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Tyagi wrote that while Europe has strong systems, daily life can feel lonely. “You do everything alone. You cook, clean, manage bills, raise your kid and fight the silence that hits you every single winter,” he said.
Ankur Tyagi
New Delhi: An Indian man living in Sweden has sparked a major online conversation after revealing he is returning to Delhi because, despite Europe’s clean air and better systems, life in India feels “emotionally easier.”
Ankur Tyagi, who has been living in Sweden since 2021, wrote on X that people often assume Europe automatically means a better life with clean air, smooth public services and good infrastructure. But the reality, he said, can feel very different once someone begins building a life there. His post came as a response to another user who said they understood why many Indians want to leave the country due to pollution, corruption, high taxes and expensive real estate.
Tyagi wrote that while Europe has strong systems, daily life can feel lonely. “You do everything alone. You cook, clean, manage bills, raise your kid and fight the silence that hits you every single winter,” he said. He added that friendships in Europe are polite but distant, and community bonds are rare. Summing up, India may have chaos and daily challenges, but people are always around you. “In the West, problems are different and they cut deeper in ways you can’t explain unless you’ve lived it,” he wrote.
I live in the EU now from past 5 years and people think it is all clean air, good roads and perfect social systems.
Nobody really knows what it takes to build a life here.
You do everything alone.
You cook, clean, manage bills, raise your kid and fight the silence that hits… https://t.co/ER7O9m2FPJ— Ankur💻🎧💪 (@TheAnkurTyagi) November 24, 2025
Tyagi announced he is returning to Delhi on 5 December, despite the city’s severe pollution. He said every place comes with a cost, and he has realised he needs the “real oxygen of friends and family” more than clean air. “See you soon, India,” he wrote. His post has received more than 63,000 views and triggered strong reactions.
People from across the world responded to his experience. A person from Paris wrote that they fully agreed, saying every country has pros and cons, but they would still choose India because of its energy and community life. They added that if Indian cities improved their cleanliness, many NRIs would return. Another user commented that even productive Europeans are leaving Europe due to limited growth opportunities.
One user pointed out that moving abroad at a young age makes integration easier, but those who move later often struggle with language, culture and loneliness. Another warned Tyagi to be prepared for Delhi’s air quality, sharing how a colleague fell ill for a week after arriving from Kerala’s clean environment.
His post also follows a trend of NRIs publicly reconsidering life abroad. Recently, a video of a US-based couple went viral, where they announced their decision to return to India after 17 years. The woman said that motherhood, rising healthcare costs and short maternity leave in the US made life extremely stressful, while India offered faster access to doctors and stronger family support.
Tyagi’s message has reopened a larger debate: whether a “better system” is enough if emotional support and community life are missing.
