Inside an IIM Ahmedabad student's monthly budget: Rs 14,000 on food, Rs 2,000 on social life

What does it really cost to study at one of India's most prestigious business schools? While many assume life at the Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad comes with a lavish lifestyle, one student has offered a refreshingly honest look at his monthly spending, showing that budgeting remains a part of everyday campus life.

Vivek Kundu, an IIM Ahmedabad student, recently took to social media to share a breakdown of his monthly expenses. In his post, he revealed that he tries to keep his monthly spending below Rs 25,000. Some months he succeeds, while others go slightly over. This month, however, he managed to keep his expenses at Rs 24,000.

Alongside the post, Kundu addressed a common perception about life at the premier management institute. He claimed that many people assume studying at IIM Ahmedabad automatically means living an expensive lifestyle, before revealing what he actually spends in a typical month.


The biggest chunk of his monthly budget goes towards food. According to Kundu, he spends around Rs 14,000 on meals. In addition, he spends nearly Rs 3,500 on Swiggy orders and purchases from DMart, highlighting how groceries and food delivery together account for a significant share of his expenses.

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A post shared by Vivek Kundu (@vivekkundu99)

Beyond food, his budget covers several everyday essentials. He allocates around Rs 2,000 each month for his social life, Rs 1,000 for transportation, another Rs 1,000 for haircuts, and Rs 1,000 for medicines and miscellaneous expenses. His remaining monthly expenses are relatively modest. Kundu spends Rs 500 on stationery, Rs 500 on sports-related activities and another Rs 500 on subscriptions.

Internet reacts

The post sparked a discussion about the affordability of studying at a premier business school. One user argued that pursuing an education at an IIM appeared to be accessible mainly to students from upper-middle-class or wealthy families, rather than those from lower-middle-class or underprivileged backgrounds. Another calculated that living expenses alone could add up to around Rs 5.76 lakh over two years, excluding tuition fees, and questioned whether the overall cost was worthwhile from the perspective of a middle-class student.

Responding to questions in the comments, Vivek explained that his Rs 24,000 monthly budget reflected higher-end estimates and could be reduced. He said food expenses could fall by around 50 to 60 per cent by opting for the institute's mess subscription. He also noted that his DMart and Blinkit spending was unusually high because he had recently returned from vacation and had to purchase several essentials, most of which were one-time expenses. According to him, with better planning and fewer discretionary purchases, monthly expenses can comfortably be kept around Rs 15,000.

Addressing how students finance their education, Vivek said many primarily depend on education loans. He added that merit-based and need-based scholarships, prize money from case competitions and other contests, summer internship stipends, and savings from previous jobs also help students manage the overall cost.