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INDIA
Money
& Cost
India is still one of the least expensive countries for travellers
in the world; a little foreign currency can go a long way. You can
be confident of getting good value for your money, whether you're
setting out to keep your budget to a minimum or to enjoy the opportunities
that spending a bit more will make possible.
While we've attempted to suggest the kind of sums you can expect
to pay for varying degrees of comfort, it is vital not to make a
rigid assumption at the outset of a long trip that whatever money
you bring to India will last for a certain number of weeks or months.
On any one day it may be possible to spend very little, but cumulatively
you won't be doing yourself any favours if you don't make sure you
keep yourself well rested and properly fed. As a foreigner in India,
you will find yourself penalized by double-tier entry prices to
museums and historic sites as well as in upmarket hotels and air
fares, both of which are levied at a higher rate and in dollars.
What you spend depends on you: where you go, where you stay, how
you get around, what you eat and what you buy. On a budget of as
little as $8/£5 per day, you'll manage if you stick to the
cheapest of everything and don't move about too much; double that,
and you can permit yourself the odd splurge meal, the occasional
mid-range hotel, and a few souvenirs. If you're happy spending $20-30
(£15-20) per day, however, you can really pamper yourself;
to spend much more than that, you'd have to be doing a lot of travelling,
consistently staying in the best hotel in town and eating in the
top restaurants. At the top of the range expect to pay international
prices for food and accommodation.
Accommodation ranges from a basic $2/£1.50 per night upwards,
while a vegetarian meal in an ordinary restaurant is unlikely to
cost even that much. Rice and dhal can be had for well under 50¢/30p,
but you wouldn't want to live on that alone. Transport in town costs
pennies (even by taxi), while a twelve-hour train journey might
cost $5 (£3) in second class, $20 (£15) in first.
Where you are makes a difference: Mumbai is notoriously pricey,
especially for accommodation, while tourist enclaves like the Goa
beaches will not be cheap for things like food, and there will be
more souvenirs to tempt you. Delhi, too, is substantially more costly
than most parts of the country. Out in the sticks, on the other
hand, and particularly away from your fellow tourists, you will
find things incredibly cheap, though your choice will obviously
be more limited. |
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