TieredTravel › Asia › India › New Delhi

Cost per day · India

New Delhi on $25, $80 or $280 a day

How much does New Delhi cost per day? Budget travellers get by on about $25 a day, mid-range trips run around $80, and luxury starts near $280 — accommodation, food, transport and activities included.

That makes New Delhi the 17th cheapest of 82 cities for a mid-range trip — see all 82 ranked.

New Delhi is one of the world's great megacities — a chaotic, magnificent collision of ancient Mughal grandeur and modern ambition. From the soaring minarets of the Jama Masjid to the colonial grandeur of Lutyens' Delhi, the aromatic lanes of Chandni Chowk to the sleek galleries of the Lodhi Art District, it delivers sensory overload and extraordinary depth in equal measure. Street food here is among the best on earth.

Currency
INR (₹)
Language
Hindi, English
Visa
Most visitors need a visa — an e-Visa is available online for many nationalities before travel.
Safety
Exercise caution — scams, aggressive touts and pickpocketing are common; women should take extra care, especially at night.
Tipping
Expected — 5–10% at restaurants (check for a service charge); small tips for drivers, porters and guides.
Airport
DEL
Timezone
UTC+5
DAILY BUDGET
$25–$50
checked May 2026

New Delhi is extraordinary value for budget travellers. A dorm bed in Paharganj costs under $8, a full thali meal is $1–2, and the metro connects virtually every sight cheaply. The city rewards explorers — most of the great Mughal monuments charge minimal entry fees, and wandering Old Delhi costs nothing but the sensory investment.

Stay $15 Food $8 Transport $4 Activities $10

Price a whole New Delhi trip, with flights →

✈️ How to Get There

Cheapest flight from $356 JFK → DEL · Feb 14 · 1 stop

🗺️ What to Do

The building that ends arguments — sunrise at the Taj and Agra Fort in one long day from Delhi, expressway both ways.

Read guide →
Get tickets on Tiqets →
India Trip by TRAVELOSEI

For India Trip - World Chooses Travelosei - A Top Luxury Travel Agency of India. The best India experiences aren't accidental — they're planned with TRAVELOSEI. The Name Behind India's Finest Journeys: With over two decades of expertise, TRAVELOSEI has excelled at the art of luxury travel, making it one of the finest travel agencies in India. What To Expect : A Journey Tailored Entirely Around You- What truly separates TRAVELOSEI from every other travel company is our philosophy of radical personalization. Every India Trip we design is a one-of-a-kind masterpiece. Each journey is tailor-made, and our collection of the most-loved India trips helps discerning travelers find inspiration for their next holiday. Your India Trip of a Lifetime Awaits: With Safety, Inclusivity & 24/7 Support- India will surprise you, humble you, electrify you, and ultimately transform you. But experiencing it at its finest requires a guide who knows it intimately — not from a textbook, but from the heart.

Get tickets on Tiqets →
Perfect Agra Tours

Delhi based tour company, founded in 2005, offering bespoke and comprehensive India tour packages. With thousands of satisfied clients all over, we leave no stone unturned to provide world class touring experience to our valued clients.

Get tickets on Tiqets →

🏨 Where to Stay

#1 pick Zostel Delhi $8/night
hostel · 2★
8.0/10 our score

Popular social hostel in Paharganj, clean dorms and great common areas

Check prices on Klook →
#2 pick Stops Hostel Delhi $7/night
hostel · 2★
7.8/10 our score

Budget option in the backpacker district, basic but central

Check prices on Klook →
#3 pick Moustache Delhi $9/night
hostel · 2★
7.5/10 our score

Boutique hostel chain, safe and sociable, excellent location

Check prices on Klook →
Day 1: Old Delhi ~$18
Morning The Red Fort (~$6) and Jama Masjid.
Afternoon A Chandni Chowk street-food walk and a cycle-rickshaw ride.
Evening A cheap thali dinner.
Book tickets: Browse on Tiqets →
Day 2: New Delhi Landmarks ~$18
Morning India Gate and Rajpath (free).
Afternoon Humayun's Tomb (~$6).
Evening Connaught Place.
Book tickets: Browse on Tiqets →
Day 3: Qutub & Lotus ~$20
Morning The Qutub Minar (~$6).
Afternoon The Lotus Temple (free) and the Akshardham grounds.
Evening Hauz Khas village.
Book tickets: Browse on Tiqets →
🎒 BUDGET INSIDER TIPS

Stay in Paharganj for cheap beds near the railway station, or Karol Bagh for slightly more comfort. Eat only at busy local dhabas — high turnover means freshness and safety. The Delhi Metro is cheap, air-conditioned, and reaches everywhere tourists go. Chandni Chowk at dawn before the crowds is one of the great free experiences in Asia. Avoid tourist restaurants near monuments — walk 10 minutes away and prices halve.

🌙 24°C Clear sky · Feels 25° · 💧88%
Sun ☀️ 30° 23°
Mon ☀️ 35° 24°
Tue ☀️ 35° 27°
October – March (cool, dry)

A hot semi-arid climate of extremes. Scorching summers (April–June, 40°C+), a humid July–September monsoon, and a pleasant cool winter (Oct–Mar) — though Dec–Jan brings thick smog and chilly, foggy mornings.

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
14°18°24°30°34°34°31°30°29°26°20°15°
2d2d2d1d2d5d11d12d7d2d0d1d
highhighhighmidlowlowlowlowmidhighhighhigh
↑ avg °C rain days crowd

Best time to visit New Delhi, month by month →

The Delhi Metro is excellent — clean, cheap, air-conditioned and far-reaching, with a women-only carriage. Auto-rickshaws and app cabs (Uber, Ola) fill the gaps; agree autos' fares or insist on the meter. Old Delhi is a walking-and-rickshaw maze.

Metro available Taxi from ~$1 Day pass ~$3
Staying connected

A travel eSIM gets you online the moment you land in India — data plans start at $4 — no roaming bill, no queue for a local SIM, and nothing to swap in and out of your phone. Install it before you fly.

Connaught Place (CP)
Central, colonial, commercial

The colonnaded Georgian heart of New Delhi: shops, restaurants, the metro hub and a convenient central base.

Best for midrange
Old Delhi (Chandni Chowk)
Historic, chaotic, sensory

The Mughal city: the Red Fort, Jama Masjid, the spice market and the most intense, delicious street food in India.

Best for budget
Hauz Khas
Trendy, leafy, nightlife

A boho urban village beside a medieval reservoir and ruins: design boutiques, rooftop bars and cafés.

Best for midrange
Khan Market / Lutyens
Upscale, leafy, refined

The tree-lined avenues of the colonial-era capital: India's priciest retail, embassies and grand bungalows.

Best for luxury
Paharganj
Backpacker, gritty, cheap

The main bazaar opposite New Delhi station: budget hostels, cheap eats and chaos — convenient but rough.

Best for budget
Saket / Greater Kailash
Modern, affluent, residential

Leafy, well-to-do south Delhi neighbourhoods with malls, good restaurants and the Qutub Minar nearby.

