Kamal Ghorui
“India ke 100 rupaye ki yahan kya value hai?” This is how the video that has over three million views begins. A short, playful video shared recently on Instagram by veggiwander has struck a chord with people across India. It starts with a woman holding a ₹100 note and walking through a supermarket in London’s main street. What follows is not just an experiment but a quiet reality check on the cost of living in a foreign land. For those who don’t know, London is often counted among the most expensive cities to live in the world.A ₹100 note holds decent value in India. One can easily buy some quick snack, a cup of tea or coffee, or shakes, and even a basic meal or thali in parts of India. However, in the UK, the currency translates to roughly £0.80 (pound). Let’s see what happens next: As soon the woman enters the market, her search begins with hope. She wonders, maybe ₹100 could get her a simple cheese and onion sandwich? But she looked really shaken with reality as the sandwich is priced at £1.50 (out of her budget). She starts looking for other items, scanning shelves with curiosity.She finds a basic necessity: a bottle of water. “Pani to shayad khareed hi paungi”, she is sure that ₹100 should at least get her a 500 ml bottle. But her hope soon shatters as she looks at the price. The bottle is for £1.15, which is about ₹143. “Pani bhi nahi khareed paungi,” she says and moves away. Something as basic as drinking water is unaffordable at ₹100. But her search doesn’t stop here. She picks up a cabbage that too is priced at £0.89—still expensive. Next comes a pack of Oreos priced at £1.65, also out of budget. “100 rupaye me na main oreo ka packet bhi nahi le parhi hoon kyunki vo bhi 1.65 pound ka hai”. Each item she picks up tells the same story: ₹100 is simply nothing here.Finally, her search comes to an end. She finds one thing that is in her budget, a small packet of carrots priced at £0.60 (around ₹75). “Arry yaar. Jo main le sakti hoon, vo to sirf ye gajar ka packet hai jo hai .6 pounds ki to bus yehi le lete hain,” she says with a half-hearted laugh. Significance of the video
For many Indians, ₹100 is quite valuable for everyday utility. For us, it is our auto fare, a plate of chaat, idli sambar and other street food. It is also a dozen bananas or a half kilo of apple. But not in London. The same amount is almost nothing when it comes in value.This video is not only about currency conversion but the purchasing power, the cost of living in a foreign country and the power of local currency. Having said that, salaries in the UK are significantly higher than in India. But for visitors and travellers, the difference feels stark.In the end, the video doesn’t need dramatic commentary. It simply shows, through one woman’s grocery run, how far ₹100 can travel across borders.
