Indian techie decodes exorbitant cost of living in Seattle, where haircut can cost ₹15,000
An Indian woman working in the United States has opened up about her budget and expenses while living alone in Seattle.
An Indian woman working in the United States has opened up about her budget and expenses in a conversation with Live Mint. Divya Saini is a 26-year-old software engineer who has spent the last four years working in Seattle.
Saini graduated high school at the age of 12 – she was homeschooled until 6th grade and skipped six grades afterwards, she revealed in an X post. After four years of engineering college, Saini joined Amazon India through campus placements.
In July 2021, she moved to the company’s US office. While Saini has previously said that she prefers to live in the US rather than India, the transition was not all smooth sailing. In her conversation with Live Mint, the 26-year-old techie said she was initially taken aback by the exorbitant cost of living in the United States.
Expenses in the US
“The cost of living on the West Coast is much higher than in other parts of the US," she explained. Although salaries are adjusted to match living expenses, the change is often inadequate to keep up with the high cost of living.
For Saini, coming from India, the expenses proved even more shocking because she was mentally converting everything from USD to INR.
“I used to constantly convert USD to INR. It always felt ridiculously expensive,” she said.
Saini now understands purchase price parity (PPP), but the cost of even basic services can still be alarming. A haircut, she points out, can cost anywhere from $100 to $200 ( ₹8,000 to ₹16,000 approximately).
On living alone in Seattle
The Amazon employee says she chose to live alone in Seattle, despite the fact that it costs more than sharing an apartment with someone else.
“Roommate culture exists here too, but with a stranger, it can be challenging to share chores which are easily outsourced to house help and handymen in India. It’s easier to avoid friction by living alone," she said.
Nearly 30% of her income is spent on rent, groceries, utilities, and travel.
Food also poses a big expense – the Indian woman says she usually cooks her breakfast and dinner herself, but lunch is ordered in. “I have to order-in lunch in the office as there is not enough time to cook. One meal costs about $15–20, which adds up significantly over the month," she explained.
Even with these expenses, Saini manages to save enough to travel and make a few big-ticket purchases. Although she has not bought a car, she did buy a robotic vacuum cleaner and a roti maker for the convenience they afford her.
“Financially speaking, I think most luxuries are possible in India if you’re doing well in your field," she added.
