Earn Here, Spend ThereHow far does your money go?

KOOpen app

Travel difficulty in South Asia 2026

28 cities in South Asia, from the easiest first trip to the hardest. The trickiest factor across the region is rip-offs & haggling (average 3.3/5).

Easiest first 28

1. 🇲🇻 MaléMaldivesEasy2.0/5 · Rip-offs 2 · Language 2 · Transport 2 · Payments 2 · Safety 2
   Public ferries to local islands cost far less than speedboats — check schedules
2. 🇮🇳 PuneIndiaModerate2.2/5 · Rip-offs 2 · Language 2 · Transport 2 · Payments 3 · Safety 2
   Payments 3 · Cards at malls & cafes; UPI or cash for stalls and autos
3. 🇮🇳 BengaluruIndiaModerate2.4/5 · Rip-offs 3 · Language 2 · Transport 2 · Payments 3 · Safety 2
   Rip-offs & haggling 3 · Autos often refuse the meter or ask extra; apps fix it
4. 🇮🇳 ChennaiIndiaModerate2.4/5 · Rip-offs 3 · Language 2 · Transport 2 · Payments 3 · Safety 2
   Rip-offs & haggling 3 · Autos are notorious for skipping meters; use apps
5. 🇱🇰 ColomboSri LankaModerate2.4/5 · Rip-offs 3 · Language 2 · Transport 2 · Payments 3 · Safety 2
   Rip-offs & haggling 3 · Tuk-tuks overcharge; 'festival today' gem scams — PickMe fixes it
6. 🇱🇰 GalleSri LankaModerate2.4/5 · Rip-offs 3 · Language 2 · Transport 2 · Payments 3 · Safety 2
   Rip-offs & haggling 3 · Unlicensed Fort guides and gem-shop touts; tuk-tuks need haggling
7. 🇮🇳 HyderabadIndiaModerate2.4/5 · Rip-offs 3 · Language 2 · Transport 2 · Payments 3 · Safety 2
   Rip-offs & haggling 3 · Autos rarely use meters; haggle at Charminar bazaars
8. 🇱🇰 KandySri LankaModerate2.4/5 · Rip-offs 3 · Language 2 · Transport 2 · Payments 3 · Safety 2
   Rip-offs & haggling 3 · Station tuk-tuk rip-offs; spice-garden and gem commission tours
9. 🇮🇳 KochiIndiaModerate2.4/5 · Rip-offs 3 · Language 2 · Transport 2 · Payments 3 · Safety 2
   Rip-offs & haggling 3 · Fort Kochi autos offer cheap tours, then detour to shops
10. 🇮🇳 KolkataIndiaModerate2.4/5 · Rip-offs 3 · Language 2 · Transport 2 · Payments 3 · Safety 2
    Rip-offs & haggling 3 · Yellow taxis often refuse the meter; app cabs are easier
11. 🇮🇳 MumbaiIndiaModerate2.4/5 · Rip-offs 3 · Language 2 · Transport 2 · Payments 3 · Safety 2
    Rip-offs & haggling 3 · Taxis and autos mostly use meters; touts around Colaba
12. 🇮🇳 UdaipurIndiaModerate2.4/5 · Rip-offs 3 · Language 2 · Transport 2 · Payments 3 · Safety 2
    Rip-offs & haggling 3 · Painting-shop and commission touts; tuk-tuks need haggling
13. 🇱🇰 MirissaSri LankaModerate2.6/5 · Rip-offs 3 · Language 2 · Transport 3 · Payments 3 · Safety 2
    Rip-offs & haggling 3 · Tuk-tuks charge foreigners more; watch for hidden service charges
14. 🇮🇳 JaipurIndiaModerate2.6/5 · Rip-offs 4 · Language 2 · Transport 2 · Payments 3 · Safety 2
    Rip-offs & haggling 4 · Infamous gem-resale scam and commission-shop touts
15. 🇮🇳 AmritsarIndiaModerate2.8/5 · Rip-offs 3 · Language 3 · Transport 3 · Payments 3 · Safety 2
