At a time when living costs are becoming increasingly higher and people are struggling with even high salary packages, a LinkedIn user from Kolkata has highlighted what ₹1 crore salary per year can get you in the ‘City of Joy’.
The user Anagh Pal, a business journalist from the metro city in the east, in a post on LinkedIn said that ₹1 crore lakh per annum salary in Kolkata can get you a life of ‘royalty’.
“I do not earn 1 crore, but 1 Crore Salary in Kolkata: Welcome to Royalty [sic],” he wrote.
Pal compared what the pay package can get someone in Kolkata versus in other cities like Delhi, Mumbai or Bengaluru.
“1 Cr in Mumbai? – You’re still struggling to afford a sea-facing flat. 1 Cr in Delhi? – Maybe you can get a big car, but good luck avoiding road rage!1 Cr in Bangalore? – Half of it goes into rent, the other half into ordering food while stuck in traffic [sic],” he said.
“But in Kolkata? – Oh, dear Maharaja! Life is different,” he added.
LinkedIn user details life of ‘Modern Maharaja’ in Kolkata
Pal detailed on how life could be in Kolkata with ₹1 crore per annum, calling it the life of a ‘Modern Maharaja’.
“… You, dear Maharaja, are sipping Darjeeling tea in your sprawling balcony overlooking the Hooghly,” he said.
Pal claimed that a 4BHK in posh areas like Alipore and Ballygunge costs ₹50,000 per month in rent.
“You get a sprawling palace, complete with chandeliers, marble floors & neighbors who still say “Aapni Dada!” instead of “Bhai”,” he said.
A personal chauffeur and vintage ambassador car will cost around ₹30,000 a month, he claimed.
“No need to honk, no need to drive—just sit back in your vintage White Ambassador like a true Bengali aristocrat while your chauffeur smoothly navigates through North Kolkata’s heritage streets,” he said.
While a daily ‘royal feasting’ will cost ₹25,000 a month, luxury art and lierature will cost ₹20,000 per month, he further claimed.
“Private Box at Eden Gardens – ₹15,000/month While others scramble for tickets, you’re sipping a glass of fresh lassi, watching KKR dominate from your luxury box. Shah Rukh Khan might even wave at you,” Pal added.
Weekend cultural indulgence will cost ₹10,000 per month, as per the LinkedIn user.
“Private Baul music session at home… Front-row seats at Nandan’s latest film screening… Theatre nights at Rabindra Sadan with Kolkata’s finest actors.”
Other “royal perks” will cost one around ₹50,000 per month, Pal said. These, according to him, include a personal ‘rasgulla supplier’ from KC Das, a personal bengali priest, custom-made clothes, and regular spa treatments at five star hotels.
“Total Monthly Spend: ₹2 Lakh → Annual Spend: ₹24 Lakh What’s left? ₹76 LAKHS in your savings while living like actual royalty. Try doing that in Mumbai or Delhi,” Pal claimed.
“With ₹1 Cr in Kolkata, you’re not just rich—you’re a Maharaja with legacy, culture, and the ability to throw the grandest Durga Puja pandal in town,” he added.
Netizens differ
Pal’s post received a lot of traction, with other users flagging that life is not that inexpensive in Kolkata anymore.
“Don’t know where from you have collected above data but it seems quite old…you won’t get 4BHK @ INR 50000 in Ballygunge or Alipore….even not in your dreams also…n after deducting tax n cess what you will receive in hand just think….n with 25K you can not eat breakfast in Flurys n lunch in 6th Ballygunge Place daily…those days are gone…Kolkata is no more a cheap city…if you want to satisfy yourself then ok otherwise it is not [sic],” a user commented.
“Except for the doyens of ITC, and the old Marwari traders, very few can earn that in Calcutta,” another quipped.
What about taxes?
It must also be noted that Pal’s calculations do not account for income tax. An individual with ₹1 crore per annum salary has to pay 29.26 per cent in the New Tax Regime, compared to 32 per cent in the Old Tax Regime.