Skip Kids, Buy a BMW? Creator's ₹1.39 Crore Child Cost Breakdown Divides the Internet Badly

A content creator estimates raising a child in India costs ₹1.39 crore and compares it to buying a BMW. His breakdown has sparked a heated debate online.

A content creator's estimate that raising a child in India could cost ₹1.39 crore has set off a heated discussion on social media, with his comparison of parenthood to owning a luxury car drawing the strongest reactions.

The viral reel was shared by Instagram user Vikhayat, who has over 288,000 followers. He explained why he has chosen to remain 'child-free' by breaking down what he believes are the major expenses involved in raising a child from birth to the age of 18.

Expense Breakdown

He began by estimating pregnancy and delivery expenses, including doctor consultations, scans, medicines, maternity clothing and delivery at a private hospital, at around ₹3 lakh. He then factored in baby essentials such as diapers, food, vaccinations, toys, books, a stroller, crib and toiletries, putting those costs at roughly ₹6 lakh over the first two years.

Now Bro explain why he don't want kids

Bro say🎙️: Why I spend 1.39 Cr 🤯 pic.twitter.com/e2Buykk5mA

— Sumit (@beingsumit01) July 31, 2026

Moving on to everyday expenses, Vikhayat estimated that food from the age of two until 18 would cost around ₹15 lakh. He identified education as one of the biggest expenses, calculating approximately ₹33 lakh for preschool, school fees, books, uniforms and school activities while claiming he was using figures from the lower end of the average for metropolitan cities like Delhi and Mumbai.

Major Cost Components

His estimate also included around ₹9 lakh for tuition classes, ₹5.4 lakh for healthcare expenses such as dental care, eye check-ups, braces, insurance and medical emergencies, ₹9 lakh for entertainment, ₹7.2 lakh for clothing, ₹4 lakh for gadgets including smartphones, gaming consoles and laptops, ₹8 lakh for sports and extracurricular activities, and another ₹8 lakh for transportation.

One of the largest components in his calculation was the additional cost of renting a bigger house to accommodate a child's room. He estimated this at ₹32.4 lakh over 18 years.

Luxury Car Comparison

According to him, the actual expense could be even higher because his estimate did not account for college education, inflation or the returns that could have been earned by investing the same amount. To drive home his point, he compared the total expenditure with the on-road price of a BMW M4 Competition, claiming that instead of spending nearly ₹2 crore on raising a child, one could buy the luxury sports car.