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65 LPA vs 6 LPA: Who Will Be Richer in 10 Years?

Sep 29, 2026

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65 LPA vs 6 LPA: Who Will Be Richer in 10 Years?

65 LPA vs 6 LPA: Who's truly richer? Ishita and Ankita compare salaries, spending, investments & life goals. Discover their financial journeys!

This article examines the potential financial outcomes over ten years for two individuals with vastly different annual salaries: 65 Lakhs Per Annum (LPA) and 6 LPA. The analysis is based on a comparative discussion between Ishita, earning 65 LPA, and Ankita, earning 6 LPA, detailing their career paths, salary breakdowns, spending habits, investment strategies, and financial goals.

Career Trajectories and Salary Progression

Ishita pursued engineering in Computer Science from ABS Engineering College, a Tier 3 institution, after an unsuccessful attempt at JEE coaching. She secured a Pre-Placement Offer (PPO) during her final internship at Cisco, starting her career as a Business Analyst at 10 LPA. After four years, she transitioned to a US-based AI cybersecurity company as a Technical Program Manager, achieving her current salary of 65 LPA.

Ankita completed her 12th grade in 2024 and also prepared for JEE, but did not secure admission to a preferred college. She enrolled in Kerala School of Technology in Bangalore. Her first internship at Runable provided a stipend of ₹45,000. Currently, she is employed at an ed-tech startup, earning 6 LPA.

Salary and Financial Snapshot

Ishita (65 LPA):

  • Cost to Company (CTC): 65 LPA
  • Base Salary: 40 LPA
  • Bonus: 10% of base salary
  • Stocks: Valued at 20 LPA, vested annually.
  • Monthly Salary (approximate): ₹2,62,000
  • Monthly Deductions:
    • Provident Fund (PF): ₹19,500
    • Taxes: ₹62,000

Ankita (6 LPA):

  • CTC: 6 LPA
  • Tax Bracket: Does not fall into any tax bracket, thus pays no taxes.
  • Monthly Salary (approximate): ₹45,000
  • Monthly Deductions:
    • PT (Professional Tax): ₹3,600 (annual) / ₹300 (monthly, approximate)
    • Gratuity: ₹14,000 (annual) / ₹1,167 (monthly, approximate)
    • PF: ₹43,000 (annual) / ₹3,583 (monthly, approximate)
    • Total Deductions: Approximately ₹5,100

Spending Habits and Major Expenses

Ishita:

  • Monthly Spending: ₹1,50,000 to ₹1,10,000
  • Rent: ₹18,500 (for one room in a 3BHK shared apartment)
  • Maintenance: ₹2,100
  • Groceries: ₹7,500
  • Cook: ₹2,500 (her share)
  • Housekeeping/Utensils: ₹1,500 (her share)
  • Commute: Office provides a cab; personal travel costs ₹5,000-₹6,000 due to frequent travel.
  • Subscriptions (Content Creation/AI Tools): ₹3,000-₹4,000
  • Eating Out: ₹10,000-₹15,000
  • Shopping: ₹20,000
  • Travel (Quarterly): ₹45,000 (approximately ₹15,000 per month)
  • Recent Trip Cost: ₹25,000 (flight to hometown) + ₹35,000 (local travel)

Ankita:

  • Monthly Spending: All of her salary, approximately ₹40,000.
  • Rent: ₹15,000-₹20,000 (estimated)
  • Commute: Office provides cab; lives close to the office. Personal travel costs ₹5,000-₹6,000.
  • Eating Out: ₹4,000-₹5,000
  • Shopping: ₹5,000-₹7,000
  • Travel (Quarterly): ₹2,000 (approximately ₹667 per month)
  • Recent Trip Cost: ₹25,000 (round trip flights to Delhi)

Investment Strategies and Financial Goals

Ishita:

  • Monthly Investment: ₹1.5 Lakhs
    • Mutual Funds: 30%
    • Stocks: 20%
    • ETFs: 10%
    • Silver & Gold Commodities: 10%
    • Employee Stock Purchase Plan (ESPP): 15% of salary
    • Real Estate: Remaining funds
  • Emergency Fund: Covers 6 months of expenses. Held in a separate bank account with higher interest rates and a liquid mutual fund.
  • Financial Freedom Goal: ₹7 Crores.
  • Desired Purchase: BMW 3 Series (postponed due to cost).
  • Beliefs: Supports expensive skincare as an investment in oneself. Disagrees that big fat Indian weddings are wasteful, viewing them as an experience. Prefers real estate investment over mutual funds. Believes in spending on both material possessions and experiences (50-50 split). Agrees that money buys happiness if spent wisely.

