Man claims raising a child in India costs ₹1.39 crore, internet divided: ‘Some things can’t be measured in money’

A content creator has sparked a debate on the cost of parenthood after claiming that raising a child in India can cost around ₹1.39 crore the time they turn 18.Singh estimated the child’s first two years to cost around ₹6 lakh. (Instagram/@vikhyat._)In an Instagram video, content creator Vikhyat Singh broke down what he believes are the major expenses parents are likely to incur, from pregnancy and schooling to healthcare, gadgets and transport. “Why I don’t want kids. Let’s calculate the cost of raising a kid in India,” he said in the clip, before ling estimated expenses across different stages of a child’s life.Singh started with pregnancy-related costs. According to him, parents could spend around ₹3 lakh on doctor consultations, medical tests, medicines, maternity clothing and delivery at a private hospital.He then estimated the child’s first two years to cost around ₹6 lakh. This estimate included ba essentials such as diapers, food, vaccinations and other necessities.Sigh then estimated that parents could spend around ₹15 lakh on food between the ages of two and 18. According to him, education would be the biggest expense, costing roughly ₹33 lakh, including play school, annual school fees, books, uniforms and school trips.Singh also factored in tuition ( ₹9 lakh), healthcare ( ₹5.4 lakh), entertainment ( ₹9 lakh), clothes ( ₹7.2 lakh), gadgets ( ₹4 lakh), sports and extracurricular activities ( ₹8 lakh), transport ( ₹8 lakh) and the additional cost of renting a bigger home to accommodate a child ( ₹32.4 lakh).Adding these figures together, he arrived at a total of ₹1.39 crore.In the video, Singh argued that the actual cost would be even higher as his estimate did not account for college fees, inflation or the opportunity cost of investing the money elsewhere. He claimed that the real expense could “easily” cross ₹2 crore, joking that it was comparable to the on-road price of a BMW M4 Competition.(Also Read:




