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Delhi Prices & Cost of Living 2026
India · Big city — Delhi is about 81% cheaper than New York. Not just exchange rates: what a fair price is, where it turns into a rip-off, and what that means in your money.
Delhi prices at a glance
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Delhi travel difficulty
'Hotel closed' lies, fake tourist offices, auto-rickshaw rip-offs
English signs everywhere; auto drivers speak little English
Excellent Delhi Metro & Airport Express; Uber/Ola everywhere
UPI QR even at stalls; foreigners use cash or UPI One World
Pickpockets and drink spiking; women should avoid solo night trips
Good to knowIgnore anyone at New Delhi station saying the foreign-tourist ticket office is closed
Handy apps: Uber · Ola · Rapido · inDrive
Visas depend on your passport, so they are not scored. Felt different on the ground? Tell other travelers below. Travel difficulty in South Asia › Difficulty ranking for 502 cities ›
In your money
Delhi is about 81% cheaper than New York
Based on 8 things travelers buy most, compared with New York. Each pair of bars is the same purchase in both cities, converted to your currency. Set your own city and currency in “My basis” above.
Delhi in numbers
- 🍜28 local meals
- ☕33 coffees
- 🍺28 beers
- 🚕56 5-km taxi rides
- 💆5.6 h of massage
- 🏨2.4 hotel nights
- Local meal1 h 44 min · New York 52 min
- Coffee1 h 26 min · New York 15 min
- Beer1 h 44 min · New York 23 min
- Taxi52 min · New York 59 min
- Bottled water#1 cheapest
- Taxi#15 cheapest
- SIM card#18 cheapest
- Cocktail & wine#235 cheapest
- Beer#215 cheapest
Delhi price guide & rip-off thresholds
Delhi travel budget
Per person per day, estimated. Flights and shopping not included.
See 4-day, 1-week and 1-month budget tables › · Plan a multi-city trip budget ›
How to spend money in Delhi
Cash and UPI QR dominate; hotels, malls and chains take cards.
5–10% at restaurants; small tips for drivers and guides are normal.
GST is often added on top of menu prices. Service charges can't be made mandatory, so you may ask to remove them.
Uber and Ola remove haggling for cars and auto-rickshaws; at airports use the prepaid taxi booth.
Always haggle at markets, souvenir stalls and with auto-rickshaws.
Never drink tap water; sealed bottled water only.
Autos that refuse the meter, "your hotel has closed" detours, and fake tourist offices.
Live prices reported in Delhi
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FAQ
Is Delhi cheaper than New York?
Across 8 things travelers buy most (meals, coffee, beer, taxis, hotels…), Delhi is about 81% cheaper than New York. A local meal is about ₹300 (≈ $3.57) and a coffee about ₹250 (≈ $2.98).
How hard is Delhi to travel?
Averaging rip-offs, language, getting around, payments and safety, Delhi scores 3.0/5 — 'hard'. The main thing to watch is rip-offs & haggling (5/5): 'Hotel closed' lies, fake tourist offices, auto-rickshaw rip-offs. Tip: Ignore anyone at New Delhi station saying the foreign-tourist ticket office is closed
Is Delhi good for first-time travelers?
It is doable, but go prepared (3.0/5). Rip-offs & haggling: 'Hotel closed' lies, fake tourist offices, auto-rickshaw rip-offs. Tip: Ignore anyone at New Delhi station saying the foreign-tourist ticket office is closed
What is a realistic daily budget for Delhi?
Mid-range (3-star hotel, local meals plus a dinner out, two taxi rides) is about $75.9 a day. Guesthouses and street food bring it to about $24.6; 4-star and restaurants push it to about $165.
How much does it cost to live in Delhi for a month?
A short-term studio (about $540) plus food, transport and a SIM (about $558) comes to roughly $1,097 a month. A local long-term lease (studio about ₹20,000) brings it down a lot.
How much should a taxi cost in Delhi?
For 5 km in town, expect ₹120 – ₹240; anything above ₹288 is suspicious. Uber and Ola remove haggling for cars and auto-rickshaws; at airports use the prepaid taxi booth.
Do you tip in Delhi?
5–10% at restaurants; small tips for drivers and guides are normal. GST is often added on top of menu prices. Service charges can't be made mandatory, so you may ask to remove them.
Can you use cards in Delhi?
Cash and UPI QR dominate; hotels, malls and chains take cards.
Where do these numbers come from?
Base prices start from public cost-of-living data; once 3+ traveler reports come in, the app blends in the median of what people actually paid.
Fair range & rip-off line — each item gets its own spread (tight for transit, wide for street food). Above 1.2× the top of the fair range is flagged as a likely rip-off.
Budgets add up item prices for the lifestyle described above. Peak season and prime tourist spots run higher.
Exchange rate as of October 2026: 1 USD = ₹84. Last updated 2026-10-05.