For many Indians, life in metros like Mumbai or Delhi comes with familiar comforts — family networks, cultural roots, and career opportunities — but also rising costs, choking pollution, and infrastructure strain. Abroad, especially in parts of Southeast Asia and Eastern Europe, the trade-offs can look different: cleaner air, better urban living standards, and in some cases, even lower expenses.
This tension between staying in India and moving overseas was reignited by Akshat Shrivastava, Founder of Wisdom Hatch, who argued in a viral X (formally twitter) post that Indians often overestimate the cost of living abroad.
“Most people in India think that living abroad is hyper costly. Honestly, it is not. If you live in places like Thailand, Vietnam, Georgia, some parts in Eastern Europe — these would be at least 20-30% cheaper than Indian metros, with at least 3X better quality food, air, etc.” Shrivastava wrote.
He further suggested that aggressive online nationalism — what he described as “Twitter diplomacy campaigns” — was damaging India’s global reputation and limiting opportunities for skilled Indians seeking to move abroad.
Netizens push back with nuance
The post drew sharp reactions with users offering both support and counterpoints.
One user contested Shrivastava’s claim of affordability, writing: “Not fully true. Yes, some places abroad seem cheaper — but only if you earn in USD/EUR and spend locally. For an Indian earning in INR, even Thailand or Georgia isn’t ‘20-30% cheaper.’ Also, metros in India are costly, but they still provide cultural roots, family support, and opportunities that most Indians value.”
Another user took a data-backed approach, pointing out mixed affordability trends: “Hanoi is 12% cheaper than Mumbai overall (thanks to lower rent and dining costs). But Bangkok runs about 37% more expensive for the same lifestyle. Air quality does shine abroad: Bangkok’s 2024 PM2.5 averaged 19 μg/m³ vs Mumbai’s 45. As for bhakts and migration, skilled Indians are still flooding Canada/US (326% jump to Canada in a decade). Visas reward talent over Twitter drama.”
A third echoed Shrivastava’s concerns, “Many Indians don’t realize that cities in Thailand, Vietnam, or Eastern Europe can be 20-30% cheaper than Mumbai or Delhi, with cleaner air and better quality of life. But toxic online nationalism hurts India’s soft power and shuts doors for talented Indians who could thrive abroad.”