An H1B visa holder from India asked Reddit if it’s the right time to stay in India. Here is the logic supporting the argument.
According to a Reddit user, many H1B visa holders living in various US states believe they can earn ₹30-35 lakh per annum in India now. If both spouses worked, their income would be even better.
By comparison, those earning $115,000 ( ₹1 crore) to $125,000 ( ₹1.13 million) in the US claim to be able to save only $1,500 ( ₹1.36 lakh) to $3000 ( ₹2.73 million) per month. It depends on whether they have children and other expenses.
They also lack family support and available household help. The user adds that India’s infrastructure and lifestyle have now improved significantly. Then the user asks for the opinions of others.
“One question is who is your employer? If the employer is a staffing company that sends you to a client, there is a lot more risk for a lot less money,” one user commented.
To which the OP replied, “A service based company, we have clients in the US.”
“Please ask them if they are saving say $2,000, which is close to 2 lakh rupees in INR. That’s what the guys take away 35-40 lakhs a year,” came the sarcastic comment as they subtly dug into Indian income taxes.
Another user wrote: “Not the right time to come to the US. Wait for the AI bubble to burst and the political storm to calm down.”
“You shouldn’t be coming to the US for the 125k salary. It was a junior tech salary before Covid. Now if you don’t want to be in the middle of nowhere don’t even bother.”
“You pay the same for things that are much better in comparison. For example, civic sense, cleaner surroundings and nicer roads, all for the same price,” commented one user.
One user replied: “Your friends complain about staying in US but not moving back to India lmao. That should give you a real answer.”
Purchasing power parity
As of February 28, 2026, it is equal to 1 US dollar ₹91.08. However, simply converting currencies does not show the real difference in lifestyle. In order to properly compare living standards, we need to look at Purchasing Power Parity, which measures what money can actually buy in individual countries.
According to Chris Lross, if someone earns $100,000 a year in the United States, they would need ₹20,42,198 annually in India to enjoy similar purchasing power.
