Budget · Mumbai · India
Mumbai on a budget
What a trip to Mumbai really costs, and where the savings are.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Ranga27 ( talk ), CC BY-SA 3.0
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Quick answer
Mumbai is moderately priced for most international visitors. Budget roughly $25–$50 per person per day on a tight budget, $80–$180 mid-range and $300–$900 for luxury, excluding flights. Hotel prices are usually lowest in July.
Key facts
- Budget traveller
- $25–$50 a day
- Mid-range
- $80–$180 a day
- Luxury
- $300–$900 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 | $25–$50 | $75–$150 | $125–$250 | $175–$350 |
| Mid-range | $80–$180 | $240–$540 | $400–$900 | $560–$1,260 |
| Luxury | $300–$900 | $900–$2,700 | $1,500–$4,500 | $2,100–$6,300 |
Typical prices
Approximate prices in Mumbai, October 2026. They change; use them for planning, not as quotes.
| Item | Typical price |
|---|---|
| Vada pav from a stall | about ₹20–40 |
| Local train ticket, second class | about ₹5–20 |
| Metro journey | about ₹10–70 |
| Short black-and-yellow taxi ride | about ₹100–250 |
| Ride-hailing from the airport to Colaba | about ₹800–1,500 |
| Irani café breakfast | about ₹150–300 |
| Cocktail in a Lower Parel bar | about ₹600–1,000 |
| Mid-range hotel double room | about ₹6,000–12,000 a night |
Money-saving tips
- Hotels are pricier than elsewhere in India; book early for December and January.
- Use local trains outside rush hour and the metro for long north–south trips instead of taxis.
- Eat street food and at Irani cafés and Udupi restaurants for excellent, low-cost meals.
- Many highlights, including Marine Drive, the Gateway, Kala Ghoda's galleries and Banganga, are free.
- Stay in Bandra or Andheri for better-value rooms if your plans centre on the suburbs.
- Hotel rates drop in the monsoon months if you can tolerate the rain.
Free things to do
- Gateway of India — This 26-metre basalt arch on the Apollo Bunder waterfront was completed in 1924 to commemorate the 1911 landing of King George V and Queen Mary.
- Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus — Designed by Frederick William Stevens and completed in 1888 as Victoria Terminus, this railway station is a UNESCO World Heritage Site that fuses Victorian Gothic Revival with Indian motifs: domes, turrets, gargoyles and stained glass.
- Marine Drive — A curving 3.6-km seafront boulevard around Back Bay, lined with Art Deco apartment buildings, from Nariman Point to Girgaon Chowpatty.
- Haji Ali Dargah — This white mosque and tomb of a 15th-century Sufi saint sits on an islet in Worli Bay, reached by a narrow causeway that is submerged at high tide.
- Shree Siddhivinayak Temple — Built in 1801 and later greatly expanded, this temple to Ganesh is one of the most visited in Mumbai, with a gilded inner sanctum and a black-stone idol.
- Kala Ghoda Art District — A small district of galleries, museums and heritage buildings, including the free Jehangir Art Gallery, the National Gallery of Modern Art, the David Sassoon Library and the sky-blue Keneseth Eliyahoo Synagogue.
Where to stay on a budget
$$$ · Best for first-timers, budget, nightlife and shopping
Colaba
Gateway of India, the Taj Mahal Palace and the Causeway's street stalls
$$ · Best for budget and first-timers
Andheri and the airport area
Business hotels near the airport and the Versova end of the western suburbs
Eating well for less
- Vada pav — Stalls outside railway stations, especially around Dadar and CSMT, and roadside carts across the city.
- Pav bhaji — Stalls at Juhu Beach and Girgaon Chowpatty, and long-established pav bhaji restaurants in Tardeo.
- Bhel puri — Beach stalls at Chowpatty and Juhu, and chaat counters in every neighbourhood.
- Bombay sandwich — Sandwich carts near offices and colleges, particularly in Fort and around Churchgate.
- Misal pav — Maharashtrian eateries in Dadar, Girgaon and Thane, mostly at breakfast and lunch.
- Bun maska and Irani chai — Irani cafés such as Kyani & Co. near Metro Cinema, open since 1904.
Getting around for less
Mumbai's suburban railway is the backbone of the city, carrying millions of passengers a day on its Western, Central and Harbour lines. A growing metro network, black-and-yellow taxis, auto-rickshaws in the suburbs and ride-hailing apps fill the gaps, and the coastal road and sea link speed up north–south road trips.
Questions travellers ask
+How much does a trip to Mumbai cost?
About $400–$900 per person for five days mid-range, excluding flights (estimate), or $125–$250 on a tight budget.
+Is Mumbai expensive?
It is moderately priced for international visitors. Hotels are pricier than elsewhere in India; book early for December and January.
+How much money do I need per day in Mumbai?
Roughly $25–$50 on a budget and $80–$180 mid-range (estimates).
+When are hotel prices lowest in Mumbai?
Usually in July.