US career or Indian lifestyle comforts? Employee declines overseas job for '10 min grocery' convenience in India

For many professionals in India, a job opportunity in the United States has long been seen as a major career achievement. Better pay, international exposure and the chance to work in a global market have often made such offers difficult to turn down. But in recent years, conversations around work-life balance and quality of life have become just as important. A social media post has now added another perspective to that discussion, with one employee reportedly declining a US job because he did not want to give up the everyday comforts he enjoys in India.

The post was shared by entrepreneur Ujjawal Asthana, co-founder of Zymrat, and quickly drew attention online. His story about a relative refusing to move to the US for work led to a flood of reactions, with people debating whether convenience, cost of living and lifestyle should matter as much as salary when making a career decision.

Why the employee turned down the offer

Sharing the incident on X, Asthana wrote, "A relative is refusing US opportunity in his own company."


He then explained why the relative chose not to relocate. "His reason - in the offered salary he will have to clean house himself, eat at home, won’t get 10 min grocery, won’t get at home massages - here he is single and lives king size."

Asthana ended the post with a single word: "Priorities."

The post soon went viral, with many users saying the decision reflected how people define success differently. While some believed the employee was making a practical choice, others felt he was giving up a valuable opportunity.

Social media users split over the decision

One section of users argued that the long-term benefits of living and working abroad could outweigh the temporary inconvenience of doing household chores.

A person commented, "By the time he gets PR in the US, robots will do the majority of chores there. He will regret the decision. Even if he goes there for a couple of years, it will be worth it. Experiencing different cultures gives you a lot of life-changing things."

Another user supported the employee's choice, writing, "Knowing what you want makes life easier." Others pointed to India's service economy, saying it offers a level of convenience that is difficult to match elsewhere.

Cost of living also entered the discussion

Several users felt the financial aspect could not be ignored. One person noted, "The cost of living is also high." Another shared a similar opinion, commenting, "In PPP terms, he will be poor, so good decision."

Meanwhile, someone questioned whether the salary itself was enough to justify relocating. He asked, "What’s the offered salary ? Or tell the range ?"

Not everyone agreed that moving to the US would necessarily mean giving up such conveniences. A person argued that many of the services mentioned in the post are available there too.

"Let me tell you all of these are available in the US. Also, he has the opportunity to be single there. No one marries you off or finds you a partner there either!" the user wrote.