Sikar to Seattle: Balancing dreams, money and family

High living costs on the US West Coast eat into Divya Saini's savings, even with adjusted pay

- Shipra Singh

When Divya Saini graduated with an engineering degree in 2017, she never imagined that just four years later she would be living in Seattle and working for a top tech firm. Starting her career at Amazon India through campus placement, she made rapid strides, eventually moving to the company's US office in July 2021. "The role gave me wider canvas to grow and contribute," said the 26-year-old software engineer. Yet, the move brought a whirlwind of lifestyle shifts—most notably, financial ones.

"The cost of living on the West Coast is much higher than in other parts of the US," she says. Though salaries are slightly adjusted for location, the pay doesn't always match the hike in costs.

Saini shares her experience of living in Seattle as part of a Mint series on Indian expats.

Sticker shock From basic groceries to services like haircuts and house help, Divya says she experienced cost culture shock in the US. "I used to constantly convert USD to INR. It felt ridiculously expensive."

Now she understands purchase price parity (PPP), but even a routine haircut, she points out, can cost $100-200—or up to 17,000. "I now get it done just once in six months and time the next cut with my annual India trip."