Living in Mumbai on ₹25,000? Woman’s monthly budgeting formula goes viral – ‘It's hard girl, just own it’

Defying the perception that Mumbai is an expensive city to live, a woman asserts that ‘ ₹25,000 is enough to survive in the city’. Her budgeting formula in a now-viral video has left social media divided, with many questioning whether living in Mumbai on such a budget is truly realistic. Ayushi posted on social media how careful budgeting helped her maintain a decent lifestyle in the maximum city. shared a video on Instagram where she explained how careful budgeting can help her manage expenses in what is often called India's most expensive city. In the video, she shared a detailed breakup of her monthly expenses, captioning it, “Trying to make ₹25,000 work in Mumbai.” While many praised her budgeting skills and financial discipline, others were sceptical about the amount she claimed to spend on rent. Replying to one of her followers, she stated that she lives in Andheri East in a girls' pg. "You can even get flats at 10-15k in the area, but extra expenses would add up." "Trust me, local and metros save a lot of money, love the connectivity in Mumbai and just love the city," she wrote in the comment section on the travel part. At the same time, many admitted with her that living on budget of ₹25,000 is doable in Mumbai. One says, People earning less than ₹25k still surviving in mumbai than we all are privileged that we can even spend more than ₹25,000 Another said, in Mumbai many people's salary itself is about ₹30000/-. Several social media users noted that the woman’s monthly expense breakdown seemed to total nearly ₹27,000 — exceeding the ₹25,000 budget she had originally claimed. She later clarified that budget is not fixed every month, but on an average it is around ₹25,000 Sanchari Ghosh is an Assistant Editor at Mint with over 12 years of experience in journalism, specialising in personal finance, DLT & DeFi, geopolitics and foreign policy, with a particular emphasis on how these areas intersect. <br> She writes extensively about how money works in everyday life—helping readers navigate personal finance decisions. <br> As AI reshapes investing behaviour, capital is increasingly flowing into decentralized ecosystems, redefining how assets are managed, traded, and valued. She focuses on explaining how money flows within frameworks like Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT), DeFi protocols, and crypto markets—while also exploring what the future of money could look like in a trustless, programmable financial world. <br> She also focuses on immigration-related issues, simplifying complex topics around visas, passports, overseas financial planning, and the many practical challenges Indians face while moving or living abroad. <br> Alongside personal finance, Sanchari has a strong understanding of international politics, contemporary and historical conflicts, and global state decisions. She closely tracks how geopolitical developments influence economies, markets, and individual financial choices, bringing together finance and global affairs in her reporting. <br> She began her career as a desk editor, which gave her a strong foundation in news writing. Over time, her interest naturally shifted toward personal finance. Before joining Mint in 2020, she worked DNA, The Times of India, Outlook Money, BloombergQuint, and ETMoney. At Mint, she got an opportunity to expand her coverage to include immigration and geopolitical developments while continuing to closely follow personal finance trends and market movements.As a journalist, she is committed to accuracy, intellectual rigour, and fairness. <br> She is an English Major and her work took her across cities including Delhi, Mumbai, and Pune. Living independently from an early age gave her firsthand experience in managing life and money on her own. This practical exposure sparked her strong interest in personal finance. <br> Outside the newsroom, Sanchari is a sports enthusiast who regularly plays lawn tennis and squash. In her younger years, she was also a national-level badminton player. Catch all the Instant Personal Loan, Business Loan, Business News, Money news, Breaking News Events and Latest News Updates on Live Mint. Download The Mint News App to get Daily Market Updates. Oops! Looks like you have exceeded the limit to bookmark the image. Remove some to bookmark this image.