NRI calculates H-1B salary needed for comfortable US life

Entrepreneur Aniruddha Anjana has estimated that an H-1B visa holder with a family of four needs an annual income of $407,597 in San Francisco and $204,672 in Houston to live comfortably in 2026. He used the 50/30/20 budgeting rule, allocating 50% to essentials, 30% to wants and 20% to savings. The calculations cover ten major US cities, with figures ranging from $407,597 in San Francisco to $204,672 in Houston.

Anjana, who spent about 10 years in the US before returning to India, said many H-1B salaries, especially outside big tech, fall below these levels. He noted that housing, childcare and healthcare costs can reduce the value of what seems like a high salary. LiveMint reported it could not independently verify the living costs shared by Anjana. Greatandhra and NDTV also covered the story, with NDTV highlighting the 50/30/20 rule as the basis for the estimates.

Anjana described starting a US company and returning to India to run it, earning in dollars while spending in rupees, which he said gave him more flexibility. His post has revived debate about the real cost of the American dream for immigrant professionals.