Bengaluru is a city known for its thriving economy, popping start-ups, and cosmopolitan culture. However, in this city that many call home, making ends meet turns out to be a challenge, especially with rising prices of most essentials. From milk to metro fares, the rising cost of living in the Silicon Valley of India leaves the already grappling residents feeling the pinch of it.
For students like Shivani Karthik, the price hike has noticeably squeezed her budget. “At this point, I feel like I need to start budgeting like I’m running a small country. Petrol prices have turned my two-wheeler into a luxury vehicle – I’m honestly considering going back to cycling. Even a 15-minute auto ride that used to cost ₹90 now feels like booking a private jet,” the 22-year-old laments.
Karthik’s situation resonates with many youngsters in Bengaluru who struggle to manage their finances amidst the rising costs. The metro fare hike has also had a significant impact on young professionals like Ishwarya Lakshmi B, who lives with her family. “As someone who commutes daily by metro, the sudden hike in fares came as quite a shock. I live far from my office, so the metro is my primary mode of transport. With the price rising to `30, it feels unreasonable – especially when you consider the already high cost of living in Bengaluru. A gradual increase would have been easier to manage,” she notes. Apart from the travel costs, the costs of daily essentials is a potential threat to her family’s financial management. “Essentials like milk and petrol are also becoming more expensive, which adds another burden,” Lakshmi shares.
Abiya Justina Babu, a student, shares, “Electricity, fuel, school fees, transport, even parking, everything is costlier now. The government must rethink – the middle class is being squeezed from all sides; development shouldn’t come at the cost of the common man’s survival. We’re paying more for essentials, but getting no relief in return. If this continues, survival itself will become a luxury. Except salary, everything else is skyrocketing. We need accountability, not just announcements. It’s high time the government reconsidered its approach and started thinking about the ground reality of its citizens.”
For entrepreneurs, the price hike has understandably made sure that things are anything but business as usual. A V Balakrishnan, a small-scale entrepreneur in the city, explains how this affects his business and the common man’s survival in a city like Bengaluru. “Rent, electricity, travel fares, all of these are getting costlier, affecting an ordinary man like me, which will affect my investments and finances. Apart from that, a hike on everything means I have to buy raw materials at higher prices, and it is very hard to explain that to customers,” he explains.