An Indian student living in Lille, France, has gone viral after sharing a breakdown of her monthly living expenses, with her grocery budget attracting the most attention on social media. In an Instagram video, Reine, a 20-year-old Indian student pursuing a bachelor's degree, said she spends around Rs 81,000 per month on living expenses.
She explained that her biggest expense is rent, which costs around Rs 60,000 per month for shared accommodation with a private bathroom. She added that she spends approximately Rs 10,900 per month on groceries, as she mostly cooks her meals at home.
The student also said she pays around Rs 3,500 per month for a student transport pass, allowing her to travel around Lille. She sets aside another Rs 5,400 to Rs 7,600 per month for personal expenses, including coffee outings with friends, shopping, dining at Indian restaurants and weekend activities.
She added that her monthly expenses may vary depending on the city and lifestyle but said the budget provides a realistic picture of student life in France.
The video drew a wide range of reactions from social media users. Several viewers questioned how the student managed to keep her grocery spending so low, with one user calling a monthly grocery budget of around Rs 10,900 "unbelievable."
Others were skeptical about her housing costs, arguing that paying nearly Rs 60,000 for shared accommodation in Lille seemed excessively expensive and claiming they had rented private studios for less.
Another commenter jokingly remarked in Hindi that her monthly budget exceeded their entire annual budget, highlighting the stark differences in spending habits and living costs.
