Cost of Living in Bengaluru

 

Photo Credit: Yours truly

We had lunch at the Iyengar’s Inn in Jayanagar, Bengaluru, about two weeks back. We had asked our driver to join us, and ordered three plates of Puliyogare. I was curious to know what an Ambode is (it is a Vadai) and so I ordered one; the others did not want it. The bill was for three half-plates of Puliyogare and my Ambode. My wife asked the man at the counter if the half plate would be sufficient. He said it would be more than sufficient. What about our driver, who is younger? The man at the counter said it would be sufficient for him as well! The total cost was only Rs 160! I asked for a bowl of Morukozhambu. They gave it to me and did not let me pay for it!

Three lunches and a few cents less than two US dollars! It tells us a lot about purchasing power of the Indian rupee!

The Puliogare was exceptionally good. We noticed that there was a crowd of customers. You stand and eat at this restaurant. Some stand on the sidewalk outside the shop and eat. The place was clean, and the staff were courteous. Most of the customers were young people. A lot of them were wearing what Bangaloreans call a corporate thali! An RFID tag on a tape to let them into their offices. So, clearly this restaurant caters to the middle class!

I checked the prices of a few grocery items on a site that does home delivery:

Peanuts: Approximately 230 Rs/Kg (less than 3 US$)

Raw rice: Rs 48/Kg

I also noticed the calorie content of each:

Peanuts: 600 Calories/100 grams

Raw rice: 350 Calories/100 grams

So, it is true! You can buy the cooked food you need for sustenance at less than 3$/day in Bengaluru!

Caveat: I am not asking the Reserve Bank to do anything to raise the prices!

Srinivasan Ramani