Which place is cheaper, Amritsar or Leh?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Leh or Amritsar?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Which city should you visit? Read on to compare the activities as well as the prices of travel for Leh and Amritsar. We'll break down costs for accommodation, food, transportation and more to help you learn more about these two destinations. Then, you can figure out if either of these two places are accessible based on your travel budget, schedule, and interests. So, let's dig into it.
Where Should I go: Leh or Amritsar?
Leh
Leh is a small town located in the Indus river valley at a crossroads of the old trading routes from Kashgar, Tibet, and Kashmir. Today, the town is best known for its Buddhist sites and nearby trekking areas. It is situated in northern India, amidst the mountainous Himalayan range.
Amritsar
Amritsar is a holy city of the Sikh religion, named "holy pool of nectar" for the pool around the base of the Golden Temple complex. This complex is the city's main attraction, bringing pilgrims from all over to bathe in the waters of the sacred pool and visit the sacred temple.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from New Delhi, The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Mumbai, The Best 2-Week Tours from New Delhi, and The Best 2-Week Tours from Mumbai.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayLeh $39Amritsar $53
The average daily cost (per person) in Leh is $39, while the average daily cost in Amritsar is $53. These costs include accommodation (assuming double occupancy, so the traveler is sharing the room), food, transportation, and entertainment. While every person is different, these costs are an average of past travelers in each destination. What follows is a categorical breakdown of travel costs for Leh and Amritsar in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personLeh $17Amritsar $23
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomLeh $34Amritsar $46
Compare Hotels in Leh and Amritsar
Looking for a hotel in Leh or Amritsar? Prices vary by location, date, season, and the level of luxury. See below for options and compare which is best for your budget and travel style.
Kayak helps you find the best prices for hotels, flights, and rental cars for destinations around the world. Compare prices for multiple destinations when planning your next trip.
Our Analysis
We've analyzed the average and typical hotel prices based on guest reviews, star ratings, and hotel amenities here: Leh Hotel Prices and Amritsar Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Leh $7.86Amritsar $16
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Leh
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Leh:
- Leh Airport Transfer: $33
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Amritsar
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Amritsar:
- Affordable Amritsar airport transfer: $11
- Amritsar Airport Transfer: $12
- From Amritsar Airport Transfer: $28
- Airport/Hotel Transfer to Chandigarh Airport/Hotel: $71
- Chandigarh to Amritsar Transfer: $71
- Amritsar to Dharamshala Tour (One Way Transfer): $98
- Private Wagah Border Drama and the Golden Temple with Transfer: $151
Is it cheaper to fly into Leh or Amritsar?
Prices for flights to both Amritsar and Leh change regularly based on dates and travel demand. We suggest you find the best prices for your next trip on Kayak, because you can compare the cost of flights across multiple airlines for your prefered dates.
Food
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Food Meals for one dayLeh $14Amritsar $19
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Amritsar
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Amritsar.
- Amritsar Food Tour: $22
- Flavors of Amritsar (2-Hour Guided Street Food Tour Walk): $24
- Amritsar Food Tour: $31
- Wagah Border Retreat Ceremony With Dinner: $45
- Indo-Pak Beating Retreat Ceremony at Wagah Border & Dinner: $60
- Evening Tour to Sadda Pind with Dinner: $67
- Beating Retreat Ceremony, Sadda Pind and Dinner: $71
- Private Farm-Fresh Punjabi Cooking Class in Amritsar: $136
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Leh $14Amritsar $15
Tours and Activities in Leh
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Leh are as follows:
- Leh-Ladakh Sameday Tour/ Capture the Majesty in Just One Day: $53
- "Leh to Pangong Lake Sameday tour: A Day of Tranquil Wonders: $80
- LADAKH TOUR: $659
- From Srinagar: Private Himalayan 11-Day Tour to Ladakh: $1,507
Tours and Activities in Amritsar
Here are a few actual costs in Amritsar for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- Amritsar Heritage Trails (2 Hour Guided Tour Experience): $13
- Golden Temple Guided Tour (Planet Amritsar Inc.): $17
- Cultural Walk of Amritsar (2 hours guided walking tour): $17
- Amritsar Heritage Walking Tour: $18
- Golden Temple and Jallianwala Bagh Guided Tour: $18
- Real Village Tour Amritsar: $20
- Real Amritsar : Full Day Tour with Wagah Border and Heritage Walk: $21
- Golden Temple Walking Tour: $24
- Amritsar Golden Temple Tour.: $25
- Wagah Border Ceremony Half-Day Tour: $27
- Wagha Border tour : $29
- Wagah Border Amritsar Sightseeing Taxi: $30
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayLeh $5.57Amritsar $13
Sample the Local Flavors in Amritsar
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Amritsar:
- Pub Crawl Amritsar: $39
- Pub Crawl Amritsar (3 hours pub hopping tour): $40
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Leh and Amritsar, we can see that Amritsar is more expensive. And not only is Leh much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Leh would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Leh and be able to afford a more luxurious travel style by staying in nicer hotels, eating at more expensive restaurants, taking tours, and experiencing more activities. The same level of travel in Amritsar would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Amritsar than you might in Leh.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Leh Expensive? and Is Amritsar Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Leh or Amritsar?
Amritsar has a larger population, and is about 30 times larger than the population of Leh. When comparing the sizes of Leh and Amritsar, keep in mind that a larger population does not always imply the destination has more attractions or better activities. So, always research the type of place that you want to visit along with the activities and attractions that interest you.
Budget Your Trip is all about finding out how much everything costs so that you can travel cheaper and longer. Created by avid travelers Laurie and Bryan, our goal is to help you plan your next trip on the right budget. With average daily travel costs that are calculated from the budgets of real travelers, plus an analysis of hotel and tour prices, you can find out how much money you need to plan your next adventure. We also have plenty of travel advice, accommodation reviews, and activity suggestions.