Which place is cheaper, Delhi or Varanasi?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations. These travel costs come from the actual spending of real travelers.
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Should you visit Varanasi or Delhi?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Trying to figure out where to travel next? This travel comparison between Varanasi and Delhi can help. It includes a travel cost comparison in addition to other factors. For many travelers, the cost of a destination is a primary consideration when choosing where to go.
Where Should I go: Varanasi or Delhi?
Varanasi
Known to be one of India's holiest cities, many come to Varanasi on a spiritual pilgrimage looking to bathe in the sacred waters of the Ganges River. Dating back to the 11th Century BC, it is also one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. Centuries old temples make up the backdrop, as many come and come again to perform their holy rights at the edge of the historic river.
Delhi
Delhi is the largest city in northern India and is officially the country's capital. The city has a population of 11 million with the metropolitan population reaching over 16 million. The city is similar in landscape to the rest of its surrounding area. It is very flat with the river Yamuna flowing on the eastern side of the city. The Aravalii Hills are in the western portion of the city. The city's history dates back to the 6th century BC and it has served as a capital for various kingdoms and empires.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Bicycle Tours in India, Tours for Outdoor and Nature Lovers in India, The Best Adventure Tours to India, and The Best Sightseeing Tours in India.
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Varanasi Prices
India PricesDelhi Prices
India Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayVaranasi $35Delhi $52
The average daily cost (per person) in Varanasi is $35, while the average daily cost in Delhi is $52. 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 Varanasi and Delhi in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personVaranasi $16Delhi $23
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomVaranasi $32Delhi $46
Compare Hotels in Varanasi and Delhi
Looking for a hotel in Varanasi or Delhi? 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: Varanasi Hotel Prices and Delhi Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Varanasi $4.84Delhi $5.16
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Varanasi
Here are some examples of typical transportation prices from actual travelers in Varanasi:
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Tuk Tuk Through Town$0.94
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Rickshaw Ride$0.59
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Varanasi
Also for Varanasi, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- 3-hours Temple hopping with transfers: $35
- Delhi Private Arrival Transfer From New Delhi Airport To Hotel In Delhi: $34
- From Agra: Budget One Way Transfer Agra to Varanasi: $166
- From Agra: One-Way Private Transfer to Varanasi: $173
- Private Car Airport Transfer from Hotel in Delhi, Noida, Gurugram: $55
- Private Transfer Varanasi Airport (VNS) To Varanasi Hotels Drop: $12
- Private Transfer Varanasi to Bodhgaya - One Way: $109
- Private Transfer from Lal Bahadur Shastri (VNS) Airport to Varanasi: $45
- Private Varanasi Heritage Walk with Hotel Transfer: $45
- Private transfer from Varanasi to Allahabad: $67
- Varanasi Airport : Transfer To Hotel / To Airport: $12
- Varanasi Airport : Transfer to Hotel / To Airport: $12
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Delhi
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for transportation costs in Delhi:
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Tuk Tuk Ride$0.12
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Taxi to Airport$1.87
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Subway$0.37
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Uber Cab$0.94
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Delhi Metro Smart Card$1.76
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Auto-rickshaw$1.17
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Delhi
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Delhi:
- Walk through Old Delhi's Colorful Chandni Chowk with Private Transfer: $104
- Visit to Rail Museum or Dolls Museum with India Gate (private hotel transfers): $34
- Transfer from New Delhi to Agra by Private car: $100
- Transfer from Delhi to Agra by private Car: $57
- Stress Free One Way Transfer One City To Another City : $7.00
- Round trip Airport to Hotel to Airport transfers: $31
- Round Trip Airport Transfers - Delhi Airport to Hotel and back to Delhi Airport: $75
- Round Trip Airport Transfer- From Delhi Airport to Hotel & Back to Delhi Airport: $80
- Qutub Minar Skip-the-Line E-tickets & guide Delhi transfers: $36
- Private transfer: Delhi hotel to Railway station: $27
- Private transfer from Delhi to Jaipur by car: $81
- Private transfer Delhi to Agra: $60
Is it cheaper to fly into Varanasi or Delhi?