Ankita:

  • Monthly Investment: ₹3,000 (to build an emergency fund).
  • SIPs: Two active SIPs.
  • Emergency Fund: Covers 3 months of expenses. Held in a separate bank account with higher interest rates and a liquid mutual fund.
  • Financial Freedom Goal: ₹8.5 Crores (₹10 Crores considering inflation).
  • Beliefs: Believes renting is a wiser decision than buying a home. Considers expensive skincare a marketing gimmick. Agrees that big fat Indian weddings are wasteful. Prefers real estate investment over mutual funds. Believes spending on experiences like travel and concerts is superior to spending on material things. Emphasizes that health insurance and an emergency fund are more critical than stock investments. Agrees that money is a significant factor in happiness, though not the sole determinant.

Other Financial Considerations

  • Housing: Both individuals are currently renting in Bangalore. Ishita estimates her rent at ₹50,000 per month, while Ankita pays ₹15,000-₹20,000.
  • Transportation: Ishita relies on her company's cab service and personal travel, while Ankita also uses her company's cab and lives close to her office. Neither owns a car.
  • Credit Cards: Ishita does not own any credit cards. Ankita also does not own any but plans to acquire one soon.
  • Debt: Ishita is debt-free. Ankita has an education loan of ₹18 Lakhs at a 10% floating interest rate, with EMIs of approximately ₹30,000 per month, currently covered by her father. The loan term is 9 years.
  • Health Insurance: Ishita's company likely provides health insurance. Ankita does not have personal health insurance, but her father's paramilitary service covers her medical expenses. Ishita has an additional personal health insurance policy covering ₹25 Lakhs.

Future Outlook

Over the next decade, Ishita's substantial income and aggressive investment strategy position her for significant wealth accumulation. Her current monthly investments of ₹1.5 Lakhs, coupled with potential salary increases and stock appreciation, could lead to substantial growth. Ankita, with a lower starting salary, faces a steeper climb. Her focus on building an emergency fund and a modest investment in SIPs suggests a more conservative approach. To reach financial freedom, Ankita would need to significantly increase her income and investment rate. The disparity in their current financial situations suggests that Ishita is likely to be considerably wealthier in 10 years, assuming consistent career progression and investment discipline.

Introduction and Initial Comparison

Ishita, earning 65 LPA, and Ankita, earning 6 LPA, introduce themselves and their current financial situations, setting the stage for a comparison of their life paths and financial outlooks.

  • Ishita earns 65 LPA and does not pay taxes.
  • Ankita earns 6 LPA and pays taxes.
  • Ankita spends around 40,000 per month.
  • Ishita spends between 1,00,000 to 1,10,000 per month.
  • Ishita is from Muzaffarnagar, UP, living in Bangalore.
  • Ankita is 20 years old, from Delhi, living in Bangalore.

Career Journeys and Educational Backgrounds

Both Ishita and Ankita share their educational and career beginnings, highlighting their paths through engineering colleges, internships, and initial job offers, leading to their current salaries.

  • Ishita completed 12th, attempted JEE, and attended a Tier 3 engineering college in Ghaziabad for Computer Science.
  • Ishita did internships, secured a PPO at Cisco as a Business Analyst (earning 10 LPA), and later joined a US-based AI cybersecurity company as a Technical Program Manager (earning 65 LPA).
  • Ankita completed 12th in 2024, attempted JEE, and got into Kerala School of Technology, Bangalore.
  • Ankita had a first internship with Runable (stipend 45,000) and is currently working at an ed-tech startup earning 6 LPA.

Salary Satisfaction and Dream Figures

The participants discuss their satisfaction with their current salaries and reveal their dream salary figures, with Ishita aiming for 7 Lakhs per month and Ankita targeting 1-2 Crore per year.

  • Ankita is not happy with her current salary.
  • Ishita is happy but not satisfied with her current salary.
  • Ishita's dream is to build something of her own, with a target of 7 Lakhs per month upwards.
  • Ankita's dream salary is 1-2 Crore per year.

Salary and CTC Breakdown

A detailed breakdown of their CTCs and monthly salaries is presented, including base pay, bonuses, stocks, taxes, and deductions like PF and gratuity.

  • Ishita's CTC is 65 LPA: 40 LPA base, 10% bonus, and 20 Lakhs in stocks (assigned per annum).
  • Ankita's CTC is 6 LPA, with no tax bracket.
  • Ankita's deductions: PT (3600), Gratuity (14000), PF (43000).
  • Ishita's monthly salary: 2,62,000, with 19,500 PF deduction and 62,000 tax.
  • Ankita's monthly salary: 45,000, with 5,100 total deductions.

Monthly Spending and Expense Breakdown

The discussion shifts to monthly spending habits, with Ishita spending significantly more than Ankita, covering rent, Wi-Fi, water bills, travel, and groceries.

