Dear Friends,
Things continue to go well on this side of the world. I'm continuing my training this week. Most everything we're learning is practical, such as how to barter for autos, how to shop at the market for both food and clothing, how to catch a train, common phrases in the local language, etc.
I thought I'd try to give you an idea of the prices here and how far (or not far - see the peanut butter entry below) money goes here.
~40 Rs = $1
30-40 Rs. (~$1) - typical price for an auto depending on how far you're going and how much you bargain with the auto driver. Today, I went to see some historical sites that were about a 40 min. auto-ride from my flat and the best price I could get was 70 Rs. I felt defeated because I was told that the auto should only cost 30-40 Rs., but after trying to talk down five different auto drivers over a fifteen minute period, I caved. I have to get better at bartering!
99 Rs ($2.52)- shampoo (Garnier brand- made here, thus the cheap price)
25 Rs ($0.63)- toothpaste
70 Rs ($1.78) - 1 roll of tp (yes, one roll)
111 Rs ($2.83)- box of cereal (I have seen cereal as high as $7 here, but I tried to shop around a little and got it for the price listed.)
37 Rs ($0.94)- 1 packet of Ritz crackers
37 Rs ($0.94) 1 packet of Oreos
111 Rs ($2.83) - box of instant oatmeal packets
165 Rs ($4.21) - 12 oz (this is 12 oz., people. Not even the full size!) Peanut Butter
70 Rs ($1.78) - Liter of milk (the safest way to drink milk here is in a box carton, unless you want to buy it fresh and then boil it. It does not come in gallons that are already pasteurized as most of you are accustomed to. The milk is not found in the refrigerator section, but on the shelf. You may have seen something similar to this if you have been to Europe or Latin America. Similar to how soy or rice milk is sold in the States.)
I haven't bought much in the way of fruits and veggies yet because we've been eating out a lot here. Depending on where you go, you can get a great price for a full meal. This afternoon I had a large meal (rice, dal, naan, curry) for around $2.55. What is naan and dal, you say? Here are few common dishes found here:
Naan- tear shaped thick tortilla like white yeast bread cooked in a clay oven
Dal -lentils
Aloo meat - lamb and potato curry
Paneer- soft white cheese from milk similar to tofu - takes on the flavor of whatever spices it is cooked in
Biryai - rice and Indian spices with veggies or meat
Pura tandoori murg - whole tandoori chicken
Hope this is giving you a better picture of what life is like here!
-C
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4 comments:
I hadn't read your blog for awhile but took this opportunity on a cold and getting colder evening. Ahhh, reading about your temperatures warmed me up.
It's great for you to share the info on what things cost in India. In our reality, paper is a very expensive commodity world- wide. We just don't notice it much here unless we find ourselves in a public restroom with no hand towels. Imagine the luxury of being able to buy tp?
We take so much for granted and we are fortunate, indeed.
What does writing paper cost? How about ink and pens? Books and newspapers?
And if you were driving a car with an internal combustion engine, what is the cost for a litre of petrol. Other than the autorickshaws, what kinds of cars do people drive?
Sorry for all the questions. I'm fascinated with your journies.
Del
I'm not sure about the cost of Petrol ,etc. but I think I remember someone telling me that it's three times the cost of gas in the States (so no complaining about gas prices!). As far as cars go, Asian cars dominate the road here (toyota, honda, etc.), but occasionally I'll see a Ford.
Paper and books are cheap here, depending on where you go. I bought two small notebooks for Rs. 40 the other day (that's about a dollar). Pens and newspaper, I'm not sure about. The pens here are poor quality, I can tell you that much.
Random: I bought a Coke today (regular plastic bottle we're used to seeing in a convenient store, etc.) for Rs. 20 today -that's 50 cents!
petrol- i can't remember the price. i feel like i did a rough mental calculation at the time and it was comparable to US prices.
The gas prices are fixed in India by the government, i think. but then i was also told by someone that they fluctuate. beats me.
TP- i'd encourage you to shop around. the cost is not that high to the shops so maybe someone will be willing to sell for less. i once paid Rs 25 or something and another time Rs 10. safe to say, i started frequenting the latter shop. the MRP was 30 or something-- i didn't even haggle, and he just asked me for 10. i had talked to that guy before so maybe he liked me.
are they any western-style grocery stores? i went to a Reliant (same conglomerate that does mobile and other businesses) grocery store in Delhi, was like a mini-Schnuck's.
Biryani is great! i like the Thumbs-up (Pepsi) and other sodas too, i like the subtle difference in flavor.
Yes, since this post I've found TP to be cheaper in Bangalore. It does take some shopping around at times. Reliant! Yes, I love it. I shop at Spencer's, too. There are a few really, really nice grocery stores here downtown that have a Western feel and imports from the State, but of course you pay extra for that luxury.
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