,” the user wrote on Twitter (now X).

Social media users reacted to the post. The reactions have, however, been mixed.

Which part of the world do you get milk/paper/grocery/maid/cook/iron man/cleaner/teacher/tailor/bank? It’s been almost 10 years since I stepped out of my house! India is heaven!” wrote one user.

“By the time he gets PR in the US, robots will do the majority of chores there. He will regret the decision. Even if he goes there for a couple of years, it will be worth it. Experiencing different cultures gives you a lot of life-changing things,” wrote another user.

One user simply wrote, “Knowing what you want makes life easier.”

Another user commented, “The cost of living is also high.”

“Let me tell you all of these are available in the US. ALL. Also, he has the opportunity to be single there. No one marries you off or finds you a partner there either!” countered another user.

“In PPP (purchasing power parity) terms, he will be poor, so good decision,” declared another user.

Purchasing Power Parity

Here's how a $100,000 US salary compares to India using purchasing power parity (PPP). PPP is considered a better measure than the market exchange rate for assessing practicality.

The World Bank's latest PPP conversion factor for India is roughly ₹20.9 per international dollar. This differs sharply from the market exchange rate, which sits around ₹95 per dollar.

This report is based on user-generated content from social media. LiveMint has not independently verified the claims and does not endorse them.

What $100,000 translates to

At the market exchange rate, $100,000 converts to roughly ₹95 lakh. That sounds lucrative for sure. But, remember, you’re going to spend it in the US. So, let’s calculate how much it actually means there.

With a PPP factor of ₹20.9, $100,000 is equal to ₹20,09,000, or roughly ₹20 lakh per annum.

A $100,000 salary in the US has purchasing power roughly equivalent to earning ₹20 lakh per annum in India. This is well below the market exchange rate conversion of around ₹95 lakh. Everyday goods and services cost much less in India.

The PPP factor rose sharply between 1990 (around 5.4) and 2010 (around 16). It reflects India's relative price levels converging somewhat with global levels during that period of rapid growth.

It's since stabilised around 20. That suggests the ₹20 lakh benchmark should hold reasonably steady for near-term comparisons, barring major shifts in inflation.

However, PPP is a broad national average. Costs vary hugely between Indian cities. For example, purchasing power in Mumbai or Bangalore is far different from that in smaller towns in India. The same is applicable to US cities as well.

Taxes differ substantially between the two countries. Those changes also affect take-home comparisons.