“Earning in rupees and spending in dollars feels stressful”: Indian woman shares honest opinion on the real cost of a U.S vacation
ETimes | July 25, 2026 12:39 PM CST
How much do you think is the cost of your perfect American dream? It’s a fact that for many Indians, travelling to the United States is a dream that often takes years of planning and saving. But once you land on your dream ground, the excitement of landing doesn’t take much time to wear off as another reality quickly sets in, the exchange rate. Also if you earn in rupees and have to spend in dollars, you are in for not a very pleasant experience.
The video
A viral video by Indian content creator Aakriti Pandey (@byaakriti) on Instagram has struck a chord with thousands of travellers. In the video, she candidly compared Indian currency with US dollars and that was enough to give travellers financial anxiety. She herself experienced the difference while holidaying in the US.
Her simple observation was,
"Earning in rupees and spending in dollars feels stressful". The observation resonated with people who have travelled abroad while earning an Indian salary.
She further admits that she couldn't stop converting every expense into Indian rupees. Whether it was a meal, a taxi ride or a cup of coffee in a convenience store (which apparently was “yuck”), each swipe of her card made her calculate the value.
She questioned the popular advice often given to travellers:
“This trip is making me question my life. First, public transport is non-existent here.”
But then there are people asking her, "Don't convert everything into rupees."
Her response was straightforward. "How can someone earning in rupees not convert it while spending in dollars?"
That question has sparked conversations across social media, especially among first-time international travellers.
When every purchase feels expensive
Aakriti's experience wasn't about extravagant spending. Those were very basic expenditures. For example, she says that she landed in the country around midnight. Her cab charged around 67 dollars for dropping her at the hotel or motel, which is almost your one night stay at a decent hotel.
Then she further shares her restaurant meal expenses. For three dosas, she paid nearly INR 5,300 in Indian rupees which is 57 dollars.
So for tourists earning in Indian rupees, it can be overwhelming.
In the caption accompanying her video, Aakriti admitted that constantly converting prices into Indian currency made the trip financially stressful. She even joked that her friends living in the US would probably laugh at her worries because they are accustomed to local prices.
Sponsored trips feel very different
Another point she mentioned was totally relatable. According to Aakriti, travelling in the US becomes much easier when expenses are sponsored by an employer, business trip or another organisation. But for self-funded holidays, every dollar counts.
Online reaction
Some people also came up with interesting solutions:
One user said, “You never eat at Indian restaurants abroad because Indian food is always expensive abroad. Grab a donut or burger, or get pre-heat meals from India!”
Another one joked, “Earn in dollars. Spend in INR. Problem solved.”
Some also agreed, “100%. Every single time I paid online, a calculator started working in my head.”
The video is an eye opener for many such Indians who dream of travelling to the U.S. When every coffee, dosa dinner and museum ticket is mentally converted into rupees, it can create a strange mix of excitement and guilt.
The video
A viral video by Indian content creator Aakriti Pandey (@byaakriti) on Instagram has struck a chord with thousands of travellers. In the video, she candidly compared Indian currency with US dollars and that was enough to give travellers financial anxiety. She herself experienced the difference while holidaying in the US.
Her simple observation was,
"Earning in rupees and spending in dollars feels stressful". The observation resonated with people who have travelled abroad while earning an Indian salary.
She further admits that she couldn't stop converting every expense into Indian rupees. Whether it was a meal, a taxi ride or a cup of coffee in a convenience store (which apparently was “yuck”), each swipe of her card made her calculate the value.
She questioned the popular advice often given to travellers:
“This trip is making me question my life. First, public transport is non-existent here.”
But then there are people asking her, "Don't convert everything into rupees."
Her response was straightforward. "How can someone earning in rupees not convert it while spending in dollars?"
That question has sparked conversations across social media, especially among first-time international travellers.
When every purchase feels expensive
Aakriti's experience wasn't about extravagant spending. Those were very basic expenditures. For example, she says that she landed in the country around midnight. Her cab charged around 67 dollars for dropping her at the hotel or motel, which is almost your one night stay at a decent hotel.
Then she further shares her restaurant meal expenses. For three dosas, she paid nearly INR 5,300 in Indian rupees which is 57 dollars.
So for tourists earning in Indian rupees, it can be overwhelming.
In the caption accompanying her video, Aakriti admitted that constantly converting prices into Indian currency made the trip financially stressful. She even joked that her friends living in the US would probably laugh at her worries because they are accustomed to local prices.
Sponsored trips feel very different
Another point she mentioned was totally relatable. According to Aakriti, travelling in the US becomes much easier when expenses are sponsored by an employer, business trip or another organisation. But for self-funded holidays, every dollar counts.
Online reaction
Some people also came up with interesting solutions:
One user said, “You never eat at Indian restaurants abroad because Indian food is always expensive abroad. Grab a donut or burger, or get pre-heat meals from India!”
Another one joked, “Earn in dollars. Spend in INR. Problem solved.”
Some also agreed, “100%. Every single time I paid online, a calculator started working in my head.”
The video is an eye opener for many such Indians who dream of travelling to the U.S. When every coffee, dosa dinner and museum ticket is mentally converted into rupees, it can create a strange mix of excitement and guilt.
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