  • Ishita spends 1,00,000 to 1,10,000 per month.
  • Ankita spends all of her salary, around 40,000 per month.
  • Ishita's major expenses: Rent (15,000), Wi-Fi (1,000), Water Bill (2,000), Travel (5,000-6,000), Groceries (5,000).
  • Ankita's rent: 18,500 (for a room in a 3BHK shared apartment).
  • Ankita's other expenses: Maintenance (2,100), Groceries (7,500), Cook (2,500), Cleaning (1,500).
  • Ankita's commute is covered by the office cab; personal city travel costs 5,000-6,000.
  • Ankita has subscriptions for content creation and AI tools (3,000-4,000 per month).

Estimates on Rent, Dining, and Shopping

The participants estimate each other's rent and spending on eating out and shopping, revealing differing financial priorities and lifestyles.

  • Ishita's estimated rent: 50,000 per month.
  • Ankita's estimated rent: 15,000-20,000 per month.
  • Ishita's estimated eating out spending: 10,000-15,000 per month.
  • Ankita's estimated eating out spending: 4,000-5,000 per month.
  • Ishita's estimated shopping spending: 20,000 per month.
  • Ankita's estimated shopping spending: 5,000-7,000 per month.
  • Ishita's last big shopping spend: 16,000 on perfume.
  • Ankita's last big shopping spend: a chair.

Travel Expenses Comparison

Travel expenses are compared, with both participants sharing recent significant travel costs for trips to their hometowns.

  • Ishita spends around 20,000 quarterly on travel.
  • Ankita spends around 45,000 per quarter on travel.
  • Ishita's recent trip cost: 25,000 for flight, 35,000 total including floor travel.
  • Ankita's recent trip cost: 25,000 for round trip flights to Delhi.

Investment Strategies

Investment strategies are discussed, with Ishita investing a significant portion of her salary in mutual funds, stocks, ETFs, commodities, and ESIPPs, while Ankita focuses on SIPs and an emergency fund.

  • Ishita invests 1.5 Lakhs per month: 30% Mutual Funds, 20% Stocks, 10% ETFs, 10% Silver/Gold, 15% ESIPP.
  • Ishita also invests the rest in real estate.
  • Ankita invests in 2 SIPs and uses 3,000 for her emergency fund.

Emergency Funds and Health Insurance

The importance and coverage of emergency funds and health insurance are explored, revealing differences in their preparedness and coverage.

  • Ishita has a 6-month emergency fund.
  • Ankita has a 3-month emergency fund.
  • Ishita keeps her emergency fund in a separate bank account with higher interest.
  • Ankita's emergency fund is divided between a high-interest account and a liquid mutual fund.
  • Ishita has health insurance covering 25 Lakhs, likely provided by her company.
  • Ankita does not have external health insurance; her father's paramilitary service covers her medical expenses.

Credit Cards and Debt

Credit card usage and major debts are discussed, with both participants reporting no current major debts, though Ankita has an education loan.

  • Ishita has no credit cards.
  • Ankita has no credit cards but plans to get one soon.
  • Ishita is debt-free.
  • Ankita has an education loan of 18 Lakhs at 10% floating interest, with EMIs covered by her father (approx. 30,000/month for 9 years).

Financial Freedom Goals

The concept of financial freedom is addressed, with Ishita aiming for 7 Crore and Ankita targeting 8.5-10 Crore, considering inflation.

  • Ishita feels financially free at 7 Crore.
  • Ankita feels financially free at 8.5 Crore, or 10 Crore with inflation.

Postponed Purchases and Renting vs. Buying

Participants discuss postponed purchases and differing views on renting versus buying a home, with one advocating for renting and the other seeing buying as an investment.

  • Ishita postponed buying a BMW 3 Series due to money.
  • One participant believes renting for life is better than buying a home.
  • The other participant agrees that buying a home can be an emotional decision but also an investment.

Debates on Lifestyle Choices and Investments

Controversial topics like expensive skincare, big Indian weddings, mutual funds vs. real estate, and experiences vs. material goods are debated, revealing diverse perspectives.

  • One believes expensive skincare is a marketing gimmick; the other values quality products for skin and body.
  • Both agree big Indian weddings can be wasteful, though one sees value in the experience.
  • Both agree real estate investment is a good bet against mutual funds.
  • One strongly favors spending on experiences (travel) over material things; the other prefers a 50-50 split.

Priorities: Health, Emergency Funds, and Happiness

The importance of health insurance and emergency funds over stock investments is emphasized, followed by a discussion on whether money buys happiness.

  • Health insurance and emergency funds are prioritized over stock investments.
  • Money is considered important for happiness but not the sole factor.
  • Money can buy happiness, but not 100% of it.

Final Advice and Self-Investment

Final advice is given: say 'yes' even when not ready, and always prioritize self-investment for maximum returns.

  • Advice: Say 'yes' even before you are ready to achieve unimaginable places.
  • Priority: Keep yourself as number one priority; investment in yourself yields the maximum returns.