How much does it cost to travel in India?

Well, of course, it all depends on the way of travelling, the region and the time of the year (low season/ high season), but I hope this can be used as orientation.

I spent 31 days travelling in Kerala and Karnataka in November-December 2014, and I spent:

• Visa: 154,10 euros
• Basic expenses: 349,10 euros (11,26 euros/ day)
• Visits and extra expenses: 58,65 euros

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Visa

6 months tourist visa, obtained in France (with a Spanish passport): 154,1 euros 

• 50 for the visa
• 30 as a supplement for a foreigner passport
• 48,6 for the post since I could not go to the embassy in person
• 15,5 taxes and all
• 10 for the certified cheque from the bank (only payment accepted for an application by post)

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Basic expenses

Basic expenses include: accommodation, food, transport (except international flights), phone and other basic stuff as toiletries.

Total for basic expenses: 349,10 euros, that is 11,26 euros/ day. 

Note: I spent the first week at my friend’s place, so I did not pay accommodation. During the days I was travelling alone I spent 16,3 euros/ day.

Change rate: 1 euro = 75 rupees approx

Way of travelling (while travelling alone) and examples of prices:

• Accommodation: I slept in home stays, guesthouses or budget hotels and had a private room with bathroom.
  • average: 774 rupees/ day
  • home stay, private room with bathroom: 600 to 900 rupees
  • budget hotel, private room with bathroom: 750 to 1200 rupees

• Transport: I travelled mainly by local public transport (bus, train, ferry), except in Munnar and Wayanad where I took a taxi and a rickshaw. For less than 2km I used to walk.
  • average: 238 rupees/ day
  • bus ticket inside a city: non AC 8 to 16 rupees, with AC is usually double
  • local ferry, up to 1 hour: 4 to 15 rupees
  • bus: local bus non AC, 2 to 4 hours, 60 to 140 rupees.
  • train: for 3 to 5 hours, 50 to 200 rupees on sleeper or second sitting class (booked in advance). Passenger train for 1 hour, 10 rupees (no booking).
  • taxi for one day: 1500 rupees
  • rickshaw for half day (50 km): 500 rupees

• Food: I usually ate in local restaurants or bought food in the supermarket/ small shops. In Kerala, the weather was very hot so sometimes I did not feel hungry for lunch, then I used to get some fruits and/or juice and some snacks instead of a proper lunch
  • average: 218 rupees/ day
  • meal in a local restaurant: 60 to 120 rupees
  • bottle of water: 20 rupees
  • coconut in the street: 20 to 30 rupees

• Phone (vodafone India): 100 rupees for the SIM card, 200 rupees for calls (I called a lot and I did not use it all), 104 rupees for 300Mb of 3G data valid 1 month

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Visits and extra expenses

Total for visits and extra expenses: 58,65

Visits include entry tickets to museums, palaces and temples, as well as boat tours. Prices vary a lot, depending if there is a single price for everybody (then it is cheap, between 5 to 50 rupees), or there is a different price ticket for foreigners (which can be up to 6, 10 or 20 times the Indian price). Shoes-keeping is sometimes free, otherwise it costs 2 to 5 rupees.

Extra expenses include everything else which is not really necessary (as new clothes or an ayurvedic massage).

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