Moving to Mumbai can mean more than simply finding a place to stay. For newcomers, the city can also bring long commutes, extra housing costs and a different way of looking at everyday expenses. Jahnvi Shah, an entrepreneur who has been living in Mumbai for nearly three years, has shared a candid take on what it is really like to live in the city.
In an Instagram video, she detailed the things she wishes someone had told her before she moved to the city.
Shah said Mumbai is expensive, but rent is honestly not the only problem. She has been living there for almost three years and wished someone had told her a few things before she moved to the city for the first time.
Shah's first piece of advice was to prioritise location over how attractive a house looks.
She mentioned, "Please choose your house based on where you work, not how pretty the house is. Because in Mumbai, eight kilometres can either mean twenty minutes or even your entire evening."
She also warned newcomers to budget for expenses beyond rent.
Watch Video Here:
According to Shah, when someone tells you the rent, you should mentally add more money for the deposit, brokerage, agreement, moving and setup costs. She said people will spend money before they even have their first peaceful night at their house.
Living in Mumbai also changes how people think about distance, Shah said. She explained that people slowly start measuring everything in commute time rather than simply asking where they live.
Instead, they start thinking about how much time it takes to reach Bandra. Shah also advised newcomers to learn how to use public transport instead of relying entirely on cabs.
She said people can keep telling themselves that they will just take a cab, and admitted that she is like that too. However, she added that their bank account will eventually teach them that they do not have to.
Jahnvi mentioned, "Mumbai makes you realise how little space a human being actually needs."
She said a house that would have been considered small in another city can feel different in Mumbai. Even having a balcony can start feeling like a luxury.
Her final serious advice was to avoid spending heavily just to recreate the glamorous Mumbai lifestyle often seen on Instagram.
Shah said, "You don't need to brunch every Sunday, right? Coffee every day and plans every night. You don't need that. Find your routine. Find your people. Find the places that work for your budget, because Mumbai is expensive."
"It's crowded, it's chaotic, and sometimes genuinely exhausting. But three years later, there is still something about this city that makes you feel like if you're willing to work for it, maybe something can actually happen here," she added.
Social Media Reaction
Social media users gave mixed reactions to the post.
One user commented, "This is really helpful."
Another user called the advice "On point."
"Mumbai is expensive," added a third user.
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