- Aakriti Pandey shared her costly US travel experience in a viral Instagram video
- Uber ride from airport to hotel cost Pandey Rs 6,300 during her US trip
- Three dosas in the Bay Area priced at Rs 5,300, highlighting high food costs
Travelling abroad can be a humbling reality check, especially when your home currency has not been performing well. Content creator Aakriti Pandey captured this sentiment in a viral Instagram video, admitting she was "questioning her life" after a trip to the US, where everyday expenses felt exorbitant as she mentally converted her dollar expenses into Indian rupees (INR).
Pandey highlighted that a single Uber ride to her hotel from the airport cost her Rs 6,300, while a few plates of dosa set her back roughly Rs 5,300.
“The world has become an expensive place for us Indians. This is the video that I recently made comparing Malaysian Ringgit and Thai Baht to INR, and now I have landed in the US and I find it funny. One dollar is Rs 93 to Rs 95 as of today, and this trip is making me question my life," said Pandey.
“Firstly, public transport, it's non-existent. If you land at midnight, your Uber will cost you almost close to your one-night stay. Like, I paid $67 (Rs 6,325) yesterday night just to reach my hotel, or motel I would like to call it,” she added.
Pandey also highlighted that coffee in the US is expensive, and the cheaper alternatives fail in taste compared to the Indian experience.
“Coffee, I think it's the best time to take a caffeine break for me, or maybe a three-to-four-dollar coffee at 7-Eleven, which is yuck. In India, you get fancy coffee beans with almond milk in this amount,” she said.
“Yesterday we felt like eating dosas for breakfast, and three dosas in the Bay Area today cost you $57, 5,300 rupees for three dosas! People tell me all the time to stop converting to INR, forget about it. But excuse me? How can you, if you earn in INR and spend in dollars?"
Pandey pointed out that perhaps the best way to visit a foreign country like the US was on company expense or sponsorship.
“It's just so much better to visit here in company expense or sponsorship, otherwise, it is going to give you too much anxiety, dude,” she said.
Check The Viral Clip Here:
Social Media Reactions
As of the last update, the video had garnered over 124,000 views and hundreds of comments, as the majority of social media users agreed with Pandey's assessment.
"100 per cent. Every single time I paid online, a calculator started working in my head," said one user, while another added: "That's the sad reality of the rupee at the moment. Thanks for highlighting it. Indians who dream of travelling the world should know that travelling abroad can seriously burn a hole in your pocket."
A third commented: "As a person who travelled only 2 countries and planning a third one I can totally relate. Even if someone is travelling for the first time they will start understanding this feeling as soon as they land in another country.
A fourth said: "I agree - also the food and coffee is so bad, it's like spending to just survive! I feel the US is overrated, and the American dream sold to us is a scam."
