What it costs.
An honest, in-country price list for everything you'll need on a trip to Kerala. Quoted in three currencies. Verified each quarter. No commission baked in. No surprises at checkout.
| Line item | USD | GBP | EUR |
|---|---|---|---|
| Where to stay | § i | ||
| Budget homestay, Fort KochiPer night, double room, breakfast included | $18 – 42 | £14 – 33 | €16 – 38 |
| Mid-range hotel, Kochi or KovalamPer night, twin, central, with pool | $55 – 110 | £43 – 87 | €50 – 100 |
| Heritage homestay, north KeralaPer night, double, half-board, in Wayanad or Kannur | $55 – 95 | £43 – 75 | €50 – 87 |
| Boutique tea-estate stay, MunnarPer night, double, full board, above 5,000 ft | $140 – 320 | £110 – 252 | €128 – 293 |
| On the water | § ii | ||
| Houseboat, Alleppey or KumarakomTwenty-four hours, two bedrooms, private chef, all meals | $75 – 260 | £59 – 205 | €68 – 238 |
| Half-day canoe trip with guidePer person, three to five hours, including refreshments | $20 – 45 | £16 – 35 | €18 – 41 |
| Luxury backwater villa, KumarakomPer night, private pool, all meals, on Vembanad Lake | $280 – 720 | £220 – 568 | €256 – 659 |
| Ayurveda & wellness | § iii | ||
| One-week rejuvenation programmeAccommodation, treatments, physician, prescribed meals | $950 – 2,200 | £750 – 1,737 | €870 – 2,013 |
| 14-day classical PanchakarmaFull Ayurvedic protocol at a Green Leaf centre | $1,850 – 4,800 | £1,460 – 3,790 | €1,693 – 4,392 |
| Getting around | § iv | ||
| Pre-paid airport taxi to Fort KochiAbout one hour from COK airport | $16 – 22 | £13 – 17 | €15 – 20 |
| Private car & driver, long distancePer day, fuel and tolls included, English-speaking driver | $48 – 72 | £38 – 57 | €44 – 66 |
| Internal train, Kochi to KannurAC chair car, ten hours, scenic coastal route | $8 – 14 | £6 – 11 | €7 – 13 |
| At the table | § v | ||
| Sadya at an old-family restaurantPer head, twenty-plus dishes, banana leaf, lunch only | $3 – 6 | £2 – 5 | €3 – 5 |
| Dinner at a heritage restaurantPer head, three courses, drinks extra | $12 – 28 | £9 – 22 | €11 – 25 |
| Toddy shop afternoonPer head, fish, beef, kappa, and a glass of toddy | $5 – 10 | £4 – 8 | €5 – 9 |
| All in | § vi | ||
| A comfortable mid-range week, per personTwo travellers sharing, flights excluded | ≈ $1,050 | ≈ £830 | ≈ €960 |
| A considered fortnight, per personTwo travellers sharing, flights excluded | ≈ $1,650 | ≈ £1,302 | ≈ €1,509 |
| Three weeks with a full Panchakarma, per personTwo travellers sharing, flights excluded | ≈ $3,100 | ≈ £2,447 | ≈ €2,836 |
How to read the ledger
Every line item shows a range. The lower number is the price you can expect to pay if you book in person, in cash, locally. The higher number is what you will pay if you book through an international OTA in advance from outside India. Both are honest. Both are achievable. Both buy you a perfectly nice version of the same thing.
The "all in" lines at the foot of the ledger are our best estimates of what a comfortable, mid-range trip will cost you per person, with two travellers sharing a room, and excluding international flights. They are deliberately conservative — most of our readers come in slightly under.
Three things you should never see on an honest invoice for a Kerala trip: a "service charge" added to a hotel rate (Kerala law prohibits it), driver "recommendations" for restaurants (these are kickbacks, politely decline), and "compressed" Ayurveda packages that promise a fortnight in three days (impossible). If your operator quotes any of these, find another operator.
Plan with the monthly letter.
One short dispatch a month — written in Kerala, for the international visitor.
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