A Mumbai-based founder has shared a candid take on what it is really like to live in the city, from choosing a home based on commute time to dealing with deposits, brokerage and the everyday cost of living.
Jahnvi Shah, who has been living in Mumbai for nearly three years, shared a video on Instagram detailing the things she wishes someone had told her before she moved to the city.
(Also read: ‘Nobody hands you independence, you take it’: Mumbai CEO on leaving US career for India ) “Mumbai is expensive, but rent, honestly, is not even the only problem. Her first piece of advice was to prioritise location over how attractive a house looks. The video prompted reactions from users who related to Shah’s observations about life in Mumbai. One user wrote, “Mumbai really teaches you budgeting. A third commented, “This is actually useful advice.
Because in Mumbai, 8 kilometers can either mean 20 minutes or even your entire evening, “First, please choose your house based on where you work, not how pretty the house is,.
I have been living here for almost three years now, and if you are planning to move to Mumbai for the first time, here are a few things I would wish someone has told me,” Shah said. Another said, “this is very true”. Another summed up the city’s space crunch by writing, “‘Balcony is luxury’ is peak Mumbai.” (Also read: Founder who survived on bread, water at 18 thinks everyone should go ‘completely broke’ once )
She also warned people moving to the city to budget for expenses beyond rent. “Secondly, when someone tells you the rent, mentally add more money. Deposit, brokerage, agreement, moving, setup. You will spend money before you even, you know, had your first peaceful night at your house.”
Watch the clip here: HT.com has reached out to the user for her comments, and the copy will be updated once her response is received. (Disclaimer: This report is based on user-generated content from social media. Because mumbai is expensive, she added, “Find your routine, find your people, find the places that work for your budget,. “Third, you will slowly start measuring everything in commute time. Not, you know, like, ‘Where do I live? More like, ‘How much time does it take to reach Bandra?’ (Kitna time lagta hai Bandra pahonchne mein?)” She also advised newcomers to learn how to use public transport instead of relying entirely on cabs. “Fourth, learn public transport. This is very important. You can keep saying, ‘I’ll just take a cab. Even I am like that. Your bank account will eventually teach you that you don’t have to. Shah joked that Mumbai can also completely change one’s perception of space. “Fifth, Mumbai makes you realize how little space a human being actually needs. The house here you would have called small town, you know, like a small house in another city, but here you will feel like, ‘Wait, there’s even a balcony (balcony bhi hai)! It is luxury!’” Her final advice was to avoid spending heavily just to recreate the glamorous Mumbai lifestyle often seen online. “And one serious tip: don’t spend all your money trying to live like the Mumbai life you saw on Instagram. You don’t need to brunch every Sunday, right? Coffee every day and plans every night. You don’t need that. It’s crowded, it’s chaotic, and sometimes genuinely exhausting. But three years later, there is still something about this city that makes you feel like if you’re willing to work for it, maybe something can actually happen here. The clip was shared with the caption, “Mumbai doesn’t just test your ambition. It tests your budget, patience, and commute tolerance too. HT.com has not independently verified the claims and does not endorse them.)
Living in Mumbai also changes how people think about distance, according to Shah.
