India, Nov. 16 -- A LinkedIn post by investment banker and financial advisor Sarthak Ahuja has sparked an online discussion after he stated that living in India's top metros is as costly as San Francisco and Dubai, and that even an annual package of Rs.70 lakh may not guarantee dignity or comfort for middle-class families.

Taking to LinkedIn, Ahuja wrote that many of his friends visiting from San Francisco, Hong Kong, Dubai and Switzerland are often stunned to discover that their spending on eating out, deliveries, grooming or day-to-day conveniences in India is nearly the same as what they pay abroad. At first, he says, the comparison seemed exaggerated, until he began breaking down why the cost of living in Indian metros feels complete...