A 35-year-old Indian engineer who spent 12 years building a life in the United States is considering returning to Mumbai with $360,000 in savings, saying the promise of an affluent American lifestyle has come at the cost of personal fulfilment, affordable housing and long-term certainty.

The man, whose account was shared on Reddit said he plans to take over his father’s construction business in Mumbai, which has an annual turnover of approximately ₹1 crore. He said he is already engaged and that his fiancée supports the proposed move.

His dilemma, however, extends beyond money. He wants to start a family but is reluctant to raise children in the United States after experiencing years of immigration-related uncertainty. He is torn between pursuing further financial opportunities abroad and returning to India for what he believes could be a more comfortable life.

“I had big dreams when I got here but it’s insanely lonely and the quality of life in the US is fake luxurious,” he wrote on Reddit, describing his housing expenses and contrasting his American accommodation with his family home in Mumbai.

The account has struck a chord with the wider debate among Indians abroad about whether higher salaries and access to international opportunities necessarily translate into a better quality of life.

High earnings, expensive housing and the cost of isolation

The engineer said he has a steady job in the US and has accumulated $360,000 over 12 years. Yet his experience has left him questioning whether the financial advantages of living abroad justify the personal costs.

“I pay $4k for a one bed with wooden walls,” he wrote, comparing the rental accommodation with his larger, better-built family home in Mumbai.

His account highlights a familiar challenge for professionals living in expensive American cities: substantial earnings can be offset by housing costs and other recurring expenses. The experience varies considerably by location, salary, household size and immigration status, but high rent can limit the lifestyle benefits that initially attract skilled workers to the US.

For the engineer, loneliness has become another major consideration. Despite spending more than a decade in America, he described his life as isolating and questioned whether remaining there would bring the fulfilment he had expected.

His account also illustrates why comparisons between life in India and the US cannot be reduced to salary figures alone. Housing, family support, social connections, career prospects and the cost of raising children can all influence the decision to stay abroad or return home.

Immigration uncertainty shapes plans for children

The engineer identified the prospect of raising children as a central factor in his decision.

“The only thing holding me back is I want kids and I don’t want to put them through the same immigration BS that I went through,” he wrote, describing his uncertainty over whether to pursue further opportunities in America or return to India.

Immigration status can affect how Indian professionals plan their lives in the US, particularly when permanent residency applications involve long waits. The implications depend on an individual’s visa category, priority date, employment situation and family circumstances.

For some families, the uncertainty influences decisions about home ownership, changing employers, having children and committing to long-term financial obligations. However, the Reddit post does not specify the engineer’s visa category or the particular immigration difficulties he experienced.

His proposed return would offer a different set of considerations. Taking over an established family business could provide continuity and access to family support, but the company’s annual turnover does not establish how much profit it generates or how much income he could personally draw from it.

The distinction is important when comparing his current US earnings and savings with the financial prospects of running a construction business in India.

Reddit users debate whether returning to India makes sense

Responses to the post were divided, reflecting the different priorities that shape decisions about migration.

Some commenters encouraged the engineer to return rather than allow concerns about hypothetical future circumstances to dominate his decision. Others argued that raising children in the US could provide access to educational and professional opportunities that might influence their long-term prospects.

Some users suggested moving to another American city before abandoning life in the country altogether, arguing that the cost of housing and the difficulty of building social connections can vary substantially between locations.

Others questioned whether the engineer’s dissatisfaction would necessarily disappear after returning to India, where traffic congestion, pollution, infrastructure constraints and business challenges can affect daily life.

These reactions underline that neither country offers a universally superior experience. A move that improves one person’s finances or family life may create new difficulties for another.

Return migration is about more than savings

The engineer’s reported $360,000 in savings gives him a financial cushion, while his father’s construction business offers a potential route into self-employment. But his account does not establish whether he has made a final decision or whether he has assessed the business’s profitability, liabilities and future growth prospects.

For Indians considering a similar move, the practical calculation involves more than comparing a US salary with prospective income in India. It requires examining after-tax earnings, housing costs, healthcare, retirement savings, business income, family responsibilities and the consequences of changing immigration status.

The personal calculation can be equally important. Proximity to parents, a familiar social environment and the ability to participate in a family business may carry greater weight than the prospect of earning more abroad.

The engineer’s account does not prove that life in America is universally less fulfilling or that returning to India guarantees a better standard of living. It offers a glimpse into one professional’s reassessment after 12 years abroad.

His central question is whether the opportunities he could still pursue in the US are worth the financial and personal costs he associates with staying. For an increasing number of Indians weighing their future across borders, that calculation can involve not just where they can earn more, but where they want to build their families and spend their lives.