News: Bengaluru Couple Pays Rs 75,000 Rent to Stay With Friends-06-04-2026

An IT couple in their late 30s in Bengaluru has chosen to pay nearly 30% more in rent so as not to leave their housing society, prompting a debate on Reddit over whether social and emotional ties now count for more than financial prudence in the city’s housing decisions.

According to the Reddit post, the couple had been paying around Rs 57,000 a month and recently shifted to another apartment in the same gated society at Rs 75,000. They had grown close to other owners there and their children had made friends with the neighbours’ children, so they were unwilling to move out despite the steep increase. The post quoted them as saying they could not leave their friends.

Several users sympathised. One said they had continued living in the same society for years even after relocating for work, because most people there were known to them and some were "like family", people with whom a child could be left or who could be called in an emergency. Another said a trusted circle of friends, playmates and reliable neighbours is essential for working couples with children and hard to recreate elsewhere. A third wrote that after a point one stops thinking only about money and starts valuing peace of mind.

The thread also turned to rent versus EMI. One Redditor argued that a flat renting for Rs 75,000 could mean an EMI of Rs 2 lakh or more a month, depending on the property’s value and loan terms, with a large part going towards interest, which makes renting more efficient in purely financial terms. Others said the rent is manageable for high-earning couples: with a household income of Rs 8-9 lakh a month, Rs 75,000 split between two is not significant, and surplus funds can be invested elsewhere.

Some noted that the gap between rent and EMI has narrowed only in the past year, and that renting may again be the clear winner if the rental market softens.

A user observed that even people who own other properties are reluctant to leave established societies, with some willing to pay over Rs 1 lakh in rent to stay in a community they like. Another contrasted earlier generations’ emphasis on collective living with today’s mix of financial pressures, career demands and lifestyle expectations.

This report is based on user-generated social media content that HT.com has not independently verified and does not endorse.