Startup employee takes 25% pay cut to move from Bengaluru to Mumbai. Here’s why

Bengaluru is often hailed as India’s startup hub, but not everyone chooses to stay there despite the career opportunities. A startup employee recently shared on Reddit why he left the city, even after earning a hefty salary for five years.

The individual revealed that he was drawing around ₹60 lakh per annum in Bengaluru but chose to relocate to Mumbai, taking a 25% salary cut in the process. The reason? Lifestyle and family.

“After spending 5 years in Bangalore working at a startup, earning around 60 LPA, I finally decided to move back to Mumbai. Recently, I bought an apartment in Mumbai worth ₹4.5 crore and shifted here with my family. I did take a 25% pay cut moving from a startup to an MNC, but honestly, it feels worth it. Now I get to live closer to my loved ones, enjoy home-cooked meals, and have more peace of mind compared to the chaotic hustle in Bengaluru,” he wrote.


He further explained that he does not have a large home loan to worry about, only a small ₹25 lakh loan for interiors, which he is repaying quickly. With no major financial burdens apart from upcoming wedding expenses in the family, he feels secure and content with the tradeoff.

The post triggered mixed reactions. One Redditor said they too chose to move closer to their hometown even at the cost of career growth, saying, ""I wouldn’t call it pay cut but I changed companies with barely any change in salary, just to be closer to my hometown. If I can go back in time, I will do it again. Being Ambitious is good, but I don’t want to live a life where i am popping pills for BP and migraine everyday as I age."

Others, however, questioned how one could afford a ₹4.5 crore house without a major loan, while some accused the poster of maligning Bengaluru despite building his career there.