‘A huge number of people are leaving Bangalore’: Banker cites potholes fueling move to smaller cities

Bengaluru’s endless traffic jams, soaring property prices, and pollution are driving a migration wave to Mysuru—where real estate has jumped more than 50% in just a year, says investment banker Sarthak Ahuja.

In a LinkedIn post, Ahuja highlighted how Bengaluru’s infrastructure crisis is pushing families and professionals to seek better quality of life in smaller cities. 

“Bangalore is now rated the 3rd worst city in the world for traffic jams… people spend on average 134 hours a year stuck in congestion,” he wrote. Rising air pollution, water shortages, and unaffordable housing have added to the exodus.

Mysuru has emerged as the top beneficiary. Despite property prices climbing over 50% in the last 12 months, they remain 30–50% cheaper than Bengaluru. At the same time, rental yields are higher. Apartments in Kuvempu Nagar and Vijayanagar start at around ₹60 lakh, while prime areas such as Saraswatipuram and Jayalakshmipuram start near ₹1 crore.

The cost of living is also 10–20% lower, and unlike Bengaluru, “you can travel anywhere in Mysore within 15 minutes,” Ahuja noted. The completion of the Bengaluru–Mysuru expressway in 2023 has supercharged connectivity, drawing major developers to acquire land for long-term projects.

Ahuja added that this shift is not unique to Bengaluru. “This is the problem of all our metros including Mumbai, Delhi, Gurgaon, Pune… If real estate growth was seen in the metros over the past decade, I think all that growth will come from tier 2 cities in the coming decade.”