India has always been known for its low cost of living. Home to some of the largest slums in the world, many locals are surviving on very little money in comparison to the western world. This means pounds and dollars go very far in this country, which makes it a great place to visit for the budget traveller. 

Having said that, we were actually surprised by the cost of some things in India. We quickly learned that there are two prices; one for locals and one for tourists which can be up to ten times more. We think it is fair for us to pay more, however, it’s still important to feel you are getting value for money.

We recorded every single rupee that we spent during our three-week trip in this fascinating country. Here we will detail how much we spent and how we spent it in hopes that it will give you an idea of what you need to budget for your own adventure.

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Contents

• Before you go
• Accommodation
• Food and Drink
• Transport
• Activities
• Misc
• Total Cost

Before you go

So, you have decided you are going to India? Great idea! However, it is time to face the reality that there are going to be costs before you pack your bags. 

First, the largest cost is the flights. We were surprised at how expensive the one-way flight from the UK was. To reach Mumbai in the cheapest way possible, we ended up booking three individual flights. This would not have been possible without using the old reliable Skyscanner which we recommend you use to book your flights. The total for the flights came to £340 for both of us.

You will also need a visa to enter India. To do this you will need to apply online. If you are from the UK you will have to book an in-person Visa appointment and pay £150 for one year (thanks Boris).  If however, you are from anywhere else on the globe, you can apply for an E-Visa which costs around £30.

Another big cost may be getting travel ready with a cocktail of vaccinations. Check with your healthcare system to see which are recommended. Luckily, we only needed some free booster jabs, however, we know they can get expensive. For example, we previously had the Rabies vaccine which cost £180, so it is definitely worth considering this area in your travel budget.

Total cost for 2 people: £640

Accommodation

Unfortunately, we found the accommodation in India to be a letdown. Especially when compared to other countries we have visited at similar price points. As we were travelling on a budget, we were opting for cheaper accommodation which led us to discover that you get what you pay for in India. This was especially true for Mumbai and Delhi, where very basic rooms were surprisingly expensive.

You can pay as little as Rs.300 (£3) per night, however, expect stained sheets and cold showers. On the other hand, India is home to one of the most expensive hotel rooms in the world which is guaranteed to be amazing.

We spent an average of Rs.1448 (£14.62) per night. Here are the costs of all the places we stayed:

• Mumbai – Bed & Breakfast Colaba – Rs.2,250 (£26)
• Udaipur – Little Peepal House –  Rs.588 (£6)
• Jodhpur – Krishna Prakash Heritage Haveli – Rs.1,866 (£20)
• Jaipur – Hotel Ramsingh Palace – Rs.950 (£10)
• Agra – Hotel Sheela – Rs.719 (£8)
• Delhi – Heistel Delhi – Rs.1,033 (£11)
• Delhi – Hotel Classic Diplomat – Rs.3,025 (£30)

Total cost for 2 people: Rs.30,411 (£307.52)

Food and Drink

Beings Brits we have grown up with a close connection to Indian food as it is very typical to have a curry on a regular basis. It’s safe to say we were very excited about the food and we are happy to report that you can eat very very well for a bargain price.

Most restaurants will offer a thali for Rs.400 (£4), a collection of small dishes you mix and match for a flavour party. Another restaurant staple (and a personal favourite) is Biriyani which would usually costs around Rs.300 (£3).

Too expensive for your taste? No problem, head out and eat on the street for serious savings. Street food has a lot to offer, as long as you are careful about the eateries you choose, and is so cheap. For example, Vada Pav (deep-fried potato in a bread roll) only costs us Rs.20 (20p).

Total cost for 2 people: Rs.30,000 (£300)

Transport

Transport is very similar to accommodation, where you can spend as little or as much as you want here. There is an abundance of options for how you get around India as every place we visited had train, bus and flight connections.

India is famous for its railway system and is the preferred way to travel for most tourists. This mode of transport can be ridiculously cheap, especially if you are up for an adventure in the unreserved carriages at the back of the train. 

However, India is huge. Distances between destinations are large and the duration of the trains (if on schedule) will be long. Therefore, you will probably want to have the comfort of 2nd or 1st class. To book tickets, we recommend using 12go.asia.

Here are all the costs (per person) of journeys we had in India:

• Mumbai to Udaipur – Flight – Rs.4,131 (£42)
• Udaipur to Jodhpur – Bus – Rs.808 (£8)
• Jodhpur to Jaipur – Train – Rs.819 (£9)
• Jaipur to Agra – Train – Rs.646 (£7)
• Agra to Delhi – Train – Rs.955 (£10)

Within the cities themselves, we used a mixture of rickshaws, Ubers and metros. All of which are inexpensive and super convenient.

Total cost for 2 people: Rs.9,812 (£99.36) 

Activities

For full transparency, this is probably not the best representation of the cost of activities in India. Unfortunately, we were ill for quite a lot of our time in India which meant we did less than we usually would have done.

Most activities were moderately priced at around Rs.500 (£5) for entrance to the attraction. The most expensive activity was the entrance to the Taj Mahal, which only cost Rs.1,300 (£13). We thought this was amazing as realistically they could charge whatever they wanted for a wonder of the world. You really don’t need a big budget to have a lot of fun whilst in India. 

However, we did find that Rs.500 each per attraction would begin to add up and some were not worth the price tag. The trouble with travelling around a small part of India means the cities have similar attractions that you can’t help but compare to one another. Therefore, if we paid the same price to visit a less impressive version of something we have already seen, we felt a bit disappointed.

Total cost for 2 people: Rs.9,614 (£97.22)

Miscellaneous

It is worth budgeting in some money for the random bits and bobs that pop up during travelling in India. For example, none of the places we stayed provided toilet paper so we had to search for it, which was surprisingly hard given the reputation of Delhi belly. You may also want to employ those haggling skills for some souvenir shopping in one of India’s many markets.

The good news is, day-to-day things like this are very affordable in India.

Total Cost: Rs.3020 (£30.54)

Total cost for 2 people: Rs.152,320 (£1542.53)

As you can see, it is possible to visit India on a relatively small budget, making it an ideal country for all types of travellers and budgets. That being said, we do wish we had spent more on accommodation in some cases.

We firmly believe India is a must-visit destination that everyone should experience once in their lives and now you know how much it costs (and that you can probably afford it), what is stopping you?

We hope this has been useful and if you are on your way to booking your trip, we hope you enjoy it!

Thank you for reading our cost breakdown of India. Why not check out our other India posts for more travel inspiration:

• The Ultimate Guide to 3 weeks in India
• 3 days in Mumbai, India: The Ultimate Itinerary
• Our 2-day Itinerary in Beautiful Udaipur, India 
• Jodhpur, India: How to Explore the Blue City in One Day
• How To Spend One Day In Agra, India
• Delhi, India: The Best 3-Day Itinerary

Let us know in the comments box below if you have any further suggestions 🙂