Vaibhav J, a startup founder from Gurugram, went viral on LinkedIn after sharing a detailed post about the steep cost of maintaining a luxurious lifestyle in a high-end neighborhood. He calculated that he needs ₹7.5 lakh per month just to sustain his current way of living. His monthly expenses include an EMI of ₹2.08 lakh for a ₹3 crore apartment, ₹60,000 for a car loan, ₹65,000 for international school fees, and ₹30,000 each for vacations and household help. He also factored in costs for grooming, social activities, and what he humorously called a “fake smiles tax” on social gifting—bringing his monthly spend to around ₹5 lakh. After accounting for income tax, he estimates a required pre-tax income of ₹7.5 lakh monthly, or ₹90 lakh annually, which he dubbed a “top 0.1% burn rate.” The post stirred mixed reactions online, with some calling it unrealistic and others agreeing that social and lifestyle pressures in affluent urban areas can lead to unexpectedly high living costs.
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