India's high cost of living poses significant financial hurdles, even for successful professionals. In metro cities like Chennai, soaring commercial rates, crippling EMIs, and mounting daily expenses make wealth creation a daunting task, despite impressive skills and hard work. That's the reason why the aspiration of homeownership remains an unattainable dream for many. Recently, Chennai-based financial planner D Muthukrishnan shared a story of how a successful couple, with a combined income of Rs 1.5 lakh per month, is unable to own a home.
In a tweet, he shared that the physiotherapist couple resided in an upscale Chennai neighbourhood. The couple has two children, with the husband working full-time and the wife balancing part-time work with childcare responsibilities. Their combined monthly income stands at ₹1.5 lakh. Notably, the physiotherapist charges ₹500 for a 30-minute session and also runs a clinic, incurring commercial-rate bills and taxes.
''Being a clinic, right from electricity charges to property tax, everything has to be paid at commercial rates, which is high. After EMI and all expenses, they together make Rs 1,50,000 a month - say husband Rs.1 lakh and wife 50k a month. I'm talking about a successful professional couple in a city like Chennai. Earning money and creating wealth is very difficult in India. They dream of owning a home one day. Even for people like them, it's a dream,'' the tweet read.
See the tweet here:
The story sparked a discussion in the comments section, with many reflecting on India's socio-economic challenges.
One user said, ''It's a tough reality, especially in metro cities. The cost of living vs income gap is widening, and it feels like no matter how hard you work, owning a home remains a distant dream for many in urban India. It's a struggle shared by countless people across cities.''
Another commented, ''Beautifully put. We are a GDP rich, per capita poor country.''
A third said, ''Educated white-collar workers who don't cut corners and pay legit rates (income, electricity, GST) don't have a chance in hell to earn and create generational wealth. It's a sad reality of our current existence.''
