The estimate, shared by Aniruddha Anjana, Co-founder and CEO of ArcAligned, uses the 50/30/20 budgeting rule. Under this approach, 50% of income goes towards fixed expenses, 30% towards wants such as travel and entertainment, and 20% towards investments.
“If you’re on H1B with a family, here’s what it actually costs to live comfortably in 2026 — not just survive, but live without financial stress,” he wrote in his Instagram post.
For a family of two adults and two children, the estimated annual income needed in 10 major US cities is:
San Francisco: $407,597
San Jose: $402,771
Boston: $368,742
New York: $337,875
Seattle: $334,131
Washington DC: $319,405
Chicago: $242,278
Austin: $229,050
Dallas: $214,490
Houston: $204,672
The figures show that the cost of maintaining a comfortable lifestyle varies sharply between US cities. Even Houston, considered among the more affordable major cities on the list, requires an estimated income of more than $200,000 a year for a family of four, Anjana said.
ALSO READ | How to file EPF nomination online: Step-by-step guide, eligibility and key details
He stated that many H-1B workers, especially those outside big tech, may not earn enough to comfortably cover expenses while also saving and spending on travel and entertainment.
“This is the part nobody tells you when you’re chasing the American dream: the salary that sounded huge back in India often barely covers a stressed, tight budget once you’re actually living here with a family,” Anjana wrote.
Sharing his own experience, Anjana said he felt he was ‘way underpaid’ for what he was giving up while living in the US. He later started a company in the US and moved back to India to run it.
“There’s another way to think about this. Instead of only chasing a bigger salary inside the same system, you can build income that isn’t tied to US cost-of-living at all,” Anjana pointed.
He said earning in dollars while spending in rupees gave him more financial flexibility and allowed him to travel to the US on his own terms.
“I earn in dollars, but I spend in rupees. That single shift is what actually gave me the freedom to travel to the US whenever I want, on my own terms, and live the version of the American dream that actually works for my life,” he added.