With growing threats from climate change, coupled with rapid urbanization, population growth, and weak water supply systems, the Eastern Himalayan foothills of India are facing acute water shortages, particularly for drinking purposes. This study examines the coping costs borne by households in Jalpaiguri district, West Bengal, and identifies the factors that shape these costs. Coping includes collecting, storing, drawing, treating, and purchasing water. The results show that income, gender, caste, and perceptions of scarcity significantly influence household coping costs. Poorer households spend disproportionately more through time and labor devoted to water collection, while higher-income households rely on water purchases to reduce this burden. Women collectors face higher costs, underscoring the gendered nature of water insecurity, and caste-based differences further shape coping patterns. Households perceiving severe scarcity incur the highest expenditures, while those reporting moderate or slight scarcity spend less. These findings highlight that water insecurity in Jalpaiguri is driven not only by supply constraints but also by social and economic inequalities. Strengthening the Jal Jeevan Mission, providing targeted support to marginalized households, and promoting community-led initiatives such as rainwater harvesting can reduce coping costs and improve resilience, with lessons applicable to other rural regions facing similar challenges.