The world budget travel table offers an estimate of the daily backpacking costs in 85 countries including all of the most popular destinations. It should help anyone planning to travel with the challenging process of calculating a realistic daily or monthly backpacking budget for your trip.
Scroll down for the full travel costs table. You’ll see that some countries also have more detailed posts that include sample prices and suggested budgets for those looking for a bit more luxury. First, here’s a quick overview that shows what kind of ballpark you’ll want to be thinking when it comes to the cost of travel in the most popular regions for backpacking:
| Cheapest countries | Most expensive countries | Average across the region | |
| Europe backpacking budget | $25/day | $90/day | $45-60/day |
| Southeast Asia backpacking budget | $20/day | $50/day | $25-30/day |
| South America backpacking budget | $20/day | $40/day | $30-35/day |
| Central America backpacking budget | $25/day | $40/day | $30/day |
The figures on this page are only for day-to-day travel in each country. They are based on an independent solo traveller staying in hostels (mostly dorms) and cooking their own meals or eating in affordable local restaurants. Transport costs are factored in, as is the cost of some daytime activities and evening entertainment plus the odd night out. If you are planning on doing a lot of partying, you may want to budget a bit higher though!
It’s also worth noting that the travel budgets below don’t factor in pre-trip expenses such as the cost of flights, visas, vaccinations or travel insurance which can be considerable. If you need travel insurance, you can get a quote in 60 seconds from Heymondo who offer well reviewed cover for international travel and longer term backpacking trips.
Backpacking Costs around the World – Cost of Travel by Country
- Backpacking Costs around the World – Cost of Travel by Country
- How much does it cost to backpack across the world? – Things to Consider
Cheapest Countries for Backpacking
| Country | Estimated Daily Travel Costs |
| Bolivia | $20 |
| Laos | $20 |
| Nepal | $20 |
| India | $20 |
| Vietnam | $20 |
| Sri Lanka | $20 |
| Egypt | $20 |
These are the world superpowers of budget travel. It is possible and often fairly easy to get by on as little as $15/day in some of them providing you are prepared to rough it a little bit and resist the tempting tourist buses, restaurants and hotels and stick to hostels, local transport and local restaurants.
In some of these countries just $2-3 can get you a bed for the night, transport you 200 km or buy a round at the bar. Travelling in these countries, you can budget around $140 per week or less if you’re a bit savvy and many backpacking India for example can get that down to more like $100 by opting for the cheapest classes on trains and best value beds.
The cost of travelling for a year on this sort of budget would be as little as $7000 (excluding pre-trip expenses and international flights).
More of the Cheapest Places to Travel
| Country | Estimated Daily Travel Costs |
| Georgia | $25 |
| Nicaragua | $25 |
| Cambodia | $25 |
| Ghana | $25 |
| Guatemala | $25 |
| Mongolia | $25 |
| Uzbekistan | $25 |
| Iran | $25 |
| Bulgaria | $25 |
| The Philippines | $25 |
| Morocco | $25 |
| Peru | $25 |
| Indonesia | $25 |
| Ecuador | $30 |
| Honduras | $30 |
| Serbia | $30 |
| Malaysia | $30 |
| Myanmar | $30 |
| Thailand | $30 |
| Ethiopia | $30 |
| Romania | $30 |
| Malawi | $30 |
| Turkey | $30 |
| Colombia | $30 |
| Paraguay | $30 |
| Panama | $30 |
| Poland | $30 |
| Jordan | $30 |
Some fascinating countries in this lot and still remarkably cheap travelling. $200 per week should cover it and a year in these sorts of countries should work out at around $10,000 (plus international flights, insurance etc).
Much will depend on what kind of traveller you are though in some of these countries, particularly those in Southeast Asia. Thailand is a good example of that. If you’re not big into the backpacker party culture there or spend most of your time in the north, you could probably view $20 or $25/day as a realistic budget. Go out drinking every night and even $30 may not be enough.
You can also visit some of the cheapest European countries on this kind of budget such as Bulgaria, a popular destination for digital nomads in Europe.
