Budget for 1 week in Delhi, India wih kids

Delhi, India, was an intense experience from the moment we arrived, hitting all senses at full blast all at once. The city is loud, busy, and full of life, with the aroma of Indian food all around us. We spent a week in the capital after flying in from the U.S., exploring historical sites, eating great food, and visiting temples that shouldn’t be missed. It was a big cultural shift for our family, but absolutely worth it. Here’s a breakdown of what we spent during our week in Delhi. In total, we spent $598.09 for 7 nights for a total of $85.44 per day for our family of 4. Let’s see how our budget of 1 week in Delhi, India was broken down. All amounts shown are in US dollars.

Accommodation—$306.60 or $43.80 per night.

We used Vrbo for our booking. The location we stayed at in Delhi was not in the best area of the city. It was, however, within walking distance of a metro station, which enabled us to get to anywhere in the city we desired.

Eating Out – $18.85 or $1.57 per meal

Food was very inexpensive for our family while in Delhi. The food was also very good and full of flavor and spices! We used the App Swiggy, which is like Uber Eats or Door Dash back in the US, but way cheaper and more efficient.

• Restaurant in Paranthe Wali Gali – This restaurant has been in operation for 6 generations on the side street in Chandni Chowk. – $6.38.

• Local Biryani – Had to try real Biryani- $7.90.

• Pizza – Kids were struggling with the spices of Indian food. We went with some safe, comfort foods for the kids- $4.57.

Groceries – $49.87

As we only stayed 1 week, we didn’t need all the normal supplies we usually get. We bought some safe food for the girls without the spices. We spent about $1.44 per meal for our family of 4 including all the snacks for everyone throughout the day. Here’s how that broke down:

Instamart– Swiggy delivered groceries within 20 minutes of ordering—$49.87

Transportation – $26.70

I have specifically omitted our flight cost for the sake that readers will have to get to Delhi, India from many different places in the world, and all flights and means of transportation will be different. We were able to book our flight using points we earned on our favorite travel credit card. We then used Daily Drop Pro to make it easy to search for reward flight from the US to Delhi. This saved us a significant amount of time searching for flight by using this site.

• • Uber from Delhi International Airport to Accommodation- Uber is easy and prevalent in Delhi. You can use an Uber from SUV size, down to a tuk-tuk or motorcycle. $7.20

  • Uber to laundromat roundtrip by tuk-tuk: $6.41

  • Metro Tickets— We paid for 3 people each time while using the Delhi Metro as they base their tickets on height of the passenger instead of age. We took round trip tickets to Old Delhi to see Chandni Chowk and Red Fort, to see the Akshardham Temple, and a failed attempt to get a train to Agra to see the Taj Majal. All in total—$6.04

  • Uber from Accommodation to Delhi International Airport- $7.05

Tourist Attractions – $14.62

Most things were free that we enjoyed while in Delhi:

• • • Red Fort – A large fort in Old Delhi. We paid for 2 adults with the “foreigner” price as the kids were free. $13.93

    • Garden of the 5 Senses- A peaceful garden without the hustle and bustle of the city- $0.69

Miscellaneous – $181.45

• • • India requires US passport holders to obtain a visa prior to entering the country. This can be provided via an eVisa. We paid for four, one year eVisas for a total of $165.56.

    • Airalo for eSim. $12.47

    • Laundry was needed as we use minimalist packing– $3.42

Total: $598.09

What we learned:

• • • Transportation: Metro and Uber are the ways to get around. No need to try and haggle with the taxi drivers. Price is already set. The vast metro system makes seeing the landmarks easy.

    • Food: Food is very cheap here for a family of 4. Spending only $1.44 per meal with groceries and $1.57 per meal per person at a restaurant is unheard of in the Western World.

    • Accommodations: It was harder to stay within our “budget per night” in Delhi while still getting a comfortable place for our family. The decreased food and transportation costs were a good offset.

Delhi was a whirlwind of culture shock for our family, but we embraced it. We navigated the chaos, absorbed the experiences, and took in everything this vibrant capital had to offer. It was an eye-opening journey that will stay with us forever. Check out our 2-Day Delhi Itinerary with kids!