Travel writing about India has a peculiar problem with money: either it pretends prices don't exist, or it quotes them with the false precision of someone who has never paid them. We do neither.
What follows is a clear, friendly accounting of what a trip to Kerala will cost you, broken down by the things you actually need to pay for. Use it to plan a budget you can trust.
How much for a week, two weeks, three?
A comfortable, mid-range week in Kerala — the classic seven-night route through Kochi, Munnar, Thekkady and a houseboat — costs roughly $1,000 to $1,400 per person for two people travelling together, excluding international flights. This buys you nice heritage homestays and small hotels, a private car and driver, two-bedroom houseboats, and as much excellent food as you can eat.
A mid-range fortnight — adding either a few nights of north Kerala or a week at an Ayurveda centre — works out at around $1,650 per person. Three weeks, with a full panchakarma programme included, runs to about $2,800 to $3,400 depending on the centre.
At the budget end, you can travel Kerala beautifully on $40 a day; at the luxury end, you can spend $600 a night on a backwater villa and never see the ceiling. Most of our readers land somewhere in the middle.
What you should never pay for
Three things that shouldn't appear on any honest invoice. First, 'commission' or 'service charge' added to a hotel rate — Kerala law prohibits it, and any operator including it is keeping the difference. Second, restaurant 'recommendations' from drivers — politely insist on the place you have already chosen, not the place that pays them a kickback. Third, 'special' Ayurveda packages that compress a fortnight into three days. These are always a bad idea.
The full price list, line by line, is on our Ledger page. Every figure is in three currencies. Nothing on the page earns us a referral.
Four small things we'd build the trip around.
A budget week
Around $40 / day. Homestays, local food, public transport.
A mid-range week
Around $140 / day. Heritage hotels, private driver, occasional treats.
A luxury week
Around $400 / day. Backwater villas, full-board Ayurveda, helicopter transfers.
A two-week wellness retreat
$1,850 – 4,800 all-inclusive at a serious centre.