Still Good Value
| Country | Estimated Daily Travel Costs |
| Costa Rica | $35 |
| Mexico | $35 |
| Hungary | $35 |
| Czech Republic | $35 |
| South Africa | $35 |
| Tanzania | $35 |
| Serbia | $35 |
| Mozambique | $35 |
| Kenya | $35 |
| Taiwan | $35 |
| Argentina | $35 |
| Cuba | $35 |
| China | $40 |
| South Korea | $40 |
| Slovania | $40 |
| Estonia | $40 |
| Uruguay | $40 |
| Chile | $40 |
| Brazil | $40 |
| Belize | $40 |
If you’re from an expensive country yourself, you’ll still find these places very cheap and prices for some things are around half what they are in Western Europe, USA or Canada.
An average trip across South America or Eastern Europe, or the more expensive countries in East Africa, might fall into this range. 6 months of travel in these kinds of countries would set you back around $7,000. South Korea is another developed country that is a lot cheaper to visit than many people realise.
Mozambique is a good example of an African country that can be relatively pricey by regional standards to travel in, likewise Uruguay in South America. You can go well over a daily budget of $40 in both countries if you’re not a bit disciplined as much of the travel industry in those places isn’t particularly geared towards backpackers or budget travellers.
Mid-Range Backpacking Costs
| Country | Estimated Daily Travel Costs |
| Hong Kong | $45 |
| Jamaica | $45 |
| Fiji | $45 |
| Portugal | $45 |
| Croatia | $45 |
| Cyprus | $45 |
| Greece | $45 |
| Singapore | $50 |
| Oman | $50 |
| Spain | $50 |
A real cross-section of countries from different regions are sitting comfortably in mid-table. Portugal is still good value when compared to nearby countries while the Asian city states of Hong Kong and Singapore both feature here.
You’re looking at $300-350 per week on this kind of budget and in 6 months perhaps $8,000-9,000. Some of these countries are already almost three times as expensive as the dirt cheap destinations at the top of this page.
Croatia is perhaps the best example of an Eastern European country which has got more expensive in recent years as it has grown into a hugely popular tourist destination. Costs are roughly similar to most parts of Spain but in both countries you can find better value by avoiding the main coastal resorts or by travelling out of the peak summer season.
Expensive Countries to Visit
| Country | Estimated Daily Travel Costs |
| Germany | $55 |
| Israel | $55 |
| Austria | $55 |
| Lebanon | $60 |
| UK | $60 |
| Ireland | $60 |
| Italy | $60 |
| Finland | $60 |
| Sweden | $60 |
| Japan | $60 |
| New Zealand | $60 |
If you arrive from Southeast Asia or Central America into Western or Central Europe then you’re in for a nasty shock. Backpacking bargains will seem like a distant memory almost as quickly as your trusty savings will diminish. 3 months travel in one of the countries in this section would amount to over $5000, not far off what a whole year in some of the cheapest countries in the world might cost.
Germany still represents pretty good value as far as developed European countries go but if you’ve come from the east of the continent’s former divide then it will still seem expensive.
The Middle East also features here with Israel and increasingly Lebanon getting harder to visit on a budget. We’ve not included places like the UAE or Qatar in this table given they aren’t really backpacking destinations but you can safely assume they’d be even more expensive.
Most Expensive Countries in the World
| Country | Estimated Daily Travel Costs |
| Canada | $65 |
| The Netherlands | $65 |
| Belgium | $65 |
| Denmark | $65 |
| Australia | $70 |
| France | $70 |
| USA | $75 |
| Iceland | $75 |
| Norway | $85 |
| Switzerland | $90 |
These are some of the most expensive countries in the world to travel in. Australia for example, despite its popularity with backpackers, is by no means a budget travel destination. Special deals on coach travel for backpackers helps soften the blow but unless you can get some work or free accommodation in Oz, you will need sizeable savings of over $6,000 if you fancy just three months travelling there or in one of the other countries in this section.
Scandinavia is a particularly expensive part of Europe with a cluster of the world’s most expensive travel destinations, although it is well worth noting that you can get by on much less by taking advantage of laws which favour those willing to camp.
Costs in the USA and Canada vary wildly depending on how much travelling around you do. Stay for a while in one of the more affordable regions and you could maybe get by on less than $60 per day but you could easily go past $75 in both if you want to see and do a lot with attractions typically very expensive. There’s also a relative lack of backpacker hostel style accommodation, particularly in the US.
Backpacking Budget Planner – How was the table compiled?