    Rip-offs & haggling 3 · Golden Temple is free; haggle taxis to the Wagah border show
16. 🇱🇰 EllaSri LankaModerate2.8/5 · Rip-offs 3 · Language 2 · Transport 4 · Payments 3 · Safety 2
    Getting around 4 · Ride apps barely work; walk, haggle tuk-tuks or rent a scooter
17. 🇳🇵 PokharaNepalModerate2.8/5 · Rip-offs 3 · Language 2 · Transport 3 · Payments 4 · Safety 2
    Payments 4 · Cash-based; every ATM charges a fee, so withdraw larger sums
18. 🇱🇰 SigiriyaSri LankaModerate2.8/5 · Rip-offs 3 · Language 2 · Transport 4 · Payments 3 · Safety 2
    Getting around 4 · PickMe/Uber requests often go unanswered; tuk-tuks, bikes or buses
19. 🇮🇳 JaisalmerIndiaModerate2.8/5 · Rip-offs 4 · Language 2 · Transport 3 · Payments 3 · Safety 2
    Rip-offs & haggling 4 · Hotel touts at station and bus stand; desert safaris hard-sold
20. 🇮🇳 RishikeshIndiaHard3.0/5 · Rip-offs 3 · Language 2 · Transport 3 · Payments 4 · Safety 3
    Payments 4 · Cafés run on UPI; cards are rare, so carry cash
21. 🇮🇳 DelhiIndiaHard3.0/5 · Rip-offs 5 · Language 2 · Transport 2 · Payments 3 · Safety 3
    Rip-offs & haggling 5 · 'Hotel closed' lies, fake tourist offices, auto-rickshaw rip-offs
22. 🇵🇰 LahorePakistanHard3.0/5 · Rip-offs 3 · Language 3 · Transport 2 · Payments 3 · Safety 4
    Safety 4 · Pickpockets in crowded bazaars; avoid unlit areas at night; US Level 3
23. 🇮🇳 GoaIndiaHard3.2/5 · Rip-offs 4 · Language 2 · Transport 4 · Payments 3 · Safety 3
    Rip-offs & haggling 4 · Taxi-union fares are steep; haggle with beach vendors
24. 🇳🇵 KathmanduNepalHard3.2/5 · Rip-offs 4 · Language 2 · Transport 3 · Payments 4 · Safety 3
    Rip-offs & haggling 4 · Taxis skip meters — haggle; hotel touts and trekking-deal scams
25. 🇮🇳 AgraIndiaHard3.4/5 · Rip-offs 5 · Language 3 · Transport 3 · Payments 3 · Safety 3
    Rip-offs & haggling 5 · Fake guides, commission shops and marble-inlay hard sells
26. 🇧🇩 DhakaBangladeshHard3.4/5 · Rip-offs 4 · Language 3 · Transport 3 · Payments 3 · Safety 4
    Rip-offs & haggling 4 · CNG auto-rickshaws refuse meters; cycle rickshaws need haggling
27. 🇵🇰 KarachiPakistanHard3.4/5 · Rip-offs 3 · Language 3 · Transport 3 · Payments 3 · Safety 5
    Safety 5 · Frequent phone snatching and armed robbery; US Level 3 country
28. 🇮🇳 VaranasiIndiaVery hard3.6/5 · Rip-offs 5 · Language 3 · Transport 3 · Payments 4 · Safety 3
    Rip-offs & haggling 5 · Ghat 'wood donation' scam; rickshaw 'your hotel burned down' lies

By country

Before you go: prices in your moneyPick a city in the app to see difficulty and fair prices together

›

FAQ

Scores run from 1 (easy) to 5 (hard) for rip-offs, language, getting around, payments and safety, based on government travel advisories, Wikivoyage, the EF English index and official transport pages (as of 2026-10-05). Advisories change often — check your government's latest advice before you go. All 502 cities ranked ›