The steep cost of living in Mumbai has once again ignited online outrage after a viral post revealed the asking rent for a one-bedroom apartment (1BHK) in the city’s Matunga East area. The small flat, advertised for ₹45,000 per month, has drawn widespread criticism and sparked debate about the city’s escalating rental market.
The apartment, described as having an “old vibe,” features a modest living room, bedroom, kitchen, and a loft accessible by a staircase for additional storage. Despite its basic amenities, the ₹45,000 monthly rent has been labeled exorbitant by many, with some accusing landlords of exploiting the housing crisis in the city. One post about the apartment, shared on social media platform X (formerly Twitter), encapsulated the frustration, reading: “They are renting out an old chawl for ₹45,000, calling it ‘old school’ or ‘old vibes.’ Capitalism has commodified poverty to the next level.”
Chawls, a traditional form of housing in Mumbai, are typically associated with working-class families. The comparison of the flat to a chawl further fueled the anger of many online users, who saw it as an example of landlords overcharging for subpar living conditions.
One X user sarcastically commented, “45k for a common toilet shared by 200 others? Errr,” while another remarked, “This looks worse than some govt college hostels, tbh.” Others voiced their discontent over Mumbai’s unaffordable housing, with one user stating, “My first apartment in the US was cheaper…”
On Instagram, the post received similar backlash, with one person bluntly asking, “Don’t you feel ashamed asking for 45K?” Another commenter mocked the situation, saying, “The rent should be 1 crore,” highlighting the absurdity of the inflated rental prices for even modest housing in the city.
This post comes on the heels of a similar controversy that unfolded when a washing machine was found placed precariously above a commode in a cramped Mumbai apartment, raising further concerns about the quality of affordable housing in the city.
As Mumbai continues to grapple with skyrocketing rents, this viral post has reignited debates about housing affordability in India’s financial capital, where even basic flats are increasingly out of reach for many.
Sources By Agencies
