What Can $100 Buy in India?

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Before coming to India, I had heard that it was reasonably priced, but I wanted more specific information. If you’re also curious about how much things cost in this beautiful country, then stick around as I answer: What can $100 buy you in India?

In India, $100 can buy 13 nights in good hotels, 30 days in a nice hostel, 4 nice dinners for two, 30 local dinners, domestic flights around India, or a high-quality sari. $100 is ~7,000 Indian Rupees, although this fluctuates.

Today, $100 USD = 7,521.20 rupees because the US Dollar is strong, but this changes by the minute.

In general, $100 can buy you quite a lot. Some travelers spend less than $20 a day as they sightsee, so it can get you 5 days. Others will spend more than this in a day.

Of course, it can be challenging to figure this out, so let’s look at specific categories of products in this article.

Planning a trip to India at some point? Check out my free ebook to help you save time and money, and avoid headaches. After +4 years in India, I’ve made plenty of mistakes, and this guide shares what I’ve learned so you can have a smoother trip.

Table of Contents

What Is the Cost of Living in India?

I looked in detail at the cost of living in India versus the USA, and found that: India is 68.3% less expensive than in the USA.

Rent prices in India are 85% lower than in the US.

Restaurant prices are 75% lower.
Grocery prices in India are 64% lower.

The average income per person in India was estimated to be $152 a month, according to the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI).

Although the World Bank found that 60% of India’s 1.3 billion people live on less than $3.10 a day.

Poverty is a big problem in India, like it is in many places in the world, which is really unfortunate and heartbreaking as you travel in India.

For the purposes of this article, it also means that your $100 will go quite far.

Below I’ll share a survey where 50% of travelers in India claim to spend less than $20 a day. I think spending less than $50 is reasonable and better for most travelers.

But if you’re a long-term traveler like myself, you can spend much less and live really well.

I only spend $19.90 per day as I’m staying in one location in a small city in India at the moment. In the video below, I break down my specific daily expenses if you want to see all the details.

Quick Note about Sending and Receiving Money Abroad:

One way I manage my money, whether accepting money or transferring money internationally is by using Wise, formerly Transferwise since they have low fees and it’s super easy to do with just my email address. If you are looking to send money abroad, it’s a great tool — much cheaper than using your local bank. You can also get your own local bank account details in Europe, UK, US, Australia and New Zealand with the Wise Borderless account.

Also, Indians can now transfer money in rupees to 40+ countries.

To learn more, check out the details here.

What Are the Rent Prices in India?

You’ll pay between $157 to $528 a month for a 1-bedroom apartment in India’s major tourist destinations and cities.

The average rent varies depending on where in India you are. For the average price of a 1-bedroom apartment in the city for a month is:

Mumbai is 36,880 INR ($528 USD)

New Delhi is 16,043 INR ($230 USD)
Chennai is 11,822 INR ($169.34 USD)
Bengaluru is 14,735 INR ($211 USD)

Goa is 11,735.84 INR ($157 USD)

I spend $160 a month for a two-bedroom apartment in a small city in South India. I have a friend who rents a flat for $53 a month in the home of an Indian family. Another friend rents a stand-alone home for $107 a month.

If you’re traveling around India, you won’t find these prices though. But I’ve taken some trips around India and recorded my expenses, so let’s cover what $100 will buy as you explore India.

What Can $100 Buy You When You’re Traveling in India?

$100 could buy you 5 days of budget travel and 1.5 days of mid-range budget travel through some of India’s most well-known destinations.

I tracked my budget for a two week trip in India and spent $986.08 over 15 days for the trip. This included:

Private drivers with pickup from the airport and train stations
Tour guides at major attractions like the Taj Mahal, Varanasi’s Ghats, Khajuraho’s erotic temples, and Kerala’s Backwaters
One 5-star hotel

Mostly 3-star hotels
Restaurants recommended by the Lonely Planet

I also polled travelers and backpackers in India and asked, How much does it cost to travel India for a month? They reported they spend:

Less than $20 per day: 50.7% of travelers
$20 – $50 per day: 43.1% of travelers
$50 – $100 per day: 3.9% of travelers

More than $150 per day: 2.2% of travelers

If you are an extreme budget traveler, you could travel for 5 days with $100 then.

However, I recommend spending a bit more. You can find good hotels and hostels for very cheap, yet it’s easier to spend $5 to $10 more per night to ensure you are staying in a safe comfortable place.

The same logic applies to finding safe food and restaurants to eat.

What Does Accommodation Cost?

A 5-star hotel in Kerala that I stayed in for less than $100 a night

The average price for the lowest cost, yet highly-rated hotels in India’s top destinations is $7.60 a night. With $100, you can stay in good hotels for 13.2 nights.

The lowest cost, yet highly-rated hostels cost only $3.30 a night. So with $100, you can stay in a good hostel for 30.3 days.

If you want to stay in nicer hotels or guesthouses, $100 might only last one night. Here are a few examples:

Jaypee Palace Hotel in Agra is just less than $100 (check out the updated price on Booking.com).

This 5-star hotel is only 1.6 miles from the Taj Mahal, and also has cool amenities like an Ayurvedic spa (try a massage!), a Turkish bath, a shopping mall, a fitness center, a golf putting green, a bowling alley, and a beautiful outdoor pool.

Taj Palace in New Delhi is just less than $100 a night (check the updated price on Booking.com).

15 minutes from Delhi’s International Airport you can find this beautiful place. The grounds cover 6 acres with amenities like a butler service, a luxurious bar, 9 holes of golf putting greens, a large swimming pool, a spa, a fitness center, and four restaurants.

