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:
I live in a posh area in Chennai.
There is a successful physiotherapist couple in my area having own clinic, paying EMI.
They are in late thirties.
They charge Rs.500 for 30 minutes of their time. The husband works full time. Wife works only for few hours a days as she has…— D.Muthukrishnan (@dmuthuk) October 7, 2024
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.''
