How are GenZ NRIs managing to come back with low savings, especially when there is no other option?
I want to break down a reality that a lot of us are facing right now, especially those of us who finished our B.Tech around 2019( basically born in 1997-98), went abroad for a Master’s, and have been forced to return to India in the last 1-2 years due to tech layoffs or brutal visa cliffs.
People back home assume that if you worked abroad for 4-5 years in a high-paying white-collar job, you come back absolutely loaded. The reality? Most people barely save anything after clearing their student loans and dealing with the massive cost of living. Even if you hit MAANG-level compensation right out of school, walking away with $100K–$250K after clearing liabilities is the absolute best-case scenario.
Suddenly, you're thrust back into India in your late 20s. This is exactly the age where society expects you to have serious savings, fund a wedding, buy a new car, and put down a deposit on a house. Honestly, seeing the cost of a decent QoL in Tier-1 cities scares the shit out of me. Looking at the current property rates for high-rises in premium corridors, the true lifestyle inflation for the middle class feels closer to 10%+, nowhere near the 3-4% government figures.
My Personal Situation
I (28M) recently moved back to India from the UK after 4 years of working as a platform/cloud infrastructure engineer. I invested aggressively in mutual funds and gold while there in India , and managed to save around $60K USD. I was incredibly lucky—my MS cost at University of Glasgow was under $20K USD including everything thanks to a scholarship, and my parents covered the rest, so I came back with zero student debt.
I also fully acknowledge my privilege. My family has been based in a Tier-1 city in India for decades. They are well-off, have a solid real estate portfolio, and will never be financially dependent on me. I am truly blessed & grateful for that.
The Mental Block
Despite this massive safety net, I am really struggling. Since moving back, I cannot concentrate on my job search. The tech salaries offered here feel so low compared to the massive delta between the cost of living and save something good for upcoming life milestones like marriage.
It is deeply depressing and is completely suppressing my daily motivation to search for job here in India. I’m honestly terrified of the future—getting married, having kids, and trying to maintain a decent lifestyle against this crazy inflation combined with AI and tech sector in general feeling most heat.
The Dilemma: Stay or Leave Again?
I honestly want to hear opinions on how to come out of this rut:
- How do I snap out of this mental slump and rebuild my life and career here in India?
- Or should I strive to go back abroad? I currently have options to apply for 1-2 year job-seeker visas in Hong Kong, Japan, or the Netherlands.
Would really appreciate some honest advice from anyone who has navigated this reverse transition.