Should you visit Pondicherry or Darjiling?
Trying to figure out where to travel next? This travel cost comparison between Pondicherry and Darjiling can help. For many travelers, the cost of a destination is a primary consideration when choosing where to go.
Pondicherry
Located on the eastern coast of India in the state of Tamil Nadu, Pondicherry has a long and interesting history of trade and war as the largest French colony in India. Today the French influence in the city remains, especially in the old quarters. This being said, Pondicherry very much embodies and east-meets-west culture.
Darjiling
What began as a cluster of villages grew to prominence in the 19th Century when the British first established a hill station here and eventually realized that the climate was well-suited for tea plantations. Darjeeling (or Darjiling) has since become known for its teas in addition to cultural diversity, stunning views, and trekking opportunities.
Which city is cheaper, Darjiling or Pondicherry?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
The average daily cost (per person) in Pondicherry is $30, while the average daily cost in Darjiling is $32. 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 city. Below is a breakdown of travel costs for Pondicherry and Darjiling in more detail.
Accommodation
Travelers usually pay around $28 for a double occupancy room in Pondicherry If you want to be in a premiere location or have high end amenities, you can expect to pay a bit more.
An average hotel room with basic furnishings costs about $24 in Darjiling For the most convenient locations and nicer amenities you can expect to pay a bit more.
Food
On average, meal and food prices in Pondicherry cost around $9.98 per person, per day. While this price can vary widely by location, the type of restaurant, and the amount of food ordered, a typical meal often costs around $3.99.
On average, meal and food prices in Darjiling cost around $13 per person, per day. While this price can vary widely by location, the type of restaurant, and the amount of food ordered, a typical meal often costs around $5.20.
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Food
Meals for one day
Pondicherry $9.98
Darjiling $13
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Pondicherry
For Pondicherry, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
-
Local Uttrakhand Cuisine Cooking Class in Rishikesh:
$9.89
-
Udaipur Food Tour:
$12
-
Authentic Indian Tea Brewing and Paratha Cooking Private Online Class:
$15
-
Hyderabad Street Food Tour:
$16
-
Wagah Beating Retreat Border Ceremony (with Dinner) in Amritsar:
$16
-
Authentic Maharashtrian Cuisine Private Virtual Cooking Class from Mumbai:
$18
-
Mandovi River Dinner Cruise in Goa:
$19
-
Cooking Class And Dining Experience In Varanasi:
$20
-
North Kerala Culinary Food Tour in Thalassery:
$24
-
Mumbai Walking Food Tour:
$25
-
Cooking and Dining Experience in Agra:
$27
-
Cooking Class with a Local Family in Mumbai:
$36
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Darjiling
For Darjiling, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
-
Local Uttrakhand Cuisine Cooking Class in Rishikesh:
$9.89
-
Udaipur Food Tour:
$12
-
Authentic Indian Tea Brewing and Paratha Cooking Private Online Class:
$15
-
Hyderabad Street Food Tour:
$16
-
Wagah Beating Retreat Border Ceremony (with Dinner) in Amritsar:
$16
-
Authentic Maharashtrian Cuisine Private Virtual Cooking Class from Mumbai:
$18
-
Mandovi River Dinner Cruise in Goa:
$19
-
Cooking Class And Dining Experience In Varanasi:
$20
-
North Kerala Culinary Food Tour in Thalassery:
$24
-
Mumbai Walking Food Tour:
$25
-
Cooking and Dining Experience in Agra:
$27
-
Cooking Class with a Local Family in Mumbai:
$36
Local Transportation
Public transportation tends to be much less expensive in Pondicherry than paying for a taxi or private car service, as is expected. Typically, people spend $5.15 on transportation in Pondicherry on average per day.
To get around in Darjiling, the average visitor spends $6.81 per day, per person. This includes the costs of taxi rides and private drivers as well as public transportation, which tends to be much more affordable.
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Pondicherry
Also for Pondicherry, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
-
Private City Transfers between Manali and Leh:
$267
-
Private City Transfers between Ahmedabad and Mumbai, Daman & Diu:
$96
-
Private City Transfers from Mumbai to Gokarna, Kolhapur & Aurangabad:
$74
-
Private City Transfers between Bangalore and Hampi:
$69
-
Private City Transfers between Amritsar and Dalhousie, Shimla, Manali, Dharamshala or Bir:
$59
-
Private Transfers From Delhi To Jim Corbett National Park:
$59
-
Private City Transfers between Agra and Meerut, Kanpur and Jhansi:
$58
-
Private City Transfers between Ahmedabad and Rajasthan & Madhya Pradesh:
$58
-
Private City Transfers for Jaisalmer, Udaipur, Jodhpur & More:
$57
-
Private City Transfers from Lonavala to Mumbai and Pune:
$56
-
Private City Transfers for Jodhpur, Bikaner, Udaipur & More:
$55
-
Cochin International Airport Private Transfers (COK) for Munnar:
$55
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Darjiling
Also for Darjiling, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
-
Sheikh ul-Alam International Airport Private Transfers (SXR) for Srinagar:
$14
-
Pune International Airport Private Transfers (PNQ) for Pune:
$19
-
Private Vadodara Airport (BDQ) Transfers for Vadodara:
$15
-
Private Transfers From Delhi To Jim Corbett National Park:
$59
-
Private Surat International Airport (STV) Transfers for Surat:
$15
-
Private Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport Transfers (AMD) for Ahmedabad:
$16
-
Private Rajkot Airport (RAJ) Transfers for Rajkot:
$15
-
Private Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport Transfers (CCU) for Kolkata:
$21
-
Private Maharana Pratap Airport Transfers (UDR) for Udaipur:
$21
-
Private Lal Bahadur Shastri Airport Transfers (VNS) for Varanasi:
$19
-
Private Kozhikode Airport (CCJ) Transfers for Calicut:
$19
-
Private Kempegowda International Airport Transfers (BLR) for Bangalore:
$28
Is it cheaper to fly into Pondicherry or Darjiling?
