An Indian-origin woman living in New York City has sparked an online debate after revealing how much she pays to live in Manhattan. Khushi Jain, a content creator and entrepreneur, recently appeared in a video shared by finance influencer Sharan Hegde, who visited her apartment in New York. During their conversation, Jain revealed that she pays around $10,000 (nearly Rs 10 lakh) a month for a two-bedroom apartment in Manhattan.
The revelation quickly caught attention online, with many users surprised by the rental cost.
Jain explained that the $10,000 figure was based on apartments she had seen while searching for a two-bedroom, two-bathroom home in Manhattan, particularly properties in buildings offering amenities.
She said apartments in Manhattan can cost even more, although renters can find relatively cheaper options in other parts of New York City. According to her, apartments in areas such as Brooklyn, Long Island City, Queens and Astoria can cost around $5,000 to $6,000 a month.
Jain said she could not find a suitable apartment in Manhattan for less than $10,000 during her search and eventually decided to move out of the area.
Hegde also enquired about the cost of living in New York. Jain said she and her partner spend around $10,000 a month on rent and other expenses combined. Based on that estimate, their annual living expenses could come to roughly $100,000 to $120,000, or around Rs 95 lakh to Rs 1.14 crore.
Watch the video here:
However, the video soon triggered a debate among social media users, with several people questioning whether $10,000 is a typical rent for a two-bedroom apartment in New York.
Some users claimed that similar apartments could be found for $4,000 to $6,000, depending on the neighbourhood, building and amenities. Others argued that simply converting New York salaries and expenses into Indian rupees can give a misleading picture. They pointed out that salaries and purchasing power in New York are very different from those in India, and housing costs are influenced by local incomes.
One user wrote, "It's not fair to convert to INR. It's not an apples to apples comparison- income in NYC is next level. Rents are aligned to the income.'' Another commented, "New York is not for beginners.":
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