A Google employee in Bengaluru, Divya Porwal, went viral after deciding against moving closer to her office due to exorbitant rent. Faced with rental prices of ₹30,000-₹40,000 for a 1BHK, she chose to continue her two-hour daily commute, sparking a discussion on the city's high cost of living.
A Google employee from Bengaluru went popular after explaining why, despite spending hours in traffic every day, she chose not to relocate closer to her workplace. The techie disclosed that she eventually decided to continue her daily drive since the cost of renting a small flat close to her place of employment was so exorbitant.
Divya Porwal, a Bengaluru-based software professional, started the conversation by sharing her X experience while looking for a house nearer to her workplace. She believed that moving closer to her place of employment would help her avoid spending hours negotiating the city's infamous traffic congestion, much like many other workers in India's technological hub.
Porwal explained that she currently lives around 10 kilometres from her office and recently explored the possibility of moving into a one-bedroom apartment in a gated community. However, the rental prices she encountered quickly changed her mind.
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Her post stated that the monthly rent for one-bedroom homes in gated communities close to her place of employment varied from Rs 30,000 to Rs 40,000. In light of such expenses, she chose to stick with her daily commute rather than move.
Sharing her frustration, Porwal wrote, “I live just 10 km away from my office, so this weekend I thought of finding a flat nearby. I was hoping for a 1 BHK in a gated society since it’s safer and has all the amenities. Then I saw the rents. Rs 30k-40k for a 1 BHK." She further added, “I literally dropped the plan of shifting. I’ll continue spending 2 hours daily in traffic. After all, I’m already paying lakhs in taxes to government, I should spend some time on road."
A Look At Viral Post
How Did Social Media React?
Several commenters shared similar experiences. One user wrote, “Same here. Last month we checked a 2 BHK near the office. Rs 52k + maintenance for a smaller flat than our current one. We stayed put. I still don’t understand what justifies these rents apart from location."
Another user highlighted how rental inflation appears to be affecting multiple metropolitan cities, commenting, “Are you in Bangalore or Mumbai? Both cities seem to be competing with each other to set the most ridiculous rents possible."
Remote work also emerged as a popular alternative in the discussion. One commenter remarked, “WFH is best even if salary is 20k-30k less literally..😭"
