Travel Costs in India: What You Really Pay for Taxi Trips, Food, and Tours

When people ask if India is still cheap to visit, they’re really asking about travel costs, the total money spent on transport, food, accommodation, and activities during a trip. It’s not just about the price of a taxi ride—it’s how those small daily expenses add up over a week, a month, or a cross-country journey. In 2025, India still offers serious value, but the old myth of ‘everything costs a dollar’ doesn’t hold anymore. A ride from Delhi to Agra? Around ₹2,500–₹3,500 for a private taxi. A meal at a busy street stall? ₹80–₹150. A guided temple tour in South India? ₹1,200–₹2,500 per person, depending on how deep you go. These aren’t guesses—they’re what real travelers pay.

taxi costs India, the fees charged for hired vehicles across Indian cities and intercity routes are one of the biggest variables in your budget. Unlike ride-hailing apps in other countries, Indian taxi prices vary wildly by region, time of day, and whether you book through a hotel, app, or local agent. In Rajasthan, a full-day hire with a driver might cost ₹1,800. In Goa, it’s closer to ₹2,500. In Mumbai, you’ll pay more for traffic delays than distance. And don’t forget tolls, parking, and driver tips—they add up fast. Then there’s budget travel India, a style of traveling that prioritizes low spending without sacrificing key experiences. It’s not about sleeping in hostels or eating instant noodles. It’s about knowing where to skip the tourist traps and where to spend wisely—like choosing a local guesthouse over a branded hotel, or booking a taxi for a multi-day route instead of multiple short rides.

What makes India’s travel costs so interesting is how they connect to other experiences. The temple tour costs, expenses related to visiting religious sites, including guides, donations, and transport aren’t just about the ticket price. At Kumbh Mela, you might pay ₹500 for a basic entry, but if you want a private boat ride on the Ganges during the ritual, that’s another ₹2,000. At Mundeshwari Temple, there’s no entry fee—but hiring a local guide to explain the 5,000-year-old carvings? That’s ₹300–₹500. And if you’re comparing South India vs North India, the cost difference isn’t just in food or hotels—it’s in how you move around. In Kerala, you might rent a car with a driver for ₹3,000/day. In Rajasthan, you can hire a camel cart for a fraction of that, but it won’t get you to your next temple on time.

Flights to the Maldives? Expensive. But a taxi from Varanasi to Sarnath? ₹800. A full-day trip to Hampi from Bangalore? ₹4,500. These aren’t outliers—they’re the norm. And if you’re wondering whether India is still a budget destination in 2025, the answer isn’t yes or no. It’s: it depends on what you spend on. You can eat like a king for ₹300 a day. You can stay in a clean, private room for ₹1,200. You can hire a driver for a week and still pay less than a hotel in Paris. But if you want luxury resorts, private tours, and flights between cities? That’s a different budget entirely.

What you’ll find in the posts below isn’t just a list of prices. It’s a real-world breakdown of what people actually pay—from the cheapest day to fly in India to how much a hippie backpacker spends in Goa, from temple tour costs to whether Mumbai is safer (and pricier) than Delhi. No fluff. No hype. Just the numbers, the trade-offs, and the choices that shape how you experience India.