The figures came from extensive research into everything from the price of trains and buses to hostel dorms, meals, beers, trips and activities. Thanks go to Booking.com, The Man in Seat 61 and Numbeo for making the research process a bit easier. We also used our own travel experiences and feedback from readers to come up with the final figures.
Given every person travels differently, this is not an exact science and depending on how you travel, you may find some countries more or less affordable than they appear here. However, if you think any figures are truly way off, you can comment below or get in touch via email.
How much does it cost to backpack across the world? – Things to Consider
What kind of Traveller are you?
Remember these backpacking costs are based on staying in a budget hostel, travelling by local transport and eating and drinking in local restaurants or street stalls. If you are more flashpacker than backpacker, you can expect to spend more than this.
If you’ve got a knack for shoestring travel then you may be able to get by on slightly less, particularly in the more expensive countries where couchsurfing or hitch-hiking can really cut down your costs. Check out this guest post on how to travel on a small budget for more money-saving tips.
One good way to truly make your money go further and therefore make your trip last longer is to use Worldpackers, an excellent platform for finding work exchanges in 170 countries around the world. Essentially it allows you to use your skills in exchange for free accommodation and food, which will shrink your daily backpacking budget considerably. Use the Promo Code MYFUNKYTRAVELWP for a $10 discount if you sign up to become a full member.
First Time Traveller?
If it’s your first time travelling, you might be wise to allow for a little more than the figures quoted. All of the budgets are realistic for experienced shoestring travellers but if you haven’t done much travelling, you’ll probably make a few expensive mistakes along the way. Backpacking for the first time can be very exciting, but with temptation all around it may take a while to become disciplined enough to stick to a shoestring budget.
Regional Variation
Another limitation of any travel cost calculator is that prices can often vary significantly within countries. For example capital cities are often very expensive. The same applies to popular package tourist regions such as Cancun in Mexico so bear this in mind when planning your trips.
China, Indonesia and Malaysia are examples of countries where there are huge regional differences in prices – sometimes to the extent where certain regions are twice as expensive as other parts of the same country. This tends to be the case more in bigger countries but not always. Britain for example is considerably cheaper outside of London and the Southeast of England.
Pace of Travel has a big impact on overall backpacking costs
Staying in one place for longer or travelling in just a small part of a country will see you get by on less than if you are travelling longer distances and moving on every day or two. In the table above we are basing it on solo travellers moving around once every two or three days.
If you really want to cut costs down, consider basing in yourself in one city for a longer period and finding some form of employment whilst doing trips in your time off. The daily cost of living around the world is typically considerably less than the cost of travel and that’s before you factor in the potential to earn money as well as spend it.
Travelling Alone or with Others?
Couples or friends travelling together may be able to make some significant savings as generally you can split costs on accommodation and sometimes transport. Therefore it should be slightly easier for you to stick to these budgets if you are travelling with at least one other person. Solo travel is particularly costly in countries with limited dorm style accommodation such as the USA or Cuba.
Exchange Rates
As of July 2024, US$1 is worth:
Euros: €0.92 | British Pounds: £0.78 | Canadian Dollars: $1.36 | Australian Dollars: $1.48 | New Zealand Dollars: $1.64 | Japanese Yen: ¥162 | Singapore Dollars: $1.35 | Philippine Peso: 58 | Danish Krone: 6.88 | Swiss Francs: 0.90
Note that while travel costs may have only slightly increased in Dollar terms across the world since we last updated this table, most currencies have lost value against the Dollar. During volatile economic times such as these, changing exchange rates will have a big impact on the overall cost of your trip. Keep an eye on them before and during your travels and perhaps allow a bit of leeway for the possible devaluation of your own currency.
The backpacking costs on this page were fully updated in January 2023.
Thank you for your valuable information, I really enjoy this kind of blog..
Just wanted to say thank you for keeping this very useful resource updated 🙂
Thanks for your comment! The January 2023 update was the first big update for a few years as it was obviously difficult to do during the pandemic, but hopefully it’s pretty accurate and a useful starting point for budgeting!
