Rs 2,000 for a job: How Bengaluru’s domestic help is changing the economy. Bengaluru-News News

For many households in Bengaluru, the biggest monthly shock is no longer rent or groceries. This is a domestic assistance bill. What was once an informal, negotiable arrangement has transformed into a structured, demand-driven market with surprisingly firm price points. Across the city, families are finding that salaries for domestic workers have increased sharply, with some rates now equivalent to EMIs.

It is becoming common to pay Rs 2000 for a daily job, Rs 7000 for full-time cleaning and Rs 12000 to Rs 15000 for cooking. This change is not limited to posh areas or gated communities. It’s spreading into apartments, independent homes and even older neighborhoods, where payments traditionally are much lower.

The new price reality inside homes

The numbers themselves tell a powerful story. A maid who comes once a day just to clean the utensils or sweep is now asking around Rs 2000 per month for that one job. In many apartment complexes, the demand for full-time cleaning in all rooms has pushed the rates up to around Rs 7000 monthly.

However, cooking has become a premium service. Families report that cooks who prepare meals twice a day are paid Rs 12,000 to Rs 15,000 per month. Prices vary depending on dietary preferences, complexity of cooking, and number of people in the household. Special diets, cooking on weekends, or hosting guests often invite additional charges.

The shocking thing is that these rates are becoming increasingly non-negotiable. Many domestic workers are on the front lines. This is the rate, take it or wait.

What is the reason behind this sudden change?

At the root of this change is the apparent mismatch between demand and supply. Bengaluru has grown faster than its support system. Thousands of new houses are built every year due to tech jobs, start-ups and migration from other cities. Almost all of them are looking for domestic help.

On the supply side, the numbers are very low. Less workers are coming in for domestic work. Many have shifted to delivery jobs, construction, retail, or factory work that offer fixed hours, weekly holidays, and sometimes Social Security benefits.

By comparison, domestic work often involves multiple homes, early mornings, physical stress, and less job stability. As a result, domestic workers now have an advantage. And they are using it.

From informal labor to market power

The second big change is information sharing. Domestic workers talk to each other today. Workers’ apartment WhatsApp groups, word of mouth in the neighborhood, and shared experiences have led to rate standardization.

In many localities, employees now decide collectively what the minimum acceptable wage should be. If one house refuses, the worker simply moves on, confident that the other house will agree.

This informal rate setting has quietly turned domestic help into a seller’s market.

now time is money

Recently, domestic workers have also started charging by the work done rather than by time. Previously, a single employee could handle multiple jobs for a bundled fee. Now, each task is clearly defined and priced.

Utensils are one rate. Cleaning the second floor. Bathrooms cost extra. Cooking is completely different. Ironing, dusting or walking a pet may invite additional payments.

This task-based approach reduces ambiguity for workers and increases costs for families. Families who previously depended on one multi-purpose maid are now either paying more or managing multiple workers.

domestic budget shortfall

For middle-class families, the impact is significant. A typical family can easily spend Rs 15000 to Rs 20000 per month on domestic help alone to help with utensils, cleaning and cooking.

This is forcing many people to rethink routines. Some people have fallen back on dishwashers, robotic vacuum cleaners, or simplified cooking routines. Others prefer to live, at least temporarily, without daily assistance.

However, these adjustments come at a personal cost. Dual-income families working long hours are difficult to manage without support. Maid economy is not a luxury for them. This is essential infrastructure.

Why is this trend unlikely to reverse soon?

There is no reason to believe that wages for domestic workers will stabilize any time soon. The exodus continues. Apartment living expands. Meanwhile, alternative employment avenues for workers continue to grow, particularly with platform-based gig work.

Without institutional protection, domestic work remains physically demanding and socially undervalued. Therefore, higher wages become a compensation mechanism.

Experts say that as long as demand continues to exceed supply, wages will remain stable.

A quiet restoration of urban life

What Bengaluru is seeing is not just an increase in wages, but also a re-evaluation of how domestic labor is valued. The comfort and convenience that families enjoy now comes with a clear price tag.

In many ways, the maid economy in Bengaluru is catching up with the city’s real cost of living. The adjustment is painful for families, but long overdue for workers.

As one resident put it, domestic workers are no longer cheap labour. This is professional support. And Bengaluru families are learning that this change is not temporary.