India backpacking budget & travel costs
Buddy's starting estimate for India is £34 a day for an independent traveller staying in budget places, eating mostly local food and doing a few paid activities each week. It's a planning figure, not a quoted price — you can change every number in the planner.
How Buddy estimates travel costs → (costs last reviewed September 2026, shown in pounds sterling)
Daily travel budget for India
Accommodation
£11 / day
- Hostel dorm
- £5–8
- Budget private / guesthouse
- £11–17
- 2–3 star hotel
- £21–33
- 4 star & boutique
- £40–62
- Luxury
- £79–124
Food & drink
£8 / day
- Self-catering
- £3–5
- Street food & local cafés
- £5–9
- Mix of local + restaurants
- £10–16
- Western restaurants & bars
- £20–32
Local transport
£4 / day
- Walk & public transport
- £1–2
- Scooter rental
- £3–5
- Regular taxis / ride-hailing
- £6–9
- Private drivers & domestic flights
- £13–20
Excursions & fun
£8 / day
- Free & low cost
- £2–3
- Regular paid activities
- £6–9
- Adventure heavy
- £14–22
Other (sim, laundry…)
£3 / day
- Lean
- £1–2
- Typical
- £2–4
- Comfortable
- £5–8
Buddy's daily estimate
£34 / day
How much money do I need for India?
These examples come straight from the same daily estimate above — nothing extra is added.
7 days
≈ £238
14 days
≈ £476
30 days
≈ £1,020
90 days
≈ £3,060
What the estimate excludes
- International flights to and from India.
- Travel between destinations, such as long-distance buses, trains and ferries.
- One-off costs like visas, travel insurance, vaccinations and gear.
- Big-ticket experiences you'd plan separately, such as a diving course or a trek.
You add those separately in the planner, so they never get hidden inside a daily figure.