Nice Post…
Visa. To travel to Russia it is mandatory to have a visa, which, if you do it on your own, can cost about AUD$159 (including the letter of invitation). This is a fixed cost which no one can escape. Registration. Another cost that some accommodations can charge is the check-in at your arrival (between AUD$5 and AUD$10), but the usual in hotels with 3 or more stars is that they don’t charge anything for this service.
in each budget area listed in funky travel, ie in the $40 per day group are the countries ranked in the grouping?thank you
Hi Jacqueline,
No, they are not ranked in any order. Obviously there is quite a bit of margin for error anyway. It’s also very possible that the figures will change a lot in 2021 and beyond, depending on how badly countries (and their travel industries) are hit by the pandemic. Will try to keep it updated as much as possible!
Wow, you did a great job! Next year I want to travel through South and Central America for one year. This really helped me to get some budget travel ideas. Thank you very much ??
I went to Uzbekistan in 2016 and it was definitely WAY more expensive than $15 a day. You could only get by on that if you were bikepacking across. You are required to stay in a guesthouse/hotel every night excepting if you are travelling by train (and you need to save all your train tickets/hotel vouchers for every night to present when you leave the country). Although I heard this may have changed with new government.
Visa is much easier and cheaper now tho with the new $20 e-visa. It took a week for me getting it in Almaty even with the expensive “express” service (I think it was something stupid like $200) and they almost didn’t give it (there was issues getting it abroad for US citizens at the time and problem with LOI)
It was by far the most expensive country I travelled in the ‘stans at that time (no Turkmenistan or Afghanistan). I travelled with a group of anywhere from 3-5 people the entire time, shared rooms and taxis when needed, or took train. Was definitely on a budget, I want to say it was more like $30ish a day. Journal of Nomads recommends $40 a day currently and that’s consistent with what Caravanistan is posting. I’d say $40 a day for a comfy, not bare-bones backpacker budget where you can do some awesome tours like out to the Aral sea.
Uzbekistan was awesome and since it looks like things are more relaxed there now, I will definitely try to get back- a lot of Samarkhand was shut to the public due to this (apparently private) music festival- highly recommended (as with all the ‘Stans)
Sorry, I meant I travelled in 2015. New president apparently in 2016.
Thanks for your comments, really interesting.
Uzbekistan is one of those places that’s hard to find a great deal of info on so it’s possible we are a bit out there. The only thing I’d say is that the exchange rate has changed a lot since 2015. $1 was roughly 2500 Uzbekistani Som then however now you can get close to 10,000 for a dollar which is a massive difference in 4 years. It seems like one of those countries that’s now very cheap if you can exchange money on the black market –
very very cool that you have been to the stans!! how would you rank them expense wise and interest wise and perhaps ease of travel and language?
My wife and I spent $33k for 12 months and kept a very detailed budget. We traveled in 4 continents and through 30+ countries. We have a detailed budget overview here: https://www.ditchthemap.com/travel-blog/2017/7/11/round-the-world-budget-recap
I also built an excel tool that lets you track your own budget. It graphs and lets you compare average costs from various countries. Hope you enjoy. You can download here on it here: https://www.ditchthemap.com/budget-1
Thanks for this Scott. Really detailed!
Great table, and a fantastic idea! I shall be bookmarking this page to reference when brainstorming future trips!
Thanks Jon. Currently reviewing all these figures and will be updating it for 2019 over the next couple of weeks, so check back shortly for a more up-to-date picture.
I’m interested in Albania and some other Eastern European countries. What do you know about them? Specifically Albania!? Thanks for your efforts!
Hi Paul. Safe to say Albania is cheap!. Was there last year and it’s as affordable as anywhere in Europe really and a nice country to visit too.
You can get suggested budgets for Albania and other Eastern European countries that aren’t in this table here – http://myfunkytravel.com/europe-backpacking-budget.html
Hey guys do you think I can get a job in some of these countries? I wanna travel but I really don’t know if I have enough money to go and I want to work and live in some places for several months
Hi Jose, depends on the country but often you can find casual work in hostels, where they’ll at least provide you with a bed and food. Teaching English or another language is another option.
