When chatting with my Mom(a young octogenarian!) ,I casually mentioned that silver prices have touched 60K + a kilo and gold is well above 21K.

She remnicensed her childhood days when they used to give the family goldsmith a couple of silver one Rupee coins and get a small silver cup made!

She further spoke in detail Grandma bought a ruby (kemp)necklace for just Rs.500/- and the stuff weighed than 5 sovereigns...

And she said that was quite expensive for those days when a bag of rice (100kgs) cost less than 100 rs and the rent for a city house of nearly 1000sqft complete with a yard and garden in Mylapore was Rs 45 and the average salary (upper middle class families) was about Rs 150 or so.

And she further quipped that the income always matched the expenses
and in those days when land in the heart of the city was less than 20K per ground and was unaffordable to most salaried class and they had to buy a house only with loans -from generous inlaws and parents!

So the middle class is always middle class,eh!