South Asia · 2 cities covered
We track 2 cities in India. The mid-range shoulder-season day averages $118 — 58% below the median across all 68 cities we cover. Inside the country the range runs from $108/day in Delhi to $128/day in Mumbai, a 16% gap: a tight band, so swapping cities barely changes the daily number.
Accommodation accounts for 51% of the average mid-range day in India, the largest single line item in every city we track here. Delhi (layers of empires inside one chaotic, generous capital) sits at the affordable end; Mumbai (tide-edge megacity of cinema, commerce, and bhel puri) anchors the top.
Season coefficients are calibrated per city, not shared. Across India the peak-to-low swing runs 75%–75%, widest in Delhi (75%, monsoon-split calendar pattern: low Jun–Aug at ×0.72, peak Jan–Mar, Nov–Dec at ×1.26). Heat and monsoon push a deep three-month trough; the cool dry window carries festivals and weddings, which lifts domestic room demand as much as foreign arrivals.
Mid-range, shoulder season, same five line items. Difference is relative to India ($118/day).
| Country | Mid · shoulder | vs India |
|---|---|---|
| Nepal | $94/day | -20% |
| Sri Lanka | $128/day | +8% |
On average, a mid-range traveller spends $118 per day in India during shoulder season. Budget travellers can get by on around $34/day, while a luxury trip averages $454/day.
The most affordable destination in India is Delhi, where a budget trip costs about $34 per day in low season.
At the top end, Mumbai reaches around $454 per day during peak season.
The best windows vary by city, but many destinations in India are ideal during Oct–Mar or shoulder season for a balance of weather and price.