Quick answer: A trip to India typically costs US$25-50/day backpacker, US$80-160/day mid-range, US$350-2000+/day luxury. Currency: Indian Rupee (INR / ₹) — roughly ₹83 = US$1.
India is the cheapest major travel destination on Earth — backpackers genuinely manage US$25/day, and even mid-range travelers can do it for US$60-80/day. Costs vary enormously by region (Mumbai 3x cheaper than Mumbai luxury) and by speed of travel (slow trains vs flights). Here is the real picture.
India trip cost: daily budget at a glance
Short answer: budget on roughly $60–120 per person per day mid-range (excluding international flights).
| Travel style | Per day (per person) | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Budget | $25–45 | Hostels/guesthouses, street food, public transport |
| Mid-range | $60–120 | 3-star hotels, restaurants, the odd tour or taxi |
| Luxury | $250+ | 4–5★ hotels, fine dining, private guides & transfers |
Cost tiers — budget / mid / luxury
Cost breakdown by category
Continue planning your India trip
- Accommodation: US$5 guesthouse → US$50 3-star → US$300+ heritage hotel
- Street food meal: US$1-3 (samosa, masala dosa, biryani)
- Mid-range restaurant: US$8-20 per person
- Sleeper train (e.g. Mumbai-Delhi): US$15-40 depending on class
- Domestic flights: US$50-150 one-way (IndiGo, Vistara)
Sample 7-day budgets
- Backpacker 7 days: ~US$200-280 (budget guesthouse + street food + sleeper trains)
- Mid-range 7 days: ~US$800-1200 (hotels + AC trains + restaurants + Taj Mahal visit)
- Luxury 7 days: ~US$4500-10000+ (heritage hotels + private driver + Oberoi/Taj properties)
How to save money in India
- Street food is safe in major cities if it’s hot and freshly cooked
- Sleeper trains beat flights for cost AND let you see the country — Mumbai-Delhi US$25 in AC3
- Always ask for hotel rates with breakfast included (most do)
- Pre-paid airport taxis save the haggle (especially in Mumbai/Delhi)
- Audio guides at Taj Mahal/Red Fort are US$2 vs US$25 for guided tours
A local insider tip
If you want maximum India in 10 days at lowest cost, do the classic Golden Triangle (Delhi-Agra-Jaipur) on AC sleeper trains, stay in Oyo Rooms or Bloomrooms (US$25-35/night), eat at sit-down chain restaurants (Sagar Ratna, Saravana Bhavan), and add 3 days in Rajasthan’s Pushkar for the desert experience. Total ~US$700 vs US$3000+ in group tours.
The Two-Tier Daily Budget and the Costs That Quietly Leak
Strip away the brochure numbers and India splits cleanly into two honest daily tiers. A genuine shoestring runs around USD 25-40 per day (about INR 2,000-3,400): a hostel dorm or basic fan room, thalis and street meals, sleeper-class trains and local buses. A comfortable day sits around USD 50-90 (about INR 4,000-7,500): a clean AC room, sit-down restaurants, the odd domestic flight, paid entries and a guide here and there. Over a typical two-week trip that lands near USD 450-560 shoestring and roughly USD 700-1,260 comfortable, before flights home.
The leaks people forget to budget for:
- eVisa fees swing by season. The 30-day tourist eVisa is about USD 25 from July to March but drops to around USD 10 in April-June; a 5-year eVisa is about USD 80, plus a payment surcharge of roughly 2.5-3 percent.
- Foreign-card ATM withdrawals at most private banks cost around INR 200-335 (about USD 2.40-4) each, so pull larger amounts less often.
- Booking trains under the Foreign Tourist Quota adds an IRCTC service fee of about INR 200 plus tax per ticket.
Two swaps that pay off: at any card terminal or ATM, decline to be charged in your home currency and choose rupees, sidestepping a markup that can reach 5-7 percent. Riding overnight sleeper trains instead of domestic flights saves roughly USD 40-100 per leg and a hotel night.
Frequently asked questions
How much is 2 weeks in India?
Backpacker: US$400-600. Mid-range: US$1500-2500. Luxury: US$8000-15000+. Golden Triangle (Delhi-Agra-Jaipur) is the classic itinerary.
Is India safe for solo female travelers?
Yes with sensible precautions — stick to mid-range or above accommodation, avoid late-night solo travel, dress modestly. Tourist areas (Rajasthan, Kerala, Goa, Mumbai) are well-managed.
How much for the Taj Mahal?
Entry: ₹1100 (US$13) for foreign visitors. ₹50 (US$0.60) for Indian nationals. Sunrise visit is the best — gates open at 6am.
When is the cheapest time to visit India?
April-September (hot/monsoon) has 30-50% cheaper flights and hotels. Trade-off is significant heat (April-June) or rain (June-September).
Should I tip in India?
Yes — 10% in restaurants if no service charge. ₹50-100 for hotel porter. ₹100-200 per day for full-day driver.
Plan your India trip
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Written by
John Morrison is the founder and lead travel writer at Packzup. Over the past decade he has explored destinations across Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and Oceania — always self-funded, never on a press trip.