New Delhi, March 26 -- Landing your first job is a big deal, but so is figuring out where to live on a salary you've never had before. For young professionals moving to India's major cities, rent isn't just a line item. It's often the decision that shapes everything else: how much you save, how stressed you are, and how quickly you build any kind of financial cushion.

As rents climb and entry-level salaries struggle to keep pace, the tough question is: how much is too much?

The widely accepted benchmark-that rent should not exceed 30% of one's take-home income-serves as a useful guide, but increasingly feels out of sync with practical realities. For many freshers, especially those moving to cities like Mumbai, Bengaluru or Gurugram, sti...