Short answer: On the ground in India, plan on roughly ₹1,350–2,900 (about $14–30) per person per day on a hostel-and-thali budget, ₹4,350–10,600 (about $45–110) in a mid-range hotel shared by two with app cabs and a big monument most days, and about ₹10,000–15,500 ($105–160) or more for upscale hotels and a private car and driver. A week therefore costs roughly $100–210, $315–765 or $725–1,115 per person, before flights and the e-Visa. India’s palace and luxury hotels can cost far more, but few countries give you so much for so little.
India is one of the cheapest major destinations in the world for travelers paying in dollars, euros or pounds. A filling thali costs a few dollars, a metro ride well under one, and even the Taj Mahal’s foreign-visitor ticket costs less than a museum in Europe. The bigger costs are your hotel (and its tax), getting around a huge country by train, plane or car and driver, and guided tours. This guide breaks it all down with figures from official sources where they exist, so you can build a realistic budget for your trip to India. The rupee was about ₹97 to the US dollar in early October 2026, on the European Central Bank’s reference rates; dollar figures here are rounded at that rate, and our Money exchange tool has today’s rate.
India daily costs at a glance
These example days are built from the prices further down this page: one person, one sightseeing day on the Golden Triangle of Delhi, Agra and Jaipur. They leave out flights, long-distance trains, the e-Visa and shopping.
| Per person, per day | Budget | Mid-range | Comfort |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bed | Hostel dorm from about ₹600, or half of a ₹2,000 private room: ₹600–1,000 | Half of a mid-range double at ₹4,000–12,000: ₹2,000–6,000 | Half of a branded upscale hotel room at about ₹10,000–14,000: ₹5,000–7,000 |
| Food | Two thalis plus street snacks and chai: ₹350–950 | A thali lunch plus a mid-range dinner: ₹950–2,400 | Two mid-range restaurant meals: ₹1,600–4,000 |
| Local transport | Metro rides at ₹11–64 and an auto-rickshaw: ₹150–400 | Three autos or app cabs at ₹100–300: ₹300–900 | Half of a car and driver at ₹3,000–5,000 a day: ₹1,500–2,500 |
| Sights | One monument at ₹250–550 | The Taj Mahal with the mausoleum, or two ₹550 monuments: ₹1,100–1,300 | Taj Mahal and Agra Fort: ₹1,950 |
| Total | About ₹1,350–2,900 ($14–30) | About ₹4,350–10,600 ($45–110) | About ₹10,000–15,500 ($105–160) |
Monument, metro and visa prices are official; branded-hotel rates come from the HVS ANAROCK hotel market survey; hostel prices are from a travel guide; meal, room, auto-rickshaw and driver ranges are the typical ranges used in our India city guides. Treat them as typical ranges, not quotes.
What visitors actually spend in India
India’s Ministry of Tourism counted about 9.15 million foreign tourist arrivals in 2025 (revised figures in its Annual Tourism Snapshot 2025) and foreign exchange earnings from tourism of ₹2,76,831 crore, or about $31.7 billion. The ministry does not publish an average spend per foreign visitor, and the earnings total covers every kind of international visitor, so it is not a holiday budget, but it shows how much international travel matters to the country.
On our Travel costs by country scale, which compares hotel, restaurant and transport prices with the United States (US = 100), India scores 25. In plain words, typical travel prices are about a quarter of US levels, on a par with Sri Lanka (24) and Nepal (26) and a little below Thailand (28) and Vietnam (29).
Accommodation costs
India has every kind of bed, from backpacker hostel chains to heritage havelis and palace hotels. As typical ranges:
| Per night | Typical price |
|---|---|
| Hostel dorm bed | From about ₹600 ($6) |
| Private room in a hostel | About ₹2,000 ($21) |
| Mid-range double, Jaipur or Agra | About ₹4,000–10,000 ($41–103) |
| Mid-range double, Delhi | About ₹5,000–12,000 ($52–124) |
| Beach hut in Goa, in season | About ₹2,000–6,000 ($21–62) |
| Mid-range resort double in Goa, in season | About ₹6,000–15,000 ($62–155) |
| Branded hotels, all-India average room rate | About ₹9,100–9,300 in January 2025, above ₹10,000 in February 2025 |
The branded-hotel figures are averages for chain and upscale hotels from the consultancy HVS ANAROCK. Mumbai is India’s most expensive hotel market, with average rates consistently above ₹14,000 in 2025, and New Delhi averaged above ₹8,500 in June 2025. Rates are highest in the cool, dry peak season, especially around Christmas and New Year, and lowest from April to September in the plains, Rajasthan, Goa and Kerala.
