How Much Money Do I Need to Travel to India? Budget Travel Guide

You can travel in India with shockingly little money—if you play your cards right. Some travelers have pulled off a month wandering around India for less than a week’s rent back home. But before you figure you’ll be eating for $1 a day and sleeping for free, get ready for the real numbers.

Prices swing wildly. A bed in a hostel in Delhi or Mumbai can go for $6 to $15 a night. Smaller cities and towns might cost less. Food? You can fill up on simple, tasty street food for $1 or $2, but fancier places can charge tourist prices rivaling those at home. And yeah, there’s a big difference between a packed local bus and an air-conditioned train seat, both in price and comfort.

Don’t just bring cash and wing it. Understand how your daily habits—like choosing AC or non-AC, street chai or fancy coffee—can shift your daily budget by several dollars. Planning to move around a lot, hit up big attractions, or order beer? All that adds up. But it isn’t just about penny-pinching—the trick to traveling in India isn’t being cheap, it’s being smart about where to spend and where to save. Keep reading to see the breakdowns, real costs, and need-to-know tips for budget travel in India.

• Daily Budget Breakdown: What to Expect
• Saving on Accommodation and Food
• Getting Around: Trains, Buses, and More
• Hidden Costs and Money-Saving Tips
• How Much Should You Really Bring?

Daily Budget Breakdown: What to Expect

So, how much cash do you really need each day for budget travel India? It all depends on your style, but here’s a realistic range for 2025, with real prices pulled from recent travelers’ budgets.

If you’re going bare-bones—think dorm room bunks, street food, the cheapest local buses—you can scrape by on about $15–20 USD (₹1200–₹1700) per day. Here’s what that covers:

• Hostel bunk or budget guesthouse: $5–10 (₹420–₹850)
• Street food and simple restaurants: $3–6 (₹250–₹500)
• Local buses, metro, shared tuk-tuks: $1–3 (₹85–₹250)
• Attractions and extras: $3–6 (₹250–₹500)

Want a private room, air-conditioning, or a couple of sit-down meals? Bump yourself to the mid-range—$30–45 (₹2500–₹3700) per day is plenty:

• Private room in a budget hotel: $15–25 (₹1250–₹2100)
• Meals at mid-level restaurants: $6–10 (₹500–₹850)
• Trains or intercity buses, a few cabs: $3–6 (₹250–₹500)
• Monuments, tours, or a splurge activity: $6–10 (₹500–₹850)

If you start adding flights, Western chains, or fancy experiences, your daily budget could skyrocket. But for most backpackers sticking to the basics, rarely does anyone need more than $40–50 per day—unless you’re moving every single day across big distances or hanging out in Mumbai or Goa in peak season.

Pro tip: Carry a small buffer for surprises. An extra $5–10 per day in your budget covers those random things you forgot about, like a SIM card, laundry, or last-minute tickets. India’s cheap, but it’s wild. Staying flexible will keep you sane and smiling.

Saving on Accommodation and Food

Staying somewhere decent and eating well won’t trash your budget travel India plans if you know where to look. Hostels are everywhere. Chains like Zostel, goStops, and Moustache pop up in all the touristy spots. A basic dorm bed costs $6–$12 a night in cities like Jaipur or Varanasi, and $14–$20 in big cities like Delhi or Mumbai. Private rooms in guesthouses or homestays usually run $15–$30 per night in mid-size towns, less if you're willing to bargain.

If you want even cheaper digs, check out ashrams or dharamshalas in holy towns like Rishikesh or Varanasi, where you can often stay (sometimes including meals) for a small donation. Couchsurfing is legit in bigger cities and can save you a ton, but always read reviews and trust your gut about safety. For long stays, try negotiating direct with guesthouse owners—it’s common to get a 20% discount for a week or more.

Food is where you can really stretch your money. A local thali (plate of rice, veggies, dal, and bread) rarely costs more than $2 at a basic restaurant. Street food, like samosas, dosas, or chai, usually sets you back $0.20–$0.70 per item. Fresh fruits from markets go for cents. Western cafés, hotel buffets, or air-conditioned spots? Expect to pay $8–$20 for a meal. The mark-up is real, especially in Goa and touristy parts of the Himalayas.

• Eat where locals are eating. Crowded places mean safe, fresh food.
• Bottle water costs 20 rupees (about $0.25) for 1 liter—get refills at hostels to save (and less plastic, too).
• Vegetarian food is often safer and cheaper, and most small restaurants won’t serve meat anyway.
• Skip fancy hotel breakfasts; try local chai shops or snack stalls instead.

Stick to local places, avoid flashy restaurants, and don’t be shy to negotiate on rooms. For less than $20 a day, you can sleep and eat comfortably in most of India—just not in five-star style. Watch out for sneaky service charges and taxes, especially in tourist hotspots. That stuff adds up fast on a tight budget.

Getting Around: Trains, Buses, and More

Figuring out how you’ll get from city to city—and around each place once you’re there—is key to keeping your budget travel India plans on track. Most travelers end up using a mix of trains, buses, ride-hailing apps, and maybe the odd rickshaw or short flight. Each choice matters, not just for cost but for comfort and timing.

