By: Trends DeskNew Delhi | November 16, 2025 10:24 AM IST 3 min readAhuja further wrote that living in places like Gurgaon or Mumbai now means dealing with 'international costs, and deplorable infrastructure'India’s inflation numbers may be brushing historic lows, but for the urban middle class, life in major cities is beginning to feel as costly as San Francisco or Dubai. According to investment banker Sarthak Ahuja, this gap between the data and daily life is only widening.In a recent LinkedIn post, Ahuja argued that national inflation indicators no longer capture the reality of city living. He wrote that friends visiting from global hubs like San Francisco, Hong Kong, Dubai and Switzerland are shocked by the rising prices in Gurgaon.“Whenever they visit India, they end up spending the same amount eating out, ordering in, or visiting salons,” he said in his post.This disconnect comes even as India’s Consumer Price Index (CPI) inflation for October 2025 sits at just 0.25 per cent, potentially an all-time low. Ahuja pointed out that these figures are heavily influenced by subsidies and rural consumption patterns. With 79 crore Indians receiving subsidised food grains, over half of students in free government schools, and 86 per cent of households living without rent, the official inflation number ends up looking far gentler than what city residents actually face.In metros, the picture is starkly different. Private school fees have jumped 10–20 per cent in a year and a massive 169 per cent over the decade. Quick-commerce apps quietly push grocery bills up by more than 20 per cent with their convenience charges. Medical expenses at private hospitals continue to climb, and a wave of premiumised products, restaurants and housing is reshaping urban consumption, often targeting only the wealthy.Yet, many city dwellers feel compelled to keep up, especially in a culture where lifestyle choices increasingly play out on social media.Ahuja further wrote that living in places like Gurgaon or Mumbai now means dealing with “international costs, and deplorable infrastructure and air to breathe,” adding it’s no wonder NRIs returning home often experience serious sticker shock.Story continues below this adHe observed that even with an annual package of Rs 70 lakh in a metro, quality of life and sense of comfort still “feel middle class.”Check out the post:The post went viral, many netizens took to the comments to share their opinions on it. An individual wrote, “Perhaps the true inflation we’re battling is not just in numbers, but in aspirations elevated far beyond the essentials.”Another user said, “So true. Having lived in Europe and now in Gurgaon, I can say the spending feels almost identical, except here, you get global priceswithout global infrastructure.”A third person commented, “The official numbers don’t match the real experience of urban Indians – lifestyle inflation is eating away savings quietly.”© IE Online Media Services Pvt Ltd