This post should give you a few ideas – http://myfunkytravel.com/topten-traveljobs.html
If you’re basing yourself in one place for several months then you won’t be spending as much as the figures in the table suggest.
check out our living costs table for some inspiration there – http://myfunkytravel.com/cost-of-living-in-different-world-cities.html
Check out my Kyrgyzstan trip expenses: https://inbudget.net/@bickov/kyrgyzstan-hiking-trip-s36wrobbhwp37hc/
thanks for the info! cool pics, looks like a great place to visit 🙂
Great list and very helpful. I’d like to chip in my experience on Norway:
Whilst norway is extremely expensive and I was spending as much as £100 / day in oslo, There are a few redeeming features if you do want to travel there on a budget:
*****you can camp pretty much anywhere legally for free******
Seriously folks you can wild camp legally. you could even camp outside oslo and commute in on the tram…
and people are extremely friendly and it is very easy to hitchhike
So while this isn’t going to be ideal for everyone, please have a read below:
If you pick up a tent and a sleeping bag then in the summer months your only expenditure is food. I did two weeks longboarding across the south of the country on £5/day. I Washed in lakes and waterfalls, quite often the rivers and lakes are safe to drink, you can charge your gadgets in gas stations (which are usually unattended), camp and cook in a forest or something and if you really need to get around then either hitch a lift, walk or take public transport which is equivalent in price to the uk but much more reliable. I was paying £2 for ferries around the fjords but as a foot-passenger they quite often didn’t bother to charge me.
So on the one hand it’s the most expensive country I’ve ever been to but on the other hand if you’re happy to get in touch with nature and go wild it can be extremely cheap to explore the fjords. Easily the best time I’ve ever had in my life by the way.
Thanks for sharing this!
I’m Norwegian and want to comment on this as well. Many tourists come to Norway with the intention of seeing everything – that’s not possible, mostly because of the costs of getting from A to B, and due to the very high prices on accommodation. Despite about only 5 million people living here, Norway is a big country, so focusing on certain areas is also a good idea (also makes it easier to hitchhike). Like Sig said, wildlife camping is legal and this is definitely the best way to experience Norway. Furthermore, planning in advance will take you a long way cost-reduction wise, as you can get domestic flights with Norwegian for about 25-40 £ going anywhere, the same goes with trains if you order in advance. If you avoid the tourist routes on the fjords, and stick to regular ferries or route boats in the fjords, you’ll cut costs a lot. Most cities in Norway have amazing mountains with great views very close to the city center, so spending many hours and a lot of money getting to the most popular mountains (Trolltunga, Kjeragbolten, Preikestolen and so on) is definitely smart to avoid if you want budget travels in Norway (and an authentic experience, as you’ll be more likely to run into locals enjoying their “backyard nature” and less likely to run into massive groups of tourists). If I were a tourist here, I’d avoid buying alcohol in bars, go to smaller and less “commercial” restaurants and only use the transportation that locals do (no tourist busses and so on), and I’m pretty sure it would be possible to live off 25-30 £/ day (not including travel costs getting to and from Norway). Oh, and biking in norway is amazing and buying a bike here is quite cheap, so I’d definitely recomend that if you have more time.
Thanks Katrine for the info. Sounds like really good advice that you and Sig have given.
We try and use a standard formula for working out the budgets for each country to try and be a bit consistent which includes staying in hostels and using public transport to get around which is why Norway is so expensive. However from your comments it sounds as though there are much better ways to see the country on a budget!
Any word on when this may be updated?
hopefully in the next month although there’s only likely to be the odd tweak here and there as it was updated early last year. The exchanged rates have changed a fair bit though so go with the US Dollars and then convert to your own currency for a better idea.
Thanks! This may be a really stupid question, but I am planning on my trip now. Is this at all factoring in average ticket prices or any plane travel into each country (if applicable)? Like for example, I’m going from Indonesia to Vietnam where the average ticket costs $150 USD. Can I assume some of that cost will be assumed in the daily budget for Vietnam in your chart or no?
No, it’s just for your likely average spend when inside each country. Anything like flights in/visa costs etc are extra. It’s difficult to factor that in because people are coming from different places so flight costs vary dramatically. Visa requirements/costs also vary quite a bit depending on nationality.
So certainly somewhere like Vietnam, the costs of getting in and other pre-trip expenses can sometimes be even more than what you’ll actually spend in the country itself if you’re only there for a short time. 🙂
I must disagree with you, Harry. My husband and I travelled Thailand last year on $20 Australian per day, each. So it was about $35 USD for the two of us. This included bus tickets, sim cards, decent accommodation, street food and local restaurant food, beers. It definitely can be done but you just need to average it out, if you buy bus tickets one day, the next day you only walk around and see the free tourist attractions. I would have liked to have had more money but I also prefer to travel cheap than not travel at all.
