Housing prices in India’s tech capital have skyrocketed over the past decade, turning what was once a middle-class dream into an expensive gamble. In most city pockets today, even a modest 2BHK apartment costs upwards of ₹1 crore, while larger 3BHKs easily cross ₹1.5–2 crore. Yet, despite the soaring rates, most projects are sold out even before completion. This contradiction, between affordability and demand, has found a raw voice on Reddit, where one Redditor asked, ‘How are people affording these apartments costing more than ₹1 crore?’
Several Redditors pointed out that the new homebuyer demographic has shifted. “DINK – Double Income No Kids,” one comment read, explaining that dual-salary couples earning ₹3–4 lakh a month can afford EMIs that earlier generations couldn’t dream of. “My sister and her husband booked a ₹2 crore apartment in North Bengaluru four years ago. Together, they probably take home ₹4 lakh a month after tax,” said one Redditor.
Rising rents in tech corridors are another trigger. A 2BHK in Whitefield or Outer Ring Road now rents for ₹35,000– ₹45,000 a month. “So people want to buy instead of paying rent, especially with metro expansion improving connectivity,” another commenter wrote.
Developers, several users said, have priced their projects for dual-income families. But that pricing logic has widened the gap between perception and affordability for single earners. “These flats are designed for two salaries. For one person, it’s simply out of reach,” one post observed.
The debt trap fear and the FOMO factor
Other Redditors voiced deep concern about the psychological cost of homeownership. “Loans and EMIs tie you down to your employer and a fixed lifestyle,” one user warned. Another described Bengaluru’s current buyers as “the most insecure people, one job loss away from chaos.”
A recurring sentiment was regret over chasing ‘FOMO’, the fear of missing out. “People are selling ancestral land, withdrawing PF, pledging mutual funds just to buy branded flats,” a user cautioned. “Thirty- to forty-year-olds have lost their way in wealth building.”
One Bengaluru professional summed up his approach simply: “Buy something only if it’s absolutely necessary. I can afford a flat but not the loss of peace if something goes wrong.”
‘Bengaluru has all types’
Amid the chorus of concern, one Redditor stood out from the other end of the spectrum. “I’m sitting in an eleven-crore villa while renting another 9.5-crore one,” wrote a user who claimed to represent Bengaluru’s high-income segment. “I know people with ₹23-crore villas, and they aren’t even the city’s elite. Bengaluru has all kinds of incomes; you just hear more from the middle segment online.”
Still, not everyone is convinced that the boom will last. Another Redditor noted, “Real estate is crashing in China, the US, and Canada, why should India be different?” Others echoed this view, saying Bengaluru’s transformation from “retirement heaven” to “misplanned megacity” might eventually cool the frenzy.
Also Read: Bengaluru real estate market feels overheated as prices soar, buyers weigh renting vs owning
Property prices in Bengaluru have hit their peak
According to data from Knight Frank India, Bengaluru recorded the highest price growth across the top seven cities between in the beginning of 2025, with rates surging 16% to ₹7,116 per sq ft.
Kiran Kumar, vice president of Hanu Reddy Realty said, in 2021, an investor bought a plot in Jade Garden, a gated community in Devanahalli, for ₹2,000 per square foot. Today, the same plots are priced between ₹6,000 to ₹7,000 per square foot. Similarly, a year ago, a 3BHK apartment in Brigade Orchards in north Bengaluru was priced at ₹65 lakh; today, it is around ₹80 lakh. In Old Madras Road’s Aishwarya Excellency, an apartment that sold for ₹1.2 crore has now appreciated to ₹2 crore.
“Today, in prime city areas like Indiranagar and Koramangala, apartments start at a minimum of ₹2 crore. Given the sharp appreciation seen over the past two to three years, it is better to sell than wait,” Kumar said.