A 25-year-old founder living in Mumbai has shared a detailed breakdown of her monthly expenses, revealing that her regular spending comes to around ₹52,000 a month even before savings, investments, shopping and other discretionary costs are added.
In an Instagram video, Shah explained how rent, food, commuting, technology and everyday subscriptions contribute to her monthly budget. While rent is often considered one of the biggest financial burdens of living in Mumbai, she said it is not the expense that worries her most.
“These are my major monthly expenses as a 25-year-old founder living in Mumbai, and no, rent is not even the scary part,” Shah said.
Shah Pays ₹16,500 for Her Share of Rent
Shah lives in a three-bedroom apartment with two other people, meaning the rent is shared among three residents. She has the master bedroom and pays approximately ₹16,500 per month as her share.
In addition to rent, she spends around ₹2,700 every month on furniture rental through Furlenco.
Together, accommodation and furniture rental account for about ₹19,200 of her monthly expenses.
Groceries, Blinkit and Zomato Cost ₹8,000–₹10,000
Food and daily essentials make up another significant part of Shah’s budget.
She estimated that groceries, Blinkit purchases and Zomato orders collectively cost her between ₹8,000 and ₹10,000 a month.
“Groceries, Blinkit, Zomato together usually comes to around 8 to 10k, depending on how responsible I was that month, which is unpredictable,” she said.
The figure varies depending on her spending habits during a particular month.
Commuting Around Mumbai Costs Up to ₹6,000
As a founder, Shah said she regularly travels for work, meetings and other activities. Her monthly commuting expenses come to approximately ₹5,000–₹6,000.
“Then there is commute between traveling for work, meetings, and just existing in Mumbai—that’s around 5,000 to 6,000 every month.”
Electricity, Wi-Fi and domestic help add another ₹3,500 to her monthly budget.
iPhone EMI Is One of Her Biggest Expenses
One of the more striking figures in Shah’s breakdown is her monthly iPhone EMI.
She said she pays around ₹12,000 every month towards the phone, making the EMI only slightly lower than her share of the rent.
“And then comes to my favorite financial decision, which is my iPhone EMI—that is around 12,000 every month,” she said.
She also pays for several digital services, including Apple iCloud, Google Drive storage and subscription apps.
Although these payments may seem relatively small individually, Shah said they collectively cost her around ₹1,500 a month.
“Then there are those tiny automatic deductions that don’t feel expensive individually, like Apple iCloud, Google Drive storage, subscription apps—until you add them all, it comes around 1,500 every month,” she explained.
Mumbai Founder Says Regular Spending Is Already ₹52,000
After adding up her recurring expenses, Shah estimated that her regular monthly spending is approximately ₹52,000.
Importantly, that figure does not include savings, SIP investments, shopping, nights out, travel or unexpected expenses.
“So before I even talk about savings, SIP, shopping, going out, travel, or unexpected expenses, my regular monthly spending is already roughly around 52k,” she said.
Her breakdown illustrates how several recurring expenses can add up quickly for young professionals living independently in a major city.
Despite the costs, Shah said she considers independent living worthwhile.
“Expensive? Yes. Worth the independence? Also yes,” she wrote.
Her monthly budget is specific to her lifestyle and circumstances, but the breakdown offers a glimpse into how a young founder in Mumbai manages recurring living and personal expenses.