Prices for flights to both Delhi and Varanasi 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 dayVaranasi $12Delhi $20
Typical Food Prices in Varanasi
For Varanasi, here are some examples of average food and meal prices for travelers:
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Dinner In Town$4.04
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Varanasi
For Varanasi, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Food Tour: Highlights Tour with Tasting &Sunset in Varanasi: $15
- Tests of Best Varanasi Local Food Tour With Tourist Guide: $17
- Varanasi Food Tour with Monu: $22
- Night Boat Ride, Aarti Ceremony and Dinner: $24
- Varanasi Food Tour with Monu : $30
- Varanasi Cooking Classes with Indu and Shobha: $32
- 3-hour street food tour: $33
- 3-hour street food tour: $33
- Varanasi Cooking Classes with Indu and Shobha: $40
- Private Food Tour with Ganga Aarti Ceremony: $42
- Yoga, Ayurveda, and Cooking Class with Boat Ride: $42
- Private Food Tour with Ganga Aarti Ceremony: $44
Typical Food Prices in Delhi
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for food and meal costs in Delhi:
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McDonalds$3.43
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Delhi
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Delhi.
- Old Delhi Food Tour Safari - The Capital of Flavors: $8.12
- Food Tour in Delhi: $30
- Online: Indian Food Cooking Class: $32
- Old Delhi Heritage Sightseeing | Walking Tour | Street Food Tour: $33
- Cooking Demo + Lunch/Dinner and interaction with an Indian family @ Chez Anjali: $35
- Indian Cooking and Dining experience. : $36
- Old Delhi Food Tour: A Night Time Feast: $40
- Veg and Non veg : Private Cooking Class in Delhi (7 meal): $42
- Transit Tour-Guided Best Old Delhi's Attractions & Food Tour: $44
- The Great Indian Food Tour: Old Delhi Food and Heritage Walk: $44
- Private Half-Day Old Delhi Traditional Food Tour : $48
- Culinary Delights Of Delhi Half Day Food Tour: $49
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Varanasi $10Delhi $13
Typical Entertainment Prices in Varanasi
Below are a few sample prices from actual travelers for Varanasi's activities, tours, and tickets:
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Boat Ride$0.82
Tours and Activities in Varanasi
For Varanasi, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- Tour with research Scholar, IITF LICENSE GUIDE: $2.34
- Surnise Tour with Boat ride - Ganga Arti Full Day: $2.82
- Varanasi Scavenger Hunt and Sights Self-Guided Tour: $7.51
- Varanasi & Sarnath Full-Day Guided Tour by Car: $8.78
- Varanasi's Spiritual & heritage walking tour: $11
- Temple Walk Tour Varanasi: $12
- Spiritual and Heritage Walking Tour in Varanasi: $12
- Spiritual Tour in Varanasi with a local- Experience true essence of spirituality: $12
- From Delhi: Taj Mahal Sunrise, Baby Taj & Agra Fort Day Tour: $12
- Private Customizable Walking Tour with Local Guide: $12
- Varanasi city lanes walking tour: $13
- Mysticism of Varanasi with Ganga Aarti (2 Hours Walking Tour): $13
Typical Entertainment Prices in Delhi
Here are a few typical costs in Delhi for activities, ticket prices, and tours that come from previous visitors:
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Red Fort$10
Tours and Activities in Delhi
Here are a few actual costs in Delhi for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- 2 Days Self Guided Audio Tour in Delhi with Ticket Option: $11
- 2-day Tajmahal & Fort tour with Tiger Safari from Goa: $219
- 3 Day Golden Triangle Tour from Delhi: $132
- 3 Days Private Delhi, Agra, Jaipur and Triangle Tour : $144
- 5-Days Private Luxury Golden Triangle Tour Agra Jaipur New Delhi: $229
- Agra Same Day Private Tour From Delhi: $82
- All Inclusive Taj Mahal, Agra Fort and Baby Taj Tour From Delhi : $50
- All Inclusive: Same day Taj Mahal Tour From Delhi : $50
- Bharatpur Birding adventure from Delhi: $159
- Bollywood Dance + Delhi City Tour: $75
- Delhi Agra Jaipur 3 Days Golden Triangle Tour From New Delhi: $40
- Delhi And Taj Mahal Sunrise tour from Delhi 2 Days: $210
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayVaranasi $7.68Delhi $8.48
Sample the Local Flavors in Delhi
Also in Delhi, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
- Pub Crawl Delhi: $38
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Varanasi and Delhi, we can see that Delhi is more expensive. And not only is Varanasi much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Varanasi would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Varanasi 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 Delhi would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Delhi than you might in Varanasi.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Varanasi Expensive? and Is Delhi Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Varanasi or Delhi?
Delhi has a larger population, and is about 9 times larger than the population of Varanasi. When comparing the sizes of Varanasi and Delhi, 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.