Check whether a room price includes tax. Since 22 September 2025, India’s goods and services tax (GST) on hotel rooms has been 5% for rooms charged at up to ₹7,500 a night and 18% for rooms above ₹7,500, so an upscale room can cost noticeably more than its headline rate.
Food and drink costs
Food is where India is cheapest. As the typical ranges in our city guides: a thali (set meal) in a local restaurant costs about ₹150–400 ($1.50–4), a street snack or chai ₹10–80, and dinner in a mid-range restaurant about ₹800–2,000 ($8–21) per person. In Jaipur, a pyaaz kachori and lassi breakfast runs about ₹50–120; in Goa, a plate of fish curry rice costs about ₹200–450 and a seafood dinner at a beach shack ₹800–2,000, with a beer at ₹150–300.
GST at standalone restaurants is 5%; restaurants inside upscale hotels charge 18%. Some restaurants add a “service charge” to the bill, but under India’s Central Consumer Protection Authority guidelines, upheld by the Delhi High Court in March 2025, a service charge cannot be added by default and is voluntary: you can ask for it to be removed.
Getting around: metro, trains, drivers and boats
| Fare | Price |
|---|---|
| Delhi Metro, single journey (from 25 August 2025) | ₹11–64 by distance ($0.10–0.65) |
| Kochi Water Metro, High Court to Fort Kochi | ₹40 ($0.40) |
| Auto-rickshaw or app cab, short city ride | About ₹100–300 ($1–3) |
| Air-conditioned train, Delhi to Agra or Jaipur | About ₹700–2,500 ($7–26) |
| Car and driver, per day | About ₹3,000–5,000 ($31–52) |
| Scooter rental in Goa, per day | About ₹350–700 ($3.60–7.20) |
Delhi Metro smart cards give 10% off every trip, plus a further 10% off-peak. Trains are the classic way to cover long distances, and the fast air-conditioned day trains on the Golden Triangle are good value. Hiring a car and driver for a day is the easiest way to combine sights such as Agra and Fatehpur Sikri. Domestic flights save a day on longer jumps, for example from Delhi to Goa, Kochi or Varanasi.
Sightseeing fees and free things to do
Foreign visitors pay more than Indian citizens at protected monuments, but prices are still modest. Buying online on the Archaeological Survey of India’s e-ticket site is a little cheaper than paying cash at the gate, and children under 15 enter free. Official prices for foreign adults:
| Sight | Foreign adult |
|---|---|
| Taj Mahal, Agra (closed Fridays) | ₹1,100 at the window, ₹1,050 online ($11); main mausoleum ₹200 extra |
| Taj Mahal night viewing, around full moon | ₹750 ($7.70) |
| Agra Fort | ₹650 ($6.70), or ₹600 the same day as the Taj |
| Fatehpur Sikri | ₹610 ($6.30) |
| Red Fort, Qutub Minar or Humayun’s Tomb, Delhi | ₹550 each online ($5.70) |
| Elephanta Caves, Mumbai | ₹550 online |
| Group of Monuments, Hampi | ₹550 online |
| Mattancherry Palace Museum, Kochi | ₹5 |
| Golden Temple, Amritsar | Free |
Some of India’s most memorable experiences cost nothing: a free meal at the Golden Temple’s community kitchen, the evening ceremonies on the ghats of Varanasi, the bazaars of Old Delhi, and the beaches of Goa. Some regions add permits or fees: visitors to Leh and Ladakh pay an environmental fee of ₹400 per person, online.
