Bengaluru, the Silicon Valley of India, continues to attract IT professionals from across the country. But not everyone finds the city a perfect fit. A corporate worker, who claimed to be a "South Indian" who had recently moved from Noida to Bengaluru, now regrets the decision due to poor infrastructure, heavy traffic, and cultural differences in the Karnataka capital.
In a Reddit post titled "Moved to Bengaluru from Noida and I regret it," they detailed their experience of relocating for a better salary, only to be disappointed by the city's living conditions.
The worker said they worked in Noida for over a year after graduation and limited their job search to the National Capital Region (NCR). Realising they were missing out on career opportunities, they accepted an offer from Bengaluru that came with a Rs 30,000 hike per month.
Four months into the move, the worker is questioning if the hike was worth the trade-off. "It's not worth moving for that hike," they said, describing Bengaluru as "dirty, not organised," with the city having "bad roads" and "worst traffic."
The water quality is poor, and there's "less private space per individual," they added. The noticeable divide between North and South Indians "can be seen every day."
They found Bengaluru's high population density overwhelming compared to the wider, more open spaces in Noida. "I really regret moving out of Noida," they said.
The post ends with a word of caution for others considering a similar move: "Give yourselves some time and think" is it worth moving."
The worker also firmly believed that Noida was the "best Tier-1 city to work in," despite its pollution.
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The Reddit post has sparked debate among users.
One user said that they moved from Bengaluru to Noida to be closer to their parents and believed it was the best decision. "I think the only thing I miss are my friends in Bengaluru. Else, I feel moving to Noida was the best decision I took. Saved a lot of money and stress. People say Noida is unsafe but I feel much safer in Noida as compared to Bengaluru," wrote the user.
Another user shared their struggles with feeling unwelcome in Bengaluru due to regional biases. "Racist remarks made it very tough for me to feel accepted within my own country. It felt like a constant reminder of how I'm from the 'inferior' cow belt part of the country and felt people looked down on me. I only speak English, so I'm sure it's not a language problem. It felt like I could buy a house in Bengaluru but I could never call it home," commented the user.
Describing Bengaluru as the "most unplanned city" in this country, one user said, "There is nothing that works right there, roads, flyovers, metros all in a chaotic loop. Obviously, the only upside of living in Bengaluru is the weather."
There was also a comment from a local resident, who agreed with the city's infrastructure struggles, attributing them to rapid but unplanned growth. "As a Bangalorean, agree with your decision to leave. It's a smaller city and yes rapidly developing hence unplanned, sorry you felt discriminated." The user also added that it's just a few people whose actions tarnish the reputation of the entire community.
Overall, the worker's experience highlights the importance of considering a number of factors before relocating for a job. While many cities have great career opportunities, they may not suit everyone's preferences, reinforcing the need to weigh salary hikes against quality of life.
