The salary you agree on for a full-time helper is the sticker price, not the drive-away price. Once you add the advance, the Diwali bonus, paid leave, food and a few festival gifts, a helper on ₹18,000 a month can cost closer to ₹2.5 Lakh across the year. This guide breaks down the hidden costs of full-time House Help, so you can compare it honestly with hourly help at ₹99 on Snabbit.
The salary is only the sticker price
A single monthly number looks simple, which is exactly why it is misleading. A full-time arrangement in India carries several extras that never show up in that figure, and together they change the real cost.
The extras, one by one
The advance
Most arrangements start with an advance, often a month or more, adjusted slowly against salary. If the person leaves early, you may never fully get it back.
The Diwali bonus and festival gifts
A Diwali bonus close to one month of pay is widely expected, plus smaller gifts through the year. That is effectively a thirteenth payment.
Paid leave and cover
When your helper travels home, you usually still pay, and you also arrange or pay for someone to cover so the house keeps running.
Food, and a room for live-in
Daily meals add up, and live-in help needs a room. Neither shows as salary, but both are real monthly costs.
Your time
Finding someone you trust, training them to your standards, and running the day to day is effort that has a value of its own.
A worked example
Take a full-timer at ₹18,000 a month. Twelve months is ₹2,16,000. Add a bonus of about ₹18,000, roughly ₹5,000 in festival gifts, and say ₹10,000 to ₹15,000 a year in food if you feed them daily. You are past ₹2.5 Lakh before counting the advance you may not recover, or the hours you spend managing it all.
| Cost item | Roughly, per year |
|---|---|
| Salary (₹18,000 x 12) | ₹2,16,000 |
| Diwali bonus (about 1 month) | ₹18,000 |
| Festival gifts | ₹5,000 |
| Food, if fed daily | ₹10,000-15,000 |
| Advance and your own time | Extra, hard to pin down |
| Real yearly cost | Over ₹2.5 Lakh |
The flexible alternative
If your needs change week to week, on-demand House Help skips all of the above. On the Snabbit app you pay per booking from ₹99 an hour, with no advance, no bonus, no leave cost and no lock-in, using trained and verified Experts. When your help is on leave, just Snabbit it.
Prefer no advances, bonuses or lock-ins? Book a trained Expert by the hour from ₹99.
Book House HelpFrequently Asked Questions
What are the hidden costs of full-time House Help?
An advance, a Diwali bonus of about one month of pay, festival gifts, paid leave, cover during absences, and food or a room for live-in help. Together they add well over a month of extra cost a year.
How much bonus do you pay full-time House Help?
A yearly bonus is commonly close to one month of salary, usually around Diwali, plus smaller festival gifts. This is on top of the twelve monthly payments.
Does on-demand help have hidden costs?
No. With on-demand help on the Snabbit app you pay per booking from ₹99 an hour, with no advance, no bonus, no leave cost and no lock-in.
Is full-time help worth the cost?
It can be, if you genuinely use the hours every day. For changing or lighter needs, hourly help avoids paying for idle time and the yearly extras.
This guide is for general home-care information. Service availability, pricing and scope may vary by city. Book on the Snabbit app for current details.
