Want to know exactly how much it costs to backpack through India and Pakistan for 3 months? This report covers our daily expenses from the past 3 months, total expenditures and recommendations on how you can stick to this budget- or beat it!
Mannnnnn how has it already been 3 months on the road? Although 3 months isn’t that long in the “longterm backpacking” world, it was our first milestone that beat our old record of just two.
Part of the reason I created this travel blog was to provide others with useful, practical info- with a specific focus on budget travel and how to score awesome travel deals.
So in hopes of helping future backpackers plan their trips after saving money to travel, I’m here to give an update on what we’ve been spending, and how closely we’ve been sticking to our budget.
In the past three months, we’ve spent just over 2 in India and just a bit over 1 in Pakistan. So far: we’ve explored India’s cold desert Spiti Valley, trekked to the start of the Ganges River, attended a Pahari wedding in Chojh Village, danced and hugged it out at a mini rave in Parvati Valley’s Fairy Forest, celebrated Eid and Pakistani Independence Day in Lahore and got ourselves into a state of trance not just once but twice at the Madhu lal Hussain dhamal.
…so you can say it’s been a bit of a wild ride.
3 Month Budget Breakdown
After we figured out how to save money for travel, we wanted to make that cash last as long as possible. And so far I’d say we’ve been successful!
But how much have we spent? Here’s a breakdown of exactly how much 3 months of backpacking really costs.
3 Months of Backpacking South Asia Costs
But first…
At the time of spending, the conversion rates were:
$1 USD = 68 Indian Rupees (INR)
$1 USD = 166 Pakistani Rupees (PKR)
Now let’s get to the tea on this budget. Over the course of 3 months, May 24-August 24 or 93 days, we have each spent a total of:
- $1042 total per person in 3 months
- Which averages out to $11.20 per day
- $156 in Pakistan over 23 days
- $886 in India over 70 days
Considering our original goal was $10 USD, I’d say we’ve done pretty well, and it could have been even less had I chilled out a bit with the Himalayan munchie splurging!
What ISN’T included in this report
Omitted expenses include a few clothing items, a small backpack, a laundry mistake and some various other extras that the average backpacker wouldn’t necessarily need to factor into their budget.
We also did not include the cost of our flight into the region- all tracking began once we landed in New Delhi.
We also pay $37 per month each for digital nomad travel insurance. I figured not to include this into our calculations because it wasn’t money spent on the ground- nevertheless, this is definitely something you should be factoring into your trip.
How we travel
Slow travel is the best way to travel in my humble opinion- and we’ve definitely been doing a lot of that! Up until Spiti Valley, we moved around a bit too much- so once we made it to Parvati Valley (link), we definitely chillaxed to the max.
We also spent a long amount of time in Lahore, Pakistan where we were hosted for a while by a friend we met on Couchsurfing.
We’re not pressed to see a certain number of countries, and prefer to travel in South Asia- which is why we’re only focusing on exploring India and Pakistan for now!
As for accommodation, we’ve either stayed in private rooms or with people we met on Couchsurfing. We personally don’t like dorms, and luckily have been able to stay in our own room in every guesthouse/ hotel we’ve checked into without breaking the bank.
We’ve also gotten lucky here and there throughout the past 3 months– in Dehradun, India we were even upgraded to a $50/night hotel for free due to their error- but in general, our standards are relatively low.
Basically: We’ve only paid for an A/C room for a few days in Lahore, (because BOILING) often share our quarters with some questionable insects, and definitely make use of our sleeping bag liners more than not due to dirty sheets. F
or the most part, we’ve been able to avoid shared toilets and/or those of the squat variety- all while staying VERY close to our original budget.
As for transportation, we’ve only used local non-AC bus service, a bit of hitchhiking, one shared taxi, Uber, and sleeper class trains- (aka cheap) with one “treat yourself” exception when we splurged on a comfy ride from Manali- Chandigarh.
Private cars and higher class trains can get expensive in the Subcontinent so if you’re trying to travel on the cheap- go local.
The main source of expenditures though? Most definitely food. If you’ve read a post or two on here, you’d know I’m a foodie.
I love food, especially desserts and other creamy specialties.
During our time in Parvati Valley, when so much amazing food was available (at unfortunately hiked costs) let’s just say I went a bit… overboard if you will. But hey, it happens- and it didn’t even throw us off too too much!
We’ve paid a few entrance fees and permit fees, but in general haven’t visited any museums or other high-priced tourist sites. If you’re into those, expect to pay a bit more- especially in particularly historic cities like New Delhi or Lahore.
At the time of writing, (which is now a bit past 3 months) we’re finding Pakistan to be generally less expensive than Northern India, though we have yet to explore India enough to make a complete judgment as to which is the most budget-friendly.
Keep in mind that India’s mountains are definitely more pricey than its cities, and food tends to be severely up-charged in Himachal Pradesh’s most worthwhile valleys, adding to daily costs.
Unless you hate food I guess?
But here’s the point…
For those coming from Western nations with high currency exchange rates, backpacking is CHEAP. And South Asia?
Perhaps the cheapest! In 3 months of travel, we’ve spent less than the cost of one month of $1360 rent back home in Miami.
Add to that car insurance, gas, food and utilities it is SIGNIFICANTLY cheaper for us to be exploring these parts of the world than to stay put in the US.
How you can do it even cheaper
If you’re looking to spend even LESS money- here’s what up. We could have reduced costs by trying to hitchhike and using Couchsurfing more often, and getting more serious about our my food purchases.
At times, we also could have chosen slightly more budget-y hotels if we had really wanted to. If you’re a solo traveler staying in dorms, you would easily be able to beat this budget!
Our goal for the next few months is to try to keep our spending where it’s at now… which shouldn’t be hard since Pakistan is proving to be so budget (and foodie) friendly. Got any questions or tips for us? Let us know in the comments!
Samantha is the founder of Intentional Detours. Originally from the USA, she’s been backpacking the world since 2017, and is passionate about slow, adventure travel that puts local communities first. She has visited 19 countries and has been living in the Karakoram Mountains of Asia’s Hunza Valley since 2021. She’s super passionate about helping people get off the beaten path anywhere (on a budget of course), and her travel writing has been published in the likes of BBC Travel, CNBC, Business Insider, and more.
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