How Long Can You Last With 500 In India

India is among the world’s finest destinations for low-budget travelers. Despite never-ending lists of unique historic, cultural, artistic, and other attractions it has to offer, India manages to keep all its offerings cheap and accessible. How long can $500 last you? Take a look at our calculations.

Accommodation: $180 – $370

You can find a cheap dorm room or basic hotel for around ₹400 -₹800 ($6- $12) per night almost throughout India. The quality of what is being offered within this price range will depend mostly on your location. While you can get a decent place with basic facilities in most rural areas and small towns for that price, it may get a little trickier with bigger cities like Mumbai and New Delhi.

You can also rent an Airbnb for an entire month and enjoy additional monthly discounts available for most listings.

Luckily for foodies, affordable yet delicious food is never hard to come by in this country. The trick is to eat like the locals. Many small restaurants and canteens will offer scrumptious and plentiful thali meals (all-you-can-eat platters) for ₹120 – ₹300 ($1.5 – $4.5). While this can be the perfect lunch or/and dinner, breakfasts are even cheaper at $1 – $2. Tea and coffee at most small eateries or roadside stalls will cost you between ₹5 – ₹30 (less than a dollar).

Alternately, you can also sign up for a meal service such as Spicebox or Homechef which will charge you between $90 – $150 for an entire month’s worth of lunches and dinners.

Transportation: $100

Public transportation in India is ridiculously cheap. Local bus tickets are rarely likely to go past $1 and is one of the cheapest and most efficient ways to get around most of urban and rural India. Cab services such as Uber and Ola are among the most comfortable and affordable ways to get around most Indian cities. Try their shared cabs and you can even make new friends in town, besides saving a lot of cash. Auto-rickshaws are another comfortable way to get around town, but are pricier than cabs in many Indian cities. While traveling between cities, bus transport will mostly range from $6 – $14 whereas trains can range from $2 – $30 depending on how uncomfortable you are willing to get.

Attractions: $100

Most government-run historic, natural, and cultural attraction sites will charge foreign visitors up to $10 for entrance. However, most Indian cities and villages also have plenty of bazaars, local religious sites, historic monuments, and other sites that are part of local life, and thus not set up to charge tourists and visitors. You will also find local guides at most popular tourists sites who may charge between $5 – $10 for a detailed tour.

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.