The Indian train system is legendary. There are classes from bare-bones sleeper (you might pay less than $4 for an overnight ride of 500km) up to cushy first-class AC (maybe $20-30 for the same trip). Booking in advance online at irctc.co.in or on apps like Cleartrip is a must—trains fill up fast, especially during holidays. Sleeper class is the classic budget move, but AC 3-tier is popular for a bump in comfort without a huge price tag. Trains aren’t just cheap—they’re a part of the adventure and often more reliable than road travel.

Buses cover pretty much everywhere that trains don’t. Local state buses are bargain-basement cheap, sometimes just a dollar for an hours-long ride, but don’t expect luxury or A/C. Private buses—often marked as "Volvo" or “sleepers”—cost a bit more and can be reserved online. If you’re looking at overnight routes, these can save you on a night’s accommodation. Always check reviews and pick bigger operators when you can for sanity’s sake.

Inside cities, auto-rickshaws and cabs are everywhere. Rickshaws aren’t usually metered; ask locals what you should pay for a route, and settle the price before you get in. Ride apps like Uber and Ola are in most big cities and sometimes even work out cheaper and less hassle than haggling with a driver. Metro systems—like in Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, and Kolkata—are dirt cheap (fares starting as low as 10-20 rupees, or about 15-25 cents) and avoid traffic jams.

Short domestic flights are often cheaper than you’d expect, especially booked in advance—think $30 to $70 for routes like Delhi to Goa on budget airlines (IndiGo, SpiceJet, AirAsia). But if you're watching every dollar, trains and buses win every time. Also, don’t forget to check the time cost—sometimes a flight is worth splurging on if you’re crossing a long distance and short on time.

Quick tips:

• Book long-distance trains as early as possible—tickets open 120 days before travel.
• Carry snacks and water on trains and buses; stops and food options are unpredictable.
• Use apps like RedBus or MakeMyTrip for bus bookings, and IRCTC for trains.
• If your budget’s tight, skip internal flights unless the route is crazy long.
• For city trips, metros beat taxis for both price and traffic headaches.

Hidden Costs and Money-Saving Tips

It’s too easy to blow your budget on things you didn’t see coming, especially in India. You might spot a cheap hotel online, but local taxes (usually 12–18% added at checkout) aren’t always listed. Entrance fees for temples and forts stack up fast—some can be $5–$15 per site for foreigners. And those tuk-tuk rides? If you don’t agree on a price upfront, expect to pay a premium.

Don’t get caught out by sim card costs, currency exchange fees, or unexpected public holiday surcharges (trains and buses can triple in price during festivals). Many travelers underestimate how much bottled water or bathroom stops cost. A few rupees here and there every day quickly turns into real money, especially on longer trips.

Here’s where people usually lose cash without realizing:

• ATM withdrawal fees and currency exchange rates (sometimes you get whacked twice)
• Prepaid taxi stands at airports charging far more than local price
• Luggage storage fees at train stations
• WiFi access charges in hotels or hostels
• Unplanned upgrades on trains (everyone wants AC when it gets hot)

Get ahead of these costs. Check if your debit card works with partner banks in India to skip ATM fees. Bring a reusable water bottle (with a filter is best) to cut out daily water costs and avoid waste. Book train tickets directly from the IRCTC website or app—if you go through third-party agents or touts, expect inflated prices and sometimes scams.

Eating where locals eat isn’t just good for your health—it saves stacks of cash. Thali restaurants often have “menu of the day” feasts for $1–$2. Avoid international chains if you don’t want to pay double or triple local rates.

One last tip: always ask about extra charges, whether it’s the hotel desk, a guide, or a tuk-tuk driver. India is a budget traveler’s paradise, but being alert is the best way not to lose those savings.

If you remember nothing else, just know this—knowing your budget travel India hacks means your rupees go way further. Keep your eyes open and your wallet closed—except for the fun stuff.

How Much Should You Really Bring?

This is the question everybody asks: exactly how much cash do you need to travel comfortably in India? The short answer: it depends on your travel style, but you don’t need a fortune. Most budget travel India veterans manage anywhere from $20 to $40 a day, all in. Of course, you could spend more or less, but this range will sort most people out for basics like lodging, food, local transport, and daily essentials.

Let’s get concrete. Here’s a rundown of typical daily costs (in USD, as of May 2025):

So, a shoestring traveler sticking to hostels and eating simple food can pull off $15–$25 a day. Bump it up to private rooms, A/C train seats, or fancier meals, and you’re safer budgeting $30–$50 daily.

Here’s what you really want to avoid: running out of cash or relying on cards the whole trip. ATMs in remote spots can be quirky or empty, and while big cities are fine, having some backup rupees is a smart move. Always keep enough for an extra day or two, just in case transport plans fall apart or a hotel wants cash only.

• If you’re staying one month, bring at least $700–$900 as your base budget if you’re frugal. For mid-range comfort, $1,200–$1,500 is more realistic.
• If you plan splurges—like guided tours, nice hotels, or internal flights—pad your budget by another $300–$500.
• If you’re a student with a tight budget, locking $20 a day (about $600/month) is doable, especially if you stick to smaller cities and go vegetarian.

One last thing: India gives you lots of room to pick your splurges—like paying for a once-in-a-lifetime train ride or that fancy rooftop dinner in Jaipur. Just balance big spends with cheaper days, and you’ll stretch your rupees farther than you think.