You say “Some people might love this kind of lifestyle but i think why go to Thailand to live like a tramp?” – I say, we all have our own travel preferences and just because you wouldn’t enjoy travelling like this it doesn’t mean the figures aren’t accurate. It just means they’re not accurate for the kind of travel you choose to do.
Thanks for the great info My Funky Travel!
This is fantastic, I wish it came up in my earlier searches, thanks for your effort!
Well the Lonely Planet recommendation for “budget” in Papua New Guinea is 300 Kinas – $110 a day! And that doesn’t seem to include hiring guides which is apparently essential in most parts! I heard it was expensive but number 1 most expensive country in the world by at least a $20 margin?! Seriously?! I mean I saved up for so long just to see this place I still want to go. I knew it was more expensive than most of Asia but Norway?!?! Christ!
Anyone else have more info on this place?
Though actually Lonely Planet puts all its estimated prices higher for other countries too. Good as I was beginning to feel seriously irresponsible booking a month in the most expensive country on the planet.
Still, if you’re working, not supporting a family I wouldn’t be put off going somewhere you really want – just save for a bit longer and don’t go quite as long.
Good list btw!
this table is not very accurate at all .. Indonesia is far cheaper then almost every country listed also its quite easy to spend under $20 in China .. most hostals can be found for $5 a night and great food is only $1-2 a meal .. trains are cheap and hitchhiking is safe and very easy .. thailand is also cheaper than $20 a night u can get a room for $2-5 easy and great food for $1-2 everywhere in Thailand .. also India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka are very very cheap .. Ive spent the last 3.5 years traveling in Asia full time
also Hong while expensive can be done much cheaper than $40 you can get a hostal for $8-10 and spend about $10-15 on food the rest of the time subway and ferry is cheap and exploring the city is interesting in itself without spending much money
For the traveler from a Euro country Thailand is now definately 25 to 35% more expensive then pictured in the table. so it is now in the 25 to 30 dollar bracket. Indonesia on the other hand is in the wrong table. It should be in the top table (20 dollar per day) because it is dirt cheap compared to Thailand.
Living on 600 baht (20 US) per day in Thailand? That means sleeping on the beach and (mostly) dining from rubbish bins.
A backpacker means somebody who does not stay in one place right? That means he travels from place to place so he cannot book a cheap 4000 Baht place for a month but he has to stay in homestays and pay per day. In most tourist places you will not find anything below 300 baht per day. You can eat cheap in Thailand but probably you have to calculate at least 3 x 40 baht per day. if you want to survive on street food only.
Traveling however also costs money, busses, trains etc (a backpacker will have to use them a lot) are not free even in Thailand. You can ofcourse walk from place to place, or try hitch hiking (if you are a handsome young farang you will probably easy score lifts from pretty young Thai girls but still)
Internet and telephone bills, laundry, travel insurance and visa extensions will also cost money unless the backpacker opts for illegal stay in Thailand.
What about entertainment etc? Backpacking in Thailand means you will get addicted to entertainment, it’s just that kind of place, it’s not a place to walk around during the day sipping water and going to bed at 9 in the evening.
As a young backpacker you will probably end up spending the 600 baht (or close to that) on entertainment alone and that means indeed sleeping on the beach, eating from rubbish bins and walking from place to place, overstaying your visa etc, so living like a true tramp.
Some people might love this kind of lifestyle but i think why go to Thailand to live like a tramp?
I managed to get by as a backpacker in 2006 on about 20 to 25 dollars a day. It was an extremely frugal lifestyle but i got by.
But in 2006 one Dollar gave you 40 Thai Baht and nowadays only 30 baht can be exchanged for one Dollar so that is 25% less.
In the same time the Thai prices have gone up also (inflation) what you could buy for 40 THB in 2006 will cost you about 50 to 55 THB now.
So that is in all 25 + 24% is 50% less purchase power now for a dollar.
So if you could just get by on 20 to 25 (depending on location) USD in 2006 in Thailand you will need about 22.5 x 1,5 = 33 dollar now per day for the same frugal lifestyle.
