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‘People are earning more but losing peace’: Techie explains why life in Tier 1 cities is mentally draining

18/05/2026 15:00:00

A techie on X has sparked a conversation after sharing a candid post on the realities of living in Tier 1 cities. Taking to X, the man, identified as Aditya, said that while life in big cities may appear exciting from the outside, the everyday reality can be far more difficult.

(Also read: Tenant says ‘actual cost of finding a flat in Gurgaon was ₹3,52,000’, explains why)

“Life in Tier 1 cities looks exciting from outside only, but reality is very different,” he wrote in his post. He went on to list the advantages of living in such cities, including “better jobs and salaries, more opportunities, fast lifestyle, networking and exposure, better cafes, malls, nightlife and infrastructure, startup and tech culture.”

However, Aditya said the drawbacks often begin to affect people slowly. “But the cons are slowly eating people,” he wrote, pointing to issues such as “extremely high rents, 2 to 3 hours daily traffic, pollution everywhere, loneliness despite millions of people, mental stress and burnout, expensive lifestyle, no work life balance, people staying away from family, small rooms for huge rents, constant competition and pressure.”

(Also read: Gurgaon woman breaks down ₹1.58 lakh monthly living expenses as a couple: ‘Adulting here isn’t cheap’)

‘People are earning more, but losing peace’

In his post, Aditya said that higher salaries and better professional opportunities do not always translate into a better quality of life. “People are earning more, but many are losing peace, health and time in the process,” he wrote.

He added, “Tier 1 cities give growth, but they also test your mental strength every single day.”

Take a look here at the post:

Internet reacts

The post resonated with several users, many of whom agreed that big city life often comes at a heavy personal cost. Some pointed out that while metro cities offer career growth, they also demand compromises in terms of time, health and emotional well being.

Reacting to the post, one user wrote, “But after rent, commute, food, EMIs, and lifestyle inflation, the actual financial breathing room is often much smaller than people expect. A higher CTC does not always mean greater wealth, especially when expenses scale faster than income. That is why financial planning matters just as much as income growth today.”

(Also read: ‘Bengaluru pays top-tier taxes, drives on bottom-tier roads’: Assam Woman questions city’s infrastructure after rainfall)

Another user said, “If only we all got good jobs with high salaries in our own Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities. But then, ye dil maange more.”

A third commented, “Everything comes with a price,” while another agreed, saying, “Yes, I agree with you.” One more user summed up the sentiment by writing, “This is so true.”

(Disclaimer: This report is based on user-generated content from social media. HT.com has not independently verified the claims and does not endorse them.)

by Hindustan Times

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