India: Price Check

To give you an idea how you can live very comfortably for a year in India without working, I've compiled a list of prices as well as what the comparable item would cost in the U.S. Every time I buy a book or an ice cream cone, my eyes pop out looking at the sticker price. Not only does it feel like paying with Monopoly money, when you mentally exchange the price into USD (Rs. 40 = $ 1), everything seems to cost next to nothing!

Sample menu from a country club restaurant (comparable to a Cheesecake Factory):

• Soda: Rs. 13 = $ 0.33
• Milk Shake: Rs. 30 = $ 0.75
• Nachos: Rs. 55 = $ 1.40
• Fries: Rs. 14 = $ 0.35
• Club Sandwich: Rs. 40 = $ 1
• Eggs on Toast: Rs. 30 = $ 0.75
• Egg Curry with Rice: Rs. 50 = $ 1.25
• Chicken with Naan: Rs. 97 = $ 2.43 (most expensive item on menu)
• Dessert: Rs. 17 = $ 0.43

Random items:

• Cappuccino: Rs. 40 = $ 1 ... compared to $ 3.95 for a Starbucks grande cappuccino
• Paperback (Memoirs of a Geisha): Rs. 120 = $ 3 ... compared to $ 7.99 on Amazon for the same book
• 16 oz. water bottle: Rs. 20 = $ 0.50 ... compared to $ 1.99 for an Evian bottle
• 16 oz. Pepsi: Rs. 15 = $ 0.38 ... compared to $ 1.50
• Ice cream cone: Rs. 40 = $ 1 ... compared to $ 3 at Baskin-Robbins
• Thali (all you can eat Indian food): Rs. 120 = $ 3 ... compared to $10.95 for Indian buffet
• Flip flops: Rs. 50 = $ 1.25 ... compared to $ 8 for a similar pair
• 6' sub at Subway: Rs. 60 = $ 1.50 ... compared to $ 4.95
• Movie ticket: Rs. 200 = $ 5 ... compared to $ 11
• Passport photos (set of 8): Rs. 10 = $ 0.25 ... compared to $ 15.95 for a set of 2
• Flight within India: Rs. 3,000 = $ 75 ... compared to $ 300 for the same distance within the US