You have to calculate at least 1000 to 1200 THB per day for thailand if you don’t want to live like a vagabond.
You can get by on less if you don’t travel stay at the same place, so you can try to rent a hovel for lets say 2000 THB per month, try to build a report with the locals so you can score free meals and free drinks and/or maybe find a local girlfriend who takes care of you Although in Thailand it is usually the white guy who is expected to take care, but like i said if you are young and goodlooking it is certainly possible to find a local girl who falls in love with you or takes pity on you and who is prepared to look after you and pay most of your bills.
Then a 600 baht per day lifestyle would probably be possible.
Thanks for your comments Harry. Obviously the table is meant as a guide and everyone’s habits are different but can’t agree with some of your points. A quick look on a hostel booking site and you can easily find plenty of accommodation for far less than 300 Baht per day in almost all the most popular destinations. Then consider that most of the cheap places don’t advertise online. You can still find beds and often rooms and bungalows for 100 Baht in places like Chiang Mai and some of the islands and travelling around the country is still very cheap. Street stalls and local restaurants sell basic Thai dishes for 50 Baht or there about and you can get cheap drinks and supplies in just about any 7-11.
The point about night-time entertainment maybe is valid but the table doesn’t assume that everyone is a massive party animal. Many travellers end up spending far more than $20 a day in Thailand for sure due to the drinking (which is still very cheap) but the table is aimed at shoestring travellers who don’t mind staying in the cheapest places and eating/travelling like a local and it still allows for some evening entertainment..
I’d recommend anyone heading to Thailand/SE Asia should see this breakdown on how cheap it really can be travelling in this part of the world if you know what you’re doing:
http://www.limbonis.com/2014/05/my-limbonisasia-trip-365days-challenge.html?m=1
(Indonesia was a hard one to quantify as there is a lot of regional variation in prices but typically there is more transport involved in getting from place to place as it is so big and the destinations are more spread out so we placed it higher)
This is great – thanks so much for this information!! We’ve been backpacking for almost a year now and I can agree with pretty much every country on that list. The only one that I think would need to be revised is Bolivia. Bolivia is definitely more expensive than Nepal. Bolivia is still a very cheap place to travel but from our experience Nepal was a much more fund-friendly.
Interesting to see things laid out like this. I was in South America for most of last year and I can say for sure that Ecuador is more expensive than Peru. Buses are maybe a little cheaper in Ecuador, but accommodation, food and everything else is so much cheaper in Peru. Anyway, thanks for the information.
Thanks for your feedback Katie. Comments like this are very useful for us when it comes to updating the table and for others looking for something a bit beyond the basic figures.
To give some reasoning on the Peru-Ecuador thing. The table is based on moving on every 2 or 3 days and while in Ecuador that may generally mean a short journey of 2 or 3 hours or less, in Peru invariably it is much longer (6+ hours) and hence considerably more expensive as everything is much more spread out. Food was pretty cheap in both in our experience, perhaps accommodation is a bit cheaper in Peru. Also Ecuador doesn’t really have a ‘Machu Picchu’ equivalent, i.e. an expensive tourist destination on that scale.
If you were to stay in one place or focus on a small area of Peru than it is probably a bit cheaper than Ecuador but most travellers don’t tend to do this so we reckon most would end up spending slightly more per day in Peru than Ecuador but everyone is different!
Yeah, I guess it depends how you travel. We didn’t go to Machu Picchu (yes, crazy I know) and spent a lot of times in the Central Highlands. It was super cheap there.
this is amazing!!! I was considering saving up and going to the UK/Ireland for 3-6 months…. now i’m quite reconsidering to do Vietnam, which I hear amazing things about in the first place…..
you’re awesome!
Thanks Natasha. Hoping to update it soon as costs can change but it should give you and anyone else a rough idea! Certainly Vietnam is still much much cheaper than the UK! You can probably spend 3 or 4 months there for every month you spend in the UK (especially london).
Mozambique $30 a day, theres no way you can survive on that budget per day, mozambique is very expensive you cant even find a descent accommodation for $30 im mozambique
Thank you so so much for this breakdown! It’s so helpful — and I can’t believe millions of backpackers haven’t left this same comment!
We will be updating this soon for 2014. Your feedback is an essential part of the process so please get in touch if you have visited a country and you think our suggested budget is incorrect.