The rise of work-from-home and remote jobs has transformed the way many professionals think about where they live. Freed from the daily commute and the need to be close to an office, some employees are leaving crowded cities in search of a slower and more affordable lifestyle. While hill stations and mountain towns are often seen as dream destinations for remote workers, questions around the actual cost of living there remain common.
Addressing that curiosity, a corporate remote employee recently shared a detailed breakdown of his monthly expenses while living alone in Manali. The video, shared on Instagram by user Ajay Sharma, has sparked a discussion online about whether mountain life is really cheaper than living in a metro city.
“How much does it cost to live alone in the mountain as a corporate remote employee?” Sharma asked at the start of the video before detailing his budget.
Sharma shared that he rents a 1BHK apartment in Manali for ₹14,000 a month, a cost that includes Wi-Fi and electricity. He revealed that he cooks most of his meals at home to maintain his gym-focused diet, so he spends around ₹3,500 a month on groceries.
Sharma added that he occasionally orders food from outside when he does not feel like cooking, which costs him about ₹500 a week. He also has a gym membership that costs ₹1,500 a month after receiving a discount.
Speaking about transportation, Sharma shared that he prefers walking, which helps him complete his daily step count and keeps commuting expenses “almost zero”.
Concluding his video, Sharma estimated that his monthly cost of living in the mountains comes to roughly ₹21,000.
HT.com has reached out to Ajay Sharma. The article will be updated once a response is received.
Watch the video below:
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Social media reactions
The video quickly caught the internet’s attention, with many users comparing the expenses to the cost of living in larger cities.
“Cheaper than Gurgaon life,” one user wrote.
“The luxury of life is to experience not spend on luxury .. this is so wholesome,” commented another.
“You are living my dream,” said a third.
However, some users felt the rent was on the higher side for a mountain town.
“The rent is almost like a metro city,” one user wrote.
“14k for 1 bhk in a mountain that’s too costly,” said another.
Meanwhile, another user shared their own experience, writing, “Mera rental hai 4k. With wifi. With view. With roohani khamoshi. And lots of lots of daylight. Somewhere in Dharmashala.”
