What It Costs to Send Money to India from the US
In the 2024 Q3 World Bank Remittance Prices Worldwide quarterly survey, the cost of sending USD 200 from the United States to India had a median total cost of 3.87% and an average total cost of 4.40% of the amount sent. Total cost in this survey combines two components: the transfer fee charged by the provider and the exchange-rate margin applied to the conversion, both expressed together as a percentage of the USD 200 send amount.
Across the 47 providers surveyed in that same 2024 Q3 snapshot, quoted total costs ranged from a low of -0.22% to a high of 17.50%, reflecting considerable variation across the market. The cheapest surveyed provider in the 2024 Q3 data was Walmart2World. Because the survey captures prices at a specific point in time, provider pricing may have changed since that date.
Costs for any individual transfer can differ from these surveyed figures depending on the payment method used, the payout method selected by the recipient, and the amount sent, all of which can affect both the fee and the exchange-rate margin. The World Bank updates this survey quarterly. The per-provider table below shows the individual quoted costs drawn from the 2024 Q3 survey data and should be read as dated reference figures rather than current live quotes.
Surveyed providers (2024 Q3)
| Provider | Type | Pay-out | Speed (surveyed) | Total cost, $200 | Total cost, $500 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Walmart2World | Bank | Internet | Less than one hour | -0.22% | -0.22% |
| Walmart2World | Bank | Agent | Less than one hour | -0.01% | -0.01% |
| Ria | MTO | Internet | 3-5 days | 0.85% | 0.55% |
| Placid Express | MTO | Internet | 3-5 days | 0.94% | 0.94% |
| MoneyGram | MTO | Internet | Next day | 1.04% | 0.44% |
| Ria | MTO | Internet | Less than one hour | 1.35% | 0.95% |
| Western Union | MTO | Internet | 3-5 days | 1.57% | 0.97% |
| Wells Fargo | Bank | Call Center | 2 days | 2.09% | 1.19% |
| Wells Fargo | Bank | Bank branch | 2 days | 2.20% | 1.25% |
| Wise | MTO | Internet | Less than one hour | 2.27% | 1.96% |
| Ria | MTO | Internet | 3-5 days | 2.32% | 1.45% |
| Pangea | MTO | Internet | Less than one hour | 2.44% | 1.65% |
| Ria | MTO | Agent | Same day | 2.80% | 1.63% |
| Ria | MTO | Internet | Less than one hour | 2.82% | 1.65% |
Total cost = transfer fee + exchange-rate margin, as a percent of the amount sent, at the two surveyed send amounts ($200 / $500). Surveyed prices, not live quotes.
Estimate your transfer cost →Source: The World Bank, Remittance Prices Worldwide, available at http://remittanceprices.worldbank.org (CC BY 4.0). Figures are from the 2024 Q3 survey — surveyed prices, not live quotes.