'Delhi real estate beyond reach of middle class...': Redditor’s Delhi property rant fuels class divide debate online

Rising real estate costs in metros have been a great problem for individuals who work and wish to settle in these cities. The hardest hit are the salaried middle class, who earn just enough to carry on with their daily lives. 

Reflecting on this thought, a Reddit post by user Brown_jamun has struck a chord with thousands, capturing the harsh reality of navigating Delhi’s property market on a middle-class salary.

Titled “Delhi real estate is beyond the reach of a middle-class salary person, salary wale toh bhul hi jao”, (salaried should not even think about buying) the post offers a detailed account of sky-high property rates across different parts of the capital — and the frustration of trying to meet traditional expectations while staying financially sane.

“Recently, my family asked me to look for a property in Delhi, as they are coming from the old mindset that Ghaziabad/Noida is bad, so I have to look for properties within Delhi," the Redditor wrote.

The findings were anything but encouraging.

"East Delhi:

• IP Extension, gated colony, 3 BHK flat: starts at 1.8 crore

• Krishna Nagar: 95 lakh - 1.8 crore for a 3 BHK

• Laxmi Nagar: No one wants to go there because of its bad reputation

South Delhi:

• CR Park: 4.5 crore for a 3 BHK (no jokes)

• During my research, I even found a 4 BHK flat worth 6.5 crore, but the property is definitely amazing

North Delhi:

• Model Town: 2.5 crore for a 3 BHK

• North/East Delhi: 1.9 - 2.5 lakh per sq. yard"

“I just want to get out of North-East Delhi, but buying a property is so hard now,” Brown_jamun added. Despite owning ancestral property worth more than ₹2 crore, the user fears being saddled with ₹1 crore in debt. “Moving from a whole house to a flat worth crores doesn’t seem fair to me, but kya hi kar sakte haan ab?”

Frustration turns into a larger commentary

The post triggered a flood of reactions, with users calling out the state of India's real estate market and the grim income-to-property price ratio.

One user bluntly stated, “Real estate is biggest scam in India. In 2014, price flat was 30 lakh fir X 3 bhk. Now at same area with smaller space price become 1.4 cr. Salary of fresher in 2014 was 3 lpa and salary of fresher now 3.5 lpa. Now even 40 lpa can’t purchase flat easily.”

Another comment painted a bleaker macro picture: “With all the prices sky high... it is a long winter to come. Many are not going to buy and prices are going to be stagnant... If the rupee falls further, we will see even more gap between the income and affordability... At the end of the day, common man will be screwed.”

Some users offered a more philosophical take. “Real estate is an asset and assets are generally not bought with salaries but money saved or through generational wealth or created wealth,” one commenter noted, adding that while renting is practical, buying offers emotional security.

Still, others reminded that affordable options do exist — but with trade-offs. One user pointed to a 3 BHK in East Guru Angad Nagar for ₹60 lakh. “I have been there and area is quite peaceful and dominated by Sikh community, so yes.”

A recurring concern across comments was the influence of black money on inflated prices. As one user put it: “Skyrocketing prices of real estate in India is mostly fueled by black money transactions and not growing economy, but you cannot do anything about it.”