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Bengaluru Data Engineer said buying a home for her parents may be a ‘liability’, but calls it an emotional decision.
She plans to create a separate fund for her own wedding.(Representative Image)
Data engineering, often described as the backbone of the digital economy, continues to see strong demand heading into 2025 and 2026. While data scientists focus on building analytical models, data engineers are the ‘architects and plumbers’ who build the infrastructure that makes data usable. In India, salaries for experienced data engineers typically range between Rs 15–40 lakh per annum, with senior professionals in tech hubs like Bengaluru earning significantly more.
Having said that, a full-time Data Engineer Job in Bengaluru earning Rs 3 lakh per month has recently gone viral after sharing a detailed breakdown of her expenses, investments and savings on social media, offering a glimpse into the financial life of a young tech professional in India.
Data Engineer’s Expenses
Breaking down her expenses, she revealed in the video that her fixed monthly expenses sum up to Rs 212,000. Here’s how she allocates her Rs 3 lakh monthly salary.
She pays Rs 20,000 in rent and Rs 5,000 towards house help, which includes electricity, water, WiFi and a cook. She spends Rs 20,000 on home furnishings for her parents’ flat and Rs 30,000 on the EMI for their home. Groceries and eating out together cost her Rs 10,000, while Rs 5,000 goes towards shopping, gifts, skincare, body care and vitamins.
She invests Rs 12,000 in a personal gym trainer and spends Rs 300 on streaming subscriptions such as Netflix and Apple TV. Most significantly, she invests Rs 1,00,000 every month in SIPs. After accounting for expenses and investments, the remaining amount goes into a dedicated travel fund. Last year alone, she said she spent around Rs 7 lakh on travel.
In the caption, she also mentioned that her commute costs are minimal as she travels to the office by cab and owns a scooty, spending around Rs 500 per month on petrol.
Prioritising Investments and Family
One of her biggest financial commitments is a flat purchased for her parents. Acknowledging that a house can be considered a liability, she described the purchase as an emotional decision.
“I know that a house is a liability, but some things are emotional, and I wanted to do this for my parents because they have done so much for me,” she shared.
The engineer emphasised that she already maintains a six-month emergency fund and currently focuses primarily on systematic investment plans (SIPs) and occasional gold investments when prices are favourable. She also noted that apart from monthly expenses, there are one-time costs such as buying a phone or attending weddings. Looking ahead, she plans to create a separate fund for her own wedding.
Delhi, India, India
February 16, 2026, 14:24 IST
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