"7.5% Appraisal, 10% Rent Hike": Bengaluru Man's Post On Urban Affordability Sparks Debate

Ray, A Bengaluru-based software engineer, recently voiced his concerns over the widening gap between salary and rent increases. Despite receiving a 7.5% salary raise, his landlord raised the rent by 10%, leading him to worry that, at this rate, his rent could eventually surpass his earnings.

Taking to X, he wrote, "The salary hike I received was 7.5%, while my landlord raised the rent by 10%. At this rate, one day my rent might surpass my salary." His post struck a chord with many, sparking discussions on the financial struggles urban professionals face.

A user weighed in, calling it "the modern urban scam: Salary growth crawls, rent hikes sprint." Another user echoed the sentiment, noting, "This is true for most IT employees in Bangalore and Hyderabad. Half of our salary goes into paying rent, and the other half into taxes."

See the post here:

Salary hike I received was 7.5% meanwhile BLR landlord increased the rent by 10%.

If this goes on, someday my rent will become more than salary.

— Ray (@sde_ray) March 28, 2025

The third user added, "Getting a job in Bangalore onsite is becoming less and less profitable..."

Some users shared that the people they knew had received salary hikes even lower than 7%, while others argued that companies should offer at least a 10% raise to keep up with inflation. "Anything less than a 10% salary hike is criminal," a user on X said, alleging that inflation data is often downplayed while essentials like rent and groceries continue to rise by 10% annually. "It's time to face the realities of living in metro cities," he added.

Amid the discussion, some users turned to Grok, X's AI assistant, to determine whether Ray's rent could eventually exceed his salary.

"Grok says it will take 23 years for your rent to surpass your salary," replied a user, offering a data-driven perspective to the debate.