Budget · Delhi · India
Delhi on a budget
What a trip to Delhi really costs, and where the savings are.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Quick answer
Delhi is affordable for most international visitors. Budget roughly $20–$40 per person per day on a tight budget, $60–$130 mid-range and $250–$700 for luxury, excluding flights. Hotel prices are usually lowest in May–July.
Key facts
- Budget traveller
- $20–$40 a day
- Mid-range
- $60–$130 a day
- Luxury
- $250–$700 a day
- Local currency
- INR
- Free sights
- 13
Daily budget and trip cost
AMZBooking estimates per person in US dollars, excluding flights, reviewed October 2026. Accommodation is the biggest variable; prices rise in peak months.
| Style | Per day | 3 days | 5 days | 7 days |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Budget | $20–$40 | $60–$120 | $100–$200 | $140–$280 |
| Mid-range | $60–$130 | $180–$390 | $300–$650 | $420–$910 |
| Luxury | $250–$700 | $750–$2,100 | $1,250–$3,500 | $1,750–$4,900 |
Typical prices
Approximate prices in Delhi, October 2026. They change; use them for planning, not as quotes.
| Item | Typical price |
|---|---|
| Metro journey | about ₹10–65 |
| Short auto-rickshaw ride | about ₹50–150 |
| Ride-hailing car across the city | about ₹300–700 |
| Plate of chole bhature | about ₹80–200 |
| Thali at a mid-range restaurant | about ₹250–500 |
| Masala chai at a stall | about ₹10–30 |
| Main ASI monument ticket for foreign visitors | about ₹550–600 |
Money-saving tips
- Buy Archaeological Survey of India tickets online; e-tickets are usually a little cheaper and save queuing.
- Use the metro and app-based autos instead of hailing taxis or autos on the street.
- Eat at dhabas, gurdwara langars and Old Delhi stalls for excellent food at very low cost.
- Many of Delhi's best sights, including Lodhi Garden, India Gate, Jama Masjid and several temples, are free.
- Hire a car with driver for the Agra trip if you are in a group; it often costs less than individual train tickets plus taxis.
- Hotel prices drop sharply in the hot and monsoon months, from May to September.
Free things to do
- Jama Masjid — Completed in 1656, this is one of India's largest mosques, with a courtyard that can hold some 25,000 worshippers, three marble domes and two tall minarets.
- Chandni Chowk — Old Delhi's main 17th-century boulevard runs from the Red Fort to Fatehpuri Masjid, passing Gurudwara Sis Ganj Sahib, a Jain temple and historic sweet shops.
- India Gate and Kartavya Path — The 42-metre war memorial arch completed in 1931 is inscribed with the names of Indian soldiers who died in the First World War.
- Khari Baoli spice market — At the western end of Chandni Chowk, Khari Baoli is one of Asia's largest wholesale spice markets, where porters carry sacks of chillies, turmeric, cardamom and dried fruit through narrow lanes.
- Gurudwara Bangla Sahib — Delhi's best-known Sikh temple, with a golden dome and a large holy pool (sarovar), welcomes visitors of all faiths.
- Lodhi Garden — Delhi's favourite park covers about 90 acres and contains 15th- and 16th-century tombs of the Sayyid and Lodi rulers, including the octagonal tomb of Mohammed Shah and Sikandar Lodi's walled tomb.
Where to stay on a budget
$ · Best for budget and solo travellers
Paharganj
Backpacker bazaar opposite New Delhi Railway Station
$$ · Best for culture and food lovers
Old Delhi
Mughal-era bazaars, mosques and havelis around Chandni Chowk
$$ · Best for budget, shopping and families
Karol Bagh
Busy shopping district with mid-range hotels on the Blue Line
Eating well for less
- Chole bhature — Specialist shops in Paharganj, Karol Bagh and Kamla Nagar, and food courts across the city.
- Stuffed parathas — Paranthe Wali Gali, a lane off Chandni Chowk lined with paratha shops.
- Chaat — Chaat stalls in Chandni Chowk, Bengali Market and neighbourhood markets; choose busy stalls.
- Momos — Street carts across the city and the Tibetan colony of Majnu-ka-Tilla.
Getting around for less
Delhi Metro Tourist Card
Unlimited metro travel for one or three days, sold at customer care counters of major stations; it pays off if you make several trips a day.
Questions travellers ask
+How much does a trip to Delhi cost?
About $300–$650 per person for five days mid-range, excluding flights (estimate), or $100–$200 on a tight budget.
+Is Delhi expensive?
It is affordable for international visitors. Buy Archaeological Survey of India tickets online; e-tickets are usually a little cheaper and save queuing.
+How much money do I need per day in Delhi?
Roughly $20–$40 on a budget and $60–$130 mid-range (estimates).
+When are hotel prices lowest in Delhi?
Usually in May–July.