'Is ₹1.32 crore enough to live in NYC?': Laid-off techie asks after 8 months of unsuccessful interviews

A former senior software engineer, recently laid off, has sparked debate online by questioning whether a $150,000 (approximately ₹1.32 crore) annual compensation is sufficient for living in New York City. The 30-year-old, who was previously earning $320,000 (₹2.82 crore) at a remote tech position, shared the dilemma on the networking platform Blind after eight months of fruitless job searching.

The engineer revealed that he just got an offer from a non-tech company after an extremely rigorous interview process of 7 rounds, and the offer is only $150K, 3 days in the office in NYC. He added that the recruiter said it is the highest offer and they have multiple qualified finalists, so no negotiation possible, and that the recruiter said the techie has until Tuesday to accept or reject it

"Question to those who went through similar situation, is it manageable in NYC with 150K TC for a single male 30 yo? I am a bit scared of the cost and I don't like to live like sh*t but I am so tired of interviewing with no end in sight. I have savings that can last me another 3-4 months but I am very very very tired of interviewing. Please advise!!" the user said. 

Social media reactions varied, with some users saying that it is definitely livable.

One user remarked, "It's definitely livable, even in Manhattan. However, it depends on what your standards are and how far away from work/the city you're willing to be for nicer living standards." Another user commented, "It can be. You will have to pinch a few pennies and stick to a budget but it's very doable."

Others advised acceptance for the sake of stability, suggesting the engineer could continue job searching while employed: "You'd be insane to reject the offer. This does not have to be permanent though. Use it simply as income while you continue to interview."

Responses noted that the transition from a higher salary in Dallas might feel like a further reduction due to the increased cost of living in NYC. One user said, "Since youre coming from Dallas and its already literally a 60% pay cut, itll probably end up feeling like an 80% pay cut."

Despite the challenging circumstances, the engineer admitted, "I have savings that can last me another 3-4 months, but I am very, very, very tired of interviewing."