Best for midrange

Where to stay in New Delhi: every area by budget →

Do
  • ✓Dress modestly — cover shoulders and knees, especially at temples and mosques
  • ✓Remove shoes before entering temples, mosques and homes
  • ✓Use your right hand to eat, give and receive
  • ✓Use the metro and agree auto-rickshaw fares (or insist on the meter)
  • ✓Greet with "Namaste" and palms together
  • ✓Bargain in markets, but not in fixed-price shops
Don't
  • ✗Drink the tap water — stick to sealed bottled or filtered
  • ✗Eat or pass things with the left hand
  • ✗Accept "help", gems or tour deals from station touts
  • ✗Show public affection or point your feet at people or shrines
  • ✗Photograph people, ceremonies or military sites without care or permission
  • ✗Take unregistered taxis at night — use apps and prepaid stands
नमस्ते
namaste
Hello / greetings
धन्यवाद
dhanyavaad
Thank you
कितने का है?
kitne ka hai?
How much is it?
नहीं चाहिए
nahin chahiye
"I don't want it" (for touts)
बहुत स्वादिष्ट
bahut swadisht
Very delicious
कहाँ है...?
kahaan hai...?
Where is...?
बहुत महँगा
bahut mahanga
"Too expensive" — for bargaining
अंग्रेज़ी आती है?
angrezi aati hai?
Do you speak English?
ठीक है
theek hai
"OK / it's fine"
फिर मिलेंगे
phir milenge
See you again
Agra (Taj Mahal)
The Taj Mahal and Agra Fort — India's icon, reachable by a fast morning train.
1.5 h by express train ~€50
Mathura & Vrindavan
The temple towns of Krishna's birthplace, on the Yamuna river.
3 h by car ~€35
Neemrana
A restored 15th-century hilltop fort-palace with a famous zip-line.
2.5 h by car ~€45
Jaipur
The "Pink City" and the third point of the Golden Triangle (a long day or overnight).
4.5 h by car ~€60
Sultanpur Bird Sanctuary
A wetland reserve for migratory birds, an easy escape from the city.
1.5 h by car ~€15
Chaat
Tangy-spicy street snacks — golgappe, aloo tikki, papdi chaat — Old Delhi's obsession.
₹50–150
Butter Chicken
Tandoori chicken in a rich tomato-butter gravy — said to have been invented in Delhi.
₹300–600
Chole Bhature
Spiced chickpeas with a giant puffy fried bread — the classic Punjabi-Delhi breakfast.
₹100–250
Parathas
Stuffed griddle breads fried to order in Old Delhi's famous Paranthe Wali Gali.
₹80–200
Mughlai Kebabs
Seekh and galouti kebabs from Old Delhi's Mughal kitchens, melt-in-the-mouth.
₹150–400
Dal Makhani
Black lentils slow-simmered with butter and cream — rich and beloved.
₹200–400
Kulfi & Jalebi
Dense saffron-pistachio ice cream, or hot syrup-soaked spirals.
₹50–150

Travel insurance is strongly recommended for any trip to New Delhi. Safety is rated Exercise caution — scams, aggressive touts and pickpocketing are common; women should take extra care, especially at night. — even in safe destinations, unexpected medical emergencies or trip cancellations can be costly. Make sure your policy covers emergency medical treatment, hospitalisation, trip cancellation, and emergency evacuation.

Visa note: Most visitors need a visa — an e-Visa is available online for many nationalities before travel.. Some countries require proof of travel insurance as part of the visa application.

Get travel insurance for New Delhi →
Is New Delhi safe to visit? ▾

Exercise caution — scams, aggressive touts and pickpocketing are common; women should take extra care, especially at night.

When is the best time to visit New Delhi? ▾

October – March (cool, dry) A hot semi-arid climate of extremes. Scorching summers (April–June, 40°C+), a humid July–September monsoon, and a pleasant cool winter (Oct–Mar) — though Dec–Jan brings thick smog and chilly, foggy mornings.

How much does a trip to New Delhi cost per day? ▾
  • budget: $25–$50/day
  • midrange: $80–$150/day
  • luxury: $280–$550/day
  • business: $140–$280/day
Do I need a visa to visit India? ▾

Most visitors need a visa — an e-Visa is available online for many nationalities before travel.

How do I get around New Delhi? ▾

The Delhi Metro is excellent — clean, cheap, air-conditioned and far-reaching, with a women-only carriage. Auto-rickshaws and app cabs (Uber, Ola) fill the gaps; agree autos' fares or insist on the meter. Old Delhi is a walking-and-rickshaw maze. New Delhi has a metro system. Taxi base fare ~$1. Day pass ~$3.

Is tipping expected in New Delhi? ▾

Expected — 5–10% at restaurants (check for a service charge); small tips for drivers, porters and guides.

What currency is used in India? ▾

The local currency is INR (₹), and the official language is Hindi, English.

Weekly destination guides, hidden gems, and tier breakdowns — straight to your inbox.