Costs beyond the Golden Triangle
- Varanasi: the Ganga Aarti on Dashashwamedh Ghat is free every evening. At the Kashi Vishwanath temple, the trust’s foreign-visitor darshan ticket costs ₹600 with an assistant and prasadam, booked at its helpdesk with your passport; the Buddhist ruins at nearby Sarnath cost ₹250 online.
- Kochi and Kerala: the Water Metro to Fort Kochi costs ₹40 and the Mattancherry Palace Museum just ₹5, so a day of sightseeing can cost less than a meal out.
- Goa: beach huts at about ₹2,000–6,000 a night in season, scooters at ₹350–700 a day and water sports such as parasailing at about ₹800–2,000 a ride.
- Leh and Ladakh: add the ₹400 environmental fee and the cost of a driver or tour for the high passes and lakes.
The e-Visa fee
Most visitors need an e-Tourist Visa, applied for online only on the official site, indianvisaonline.gov.in, at least four days before arrival. For US citizens and most other nationalities, the official fee schedule dated 8 September 2026 lists $25 for a 30-day e-Tourist Visa from July to March and $10 from April to June, and $40 for a one-year visa, plus a 3% bank charge. The fee is non-refundable.
Tipping and paying
Tipping is customary but up to you. A small tip for good service in restaurants, and for drivers, guides and hotel staff at the end of a stay, is appreciated; our tip calculator does the math. ATMs are everywhere in cities and towns, though they often limit withdrawals to ₹10,000 per transaction and charge foreign cards a fee. Carry cash for small purchases, autos and rural areas, and change money only at banks and authorized exchangers.
Money-saving tips for India
- Book monuments online. The Taj Mahal is ₹50 cheaper online, and ASI e-tickets for other sites cost less than cash at the gate.
- Do Agra Fort on Taj day. Agra Fort costs ₹600 instead of ₹650 on the same day as the Taj.
- Watch the ₹7,500 line. Hotel rooms above ₹7,500 a night pay 18% GST instead of 5%.
- Apply for the e-Visa in April to June if your trip suits: the 30-day e-Tourist Visa costs $10 then, against $25 the rest of the year.
- Use the metro. A Delhi Metro ride costs ₹11–64, a fraction of a taxi across the city.
- Share a car and driver. At about ₹3,000–5,000 a day, it is good value split between two or more people.
- Eat thalis and street food in busy, popular places, and save restaurant dinners for special evenings.
For a first route, see our India itinerary; to pick the right season for each region, the best time to visit India; and for inspiration, our top places to visit in India.
Plan your trip: our free trip planner can build a day-by-day plan for India from our guides, including Delhi, Agra, Jaipur, Udaipur, Varanasi and Kochi. Then use the Money exchange tool to turn rupees into your own currency, and the Destination weather tool to pick your dates.
Frequently asked questions
How much money do I need for a week in India?
Using the example days above, seven days on the ground cost roughly ₹9,500–20,300 (about $100–210) per person on a tight budget, ₹30,500–74,200 (about $315–765) mid-range, and ₹70,000–108,000 (about $725–1,115) in comfort, before flights, long-distance trains and the e-Visa ($25 for 30 days from July to March).
Is India expensive?
No. On our travel cost scale India scores 25 against 100 for the US, and food, local transport and monument tickets are very cheap. Upscale hotels are the exception: branded hotels averaged over ₹10,000 a night in early 2025, and Mumbai over ₹14,000, plus 18% GST above ₹7,500.
How much does it cost to visit the Taj Mahal?
Foreign adults pay ₹1,100 at the ticket window or ₹1,050 online (about $11), plus ₹200 to enter the main mausoleum. Children under 15 are free. The Taj is closed on Fridays.
Do I need cash in India?
Yes. Cards work in hotels, malls and larger restaurants, but auto-rickshaws, street food, small shops and rural areas need cash. ATMs are common, though many limit each withdrawal to ₹10,000 and charge foreign cards a fee.
What is the cheapest time to visit India?
April to September, the hot season and the monsoon, is when hotels in the plains, Rajasthan, Goa and Kerala offer their lowest rates; it is also when the 30-day e-Visa is cheapest ($10 from April to June). The trade-off is heat and rain in much of the country, though the mountains of Ladakh are at their best in summer.