You could stay in a 2-bedroom apartment in Anjuna in Goa for 6 days with $100 (check the current price on AirBnb).

You’d have a clean large pool, a lush yard, a double bed, and wifi in the popular beach area of Anjuna in Goa.

You could stay in a 2-bedroom Portuguese Villa in Goa for 2 nights with $100 (check the current price on AirBnb).

I found this beautiful small home that claims to be “3,100 years old” and has been “meticulously restored by an award-winning architect.”

The garden is manicured with hammocks and a swimming pool to share with the other villas on the property.

Many 3-star hotels are perfectly comfortable and priced at around $15 to $30, so you could stay 6.7 to 3.4 days with $100.

This can be a great option for many travelers. The service and comfort will be much higher than the budget guesthouses, yet the prices are still reasonable.

What Does Transportation Cost?

Traveling domestically in India is very reasonably priced. You can fly most places for less than $100, and trains and buses are significantly less expensive than that.

The domestic flights in India are the best way to get around if you priorities are speed and timeliness. Most are under $100 as well. Here are flights in India that are under $100:

Chennai to Goa: As low as $29 one way
Mumbai to Goa: As low as $51 round trip

New Delhi to Mumbai: As low as $98 round trip
New Delhi to Kolkata: As low as $76 round trip

The trains in India are one of the best ways to travel long-distances, if you want to save money and spend less than $100.

$100 will buy you:

3 first-class train tickets from New Delhi to Varanasi (12 hours): $35 each
5 second-class train tickets from New Delhi to Varanasi (12 hours): $20 each

10 third-class train tickets from New Delhi to Varanasi (12 hours): $10 each
4 first-class train tickets from Agra to Khajuraho (8 hours): $25 each
5 second-class train tickets from Agra to Khajuraho (8 hours): $17 each

Train travel tip: I think third-class train tickets are a great value and comfortable enough for MOST travelers. Although my mom and aunt took a third-class sleeper train ride with me and they said they would prefer first-class next time.

Buses in India are extremely inexpensive, yet also bumpy and more unreliable time-wise than other methods. If you are in India long term and really watching your budget, these are a good option.

$100 will buy you:

5 A/C Sleeper bus tickets from New Delhi to Varanasi (13.5 hours): $20 each
15 – 20 A/C Seater bus tickets from New Delhi to Agra (4 hours): $5 – $6.50 each
10 – 15 A/C Sleeper bus tickets from Jaipur to New Delhi (5.5 hours): $6.5 – $10 each

At your destination, you can rent a scooter for 200 to 300 ($2.68 – $4.01) per day in a place like Goa.

If you stay in a place for a month or more, you can negotiate a lower per-day price.

I rent a scooter for 2800 rupees a month ($37.46) with a yearly arrangement. Most travelers can rent them for 3000 rupees ($40.14) a month in smaller places.

Read more: Getting Around India in every form of transportation from airplanes, trains, buses, rickshaws, and even elephants.

What Does Clothing Cost?

You can buy 50 cheap saris, 5 plain silk saris, and 1 high-quality Banarasi sari for $100. You could also buy 5 tailormade organic cotton long-sleeved men’s shirts and the prices are similar for dresses.

Clothing is reasonably priced in India and there are some amazingly beautiful like saris, tailormade clothing, and pashminas.

Saris are one of the most iconic pieces of clothing in India. Women wear them to work in the fields or go to their office jobs. All the female travelers that have visited me really want to buy one.

You can get a sari from as cheap as 150 rupees. Plain silk saris cost as little as 1,500 rupees. A Banarasi sari is a high-quality sari from Varanasi and will cost at least 6,000 rupees ($80.28).

A Paithani sari is another high-quality type of sari with real gold and silver threads which can start at 10,000 rupees ($133.81).

For $100, you can NOT buy an authentic Kashmiri pashmina shawl. Cashmere is not cheap and will cost $200 to $250 for real cashmere. If you find one for less, it is fake.

You can buy high-quality tailormade clothing though. Organic cotton long-sleeved shirts cost $20 from the best tailor in my city in South India.

What Does Food & Drink Cost?

A luxury dinner for two could cost $100 in a city like Agra, Mumbai, or New Delhi. You could buy 4 nice dinners at highly recommended restaurants in big cities. You also could buy almost 30 local dinners or street food.

I found that you can eat good dinners at well-reviewed restaurants starting at $2.94 for two people. With $100, you could buy 30 dinners.

Lunch and breakfast is even more reasonably priced. I can eat breakfast for 50 cents and lunch for $1.50 in South India.

Other food and drink you could buy with $100:

747 chais at street vendors: 10 rupees each
124 cappuccinos at cheap restaurants: 60 rupees each
21 Caramel mochas at Starbucks in Bengaluru: 340 rupees each

93 domestic beers in Goa: 80 rupees each
37 imported beers in New Delhi: 200 rupees each
12.5 bottles of decent wine in Mumbai: 600 rupees each

124 Masala Dosas: 60 rupees each
29 Butter Chicken Dinners with rice and naan: 250 rupees each

Read more: What is real Indian food? A big list of authentic Indian dishes

Charity

With $100, you could sponsor a child in an Indian village for 229 days with the SOS Children’s Villages.

It costs 11,880 rupees ($158.97) to sponsor a child’s education in a village for a year.

Final Words

You can buy a lot for $100 in India. You could enjoy fine dining for two or local dinners for a month. You stay for a couple of weeks in a good hotel or stay for a month in a hostel. You could order a high-quality sari or a week’s worth of tailormade clothing.

If you’re interested in how to budget for your India trip, then check out my 2 week India trip budget with a free tool to help you budget your own trip.

Related Articles:

How Much Does It Cost To Travel India for a Month?