Indian Woman Compares Life With UK Cousin, Asks If West Is Better

NDTV

23-04-2025

A 21-year-old woman from Gujarat has sparked a discussion online after drawing a sharp contrast between her life in India and her cousin's life, who relocated to the United Kingdom at a young age. In her post on Reddit, the woman, who claims to be an engineer, revealed that her cousin enrolled in a good aerospace engineering programme, always travelled with friends, and even received an offer from the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). But she went on to say that, in comparison, her life was filled with daily struggles.
'Personally I would say yes. My cousin and I are the same age. Both 21. She moved to the UK with her family when she was 14 and I stayed in india. We both are really close since childhood as we are the same age and practically grew up together. We still talk to each other every week without fail. We both are studying engineering. She lives in Wales and I live in Gujarat. We both are good students but not topper by any means,' the Redditor wrote in her post, titled 'Is life in western countries actually better than in India?'
Is life in western countries actually better than in India?
by u/BubblyDamage4746 in nri
The woman then went on to point out how different their lives have become in terms of quality of living, education and social life. She claimed that her cousin has two internships that pay her well and promote work-life balance, while she is stuck working a 10-hour internship that pays Rs 12,000 a month.
"I struggle to get good internships. At my last internship, I worked 10 hours a day and was paid 12k a month.(plus an hour commute) College workload is a lot, and I have to spend time completing useless files and assignments. Teachers aren't the best, and I get judged by everyone because I wasn't able to crack JEE. It's hard to find good jobs, and most pay really low, like some offer 15,000-20,000," she said.
"A lot of people tell me that living abroad is terrible and how it is getting really bad. But I think it is still better than India," she said as she concluded her post.
Since being shared, the post has accumulated several likes and comments.
'You're just comparing life because you grew up together. Though it looks green on the other side, you can achieve more than her. But you just choose to blame the external conditions. A student in Beijing or Tokyo might do even better. Use all the available resources to the best and try to navigate your life. No point in comparing which one is better. You can literally go to any country you want and do a Master's if you believe the West has better opportunities. Don't focus on the wrong things,' commented one user.
'100%. It's not an opinion. It's a fact,' wrote another. 'Yes, it is better,' said a third user.
'The cost of quality of life is very high in India. India is not exactly cheap. If you can immigrate, it will be a higher quality of life for sure. You will add at least 5 years to your lifespan,' one user wrote.