Prices for flights to both Darjiling and Pondicherry 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.
Entertainment
Sightseeing expenses in Pondicherry, including the cost of admission tickets for day tours, museums, and attractions, usually cost an average of $10 per day, per person.
In Darjiling, the costs for things to do, activities, admission tickets, and other sightseeing expenses are on average $11 per person, per day.
Tours and Activities in Pondicherry
For Pondicherry, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
-
Explore Old City of Hyderabad with Experienced Storyteller Online Experience:
$19
-
Instagram Tour in Delhi:
$101
-
Lamadug Trekking Day Tour from Manali:
$21
-
Mathura Vrindavan, Taj Mahal and Agra City Private Day Tour from Delhi:
$118
-
11D10N Golden Triangle and Holy City Private Tour from Delhi:
$863
-
2D Delhi and Agra Combo Private Tour:
$110
-
2D1N Adventure Camping in Jaipur:
$33
-
2D1N Bhandardara Lakeside Camping Experience :
$20
-
2D1N Bhandardara Lakeside Camping Experience from Mumbai:
$20
-
2D1N Gir National Park Tour from Ahmedabad:
$69
-
2D1N Golden Triangle Tour from Delhi:
$158
-
2D1N Hampi Private Sightseeing Tour from Bangalore:
$164
Tours and Activities in Darjiling
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Darjiling.
-
Explore Old City of Hyderabad with Experienced Storyteller Online Experience:
$19
-
Instagram Tour in Delhi:
$101
-
Lamadug Trekking Day Tour from Manali:
$21
-
Mathura Vrindavan, Taj Mahal and Agra City Private Day Tour from Delhi:
$118
-
11D10N Golden Triangle and Holy City Private Tour from Delhi:
$863
-
2D Delhi and Agra Combo Private Tour:
$110
-
2D1N Adventure Camping in Jaipur:
$33
-
2D1N Bhandardara Lakeside Camping Experience :
$20
-
2D1N Bhandardara Lakeside Camping Experience from Mumbai:
$20
-
2D1N Gir National Park Tour from Ahmedabad:
$69
-
2D1N Golden Triangle Tour from Delhi:
$158
-
2D1N Hampi Private Sightseeing Tour from Bangalore:
$164
Alcohol
Typically, people visiting Pondicherry spend on average $6.28 on alcoholic beverages per person, per day.
Alcoholic beverages can often be a significant portion of a traveler's budget, and the costs can vary greatly from person to person. In Darjiling, the average amount that a visitor spends on alcoholic beverages per day is $7.98.
Sample the Local Flavors in Pondicherry
Also in Pondicherry, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
-
Pub Crawl in Delhi:
$18
-
Pub Crawl in Pune:
$18
-
Pub Crawl in Mumbai:
$18
-
Pub Crawl in Jaipur:
$18
-
Udaipur Pub Crawl:
$19
-
South Mumbai Pub Crawl:
$19
-
Pub Crawl In Bangalore:
$19
-
Pub Crawl in Goa:
$20
-
Sula Vineyards with Wine Tasting Day Tour from Mumbai:
$49
Sample the Local Flavors in Darjiling
Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Darjiling:
-
Pub Crawl in Delhi:
$18
-
Pub Crawl in Pune:
$18
-
Pub Crawl in Mumbai:
$18
-
Pub Crawl in Jaipur:
$18
-
Udaipur Pub Crawl:
$19
-
South Mumbai Pub Crawl:
$19
-
Pub Crawl In Bangalore:
$19
-
Pub Crawl in Goa:
$20
-
Sula Vineyards with Wine Tasting Day Tour from Mumbai:
$49
When comparing the travel costs between Pondicherry and Darjiling, we can see that Darjiling is more expensive. However, the two cities are actually relatively comparable in price, as the difference is somewhat minimal. Generally, this means that you could travel with generally the same travel style and level of luxury in each place. Since both cities are in Asia, it's no surprise that their costs are relatively close, as many destinations here have somewhat similar travel prices overall.
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