Vacationing for cheap is a lot easier than you think. It just requires a little bit of time, planning and research. Which is where I come in. My name is Robert Avery and I created Cheappricetravel.com to help people like you save on their dream vacations.
There’s no denying that taking vacation is a great thing to do. I mean, really — who doesn’t like a break from their daily routine? And when you make your way to the beach in a place like Thailand , or maybe you’re trekking through the Alps in search of local cheese — you feel better just knowing you’re away from your desk. But I’m not writing this article to tell you why it’s so wonderful to travel. Instead, my goal is for us to discuss which destinations are on the cheaper end of the spectrum. If you want to check out some picturesque places with great ruins and ancient monuments — but don’t want the hefty travel price tag that often comes with seeing such sights — then this article is for you, friend!
If you’re looking for a vacation that won’t break the bank, we’ve got you covered. Here are our top five picks for countries to vacation for cheap:
- Iceland
This island country is famous for its dramatic landscape and icy waterfalls, but that’s not why it’s on this list. Iceland is one of the most affordable places to visit in Europe because its currency is so strong: the Icelandic krona. That means you can get there cheaply and pay less while you’re there!
- Thailand
Thailand has long been a popular destination among backpackers and budget travelers, who flock there year after year in search of cheap food, cheap beer, and beautiful beaches. Unfortunately, those days may be over: Thailand has recently introduced new taxes on tourists in an attempt to get rid of “tourist traps” like massage parlors and bars where sex workers work illegally—and these changes mean that travel prices are going up across the board! Still, if you’re looking for a beach vacation on the cheap (and don’t mind paying more than usual), then Thailand should still be at the top of your list—plus it’s got plenty more going for it than just
ASIA
1. Laos, $30/day
Back in my budget backpacking days around Southeast Asia, Laos was one of the two destinations where I was able to keep my budget at $30/day, even though accommodation was slightly more expensive than most places in Southeast Asia at that time. Many of the amazing activities you can do in Laos are cheap. I paid $2.50 to see one of the most beautiful waterfalls in the world, $7 for a full day tubing experience along the Vang Vieng river, and $6 for an awesome tiger balm massage. You can also rent a motorbike for cheap and venture off to the smaller towns, where everything is even cheaper! With more and more new hostels built to cater to the increasing number of backpackers, you can go for cheaper for longer. However if you have a bit more to spend, you can get a gorgeous room for closer to $35 that would easily cost $100 in the US.
Meals: $3 – $9 per day. Some hostels provide a basic breakfast
Accommodation: $5-$10 per night in a hostel
Transportation: $6 – $15 for a motorbike for the day (prices may vary depending on the bike condition and your haggling skills), or up to $25 for an intercity bus ticket
SIM card with data: $6 for 1.5GB with 30-day validity
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2. Vietnam, $30/day
I probably had the healthiest and cheapest street food in Vietnam. Think a soup with rice noodles, cilantro, amazing broth, and a whole shank of pork for $1.50, or a cup of strong, aromatic coffee for $1. As far as transportation goes, if you rent a motorbike, you are all set for the day. However, I understand that not everyone is comfortable riding a motorbike, especially in countries like Vietnam where the road traffic can be overwhelmingly chaotic. The good news is that GrabBike (similar to Uber but on bikes!) is widely available in all major cities, and the cost is as low as $0.50 for a 2km ride! The long distance buses and trains are also affordable and reliable. Accommodation is similarly pleasant and easier to afford than almost anywhere else in the world.
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The ultimate backpacking Vietnam route planner
3. Cambodia, $25/day
I know for sure that if you choose to rough it, you can easily spend a month in Cambodia with just $1000. Dorms are very basic but can be dirt cheap, the same goes for food and alcohol. I also had my haggling skills to thank as I was almost always able to talk my way out of being charged unfairly by the Tuk Tuk drivers. There are some one-off expenses such as the 3-day pass to Angkor Wat, which is currently set at $62, and diving trips that add up, but there will also be days of riding bicycle in a small village and eating cheap and delicious meat skewers, when just a dollar or two could stretch very far.
Another thing is to consider the gorgeous, mostly new boutique hotels on booking.com. They are obviously not as cheap as staying in hostels, but for the price, they are so worth it! I’d definitely splurge on a couple of nights and have some R&R time by the pool.
Meals: $5 – $10 per day. Some hostels provide breakfast
Accommodation: $3-$10 per night in a hostel (here’s a guide to the best hostels in Cambodia)
Transportation: $6-$15 for a motorbike for the day (prices may vary depending on the bike condition and your haggling skills) or for an intercity bus ticket
SIM card with data: $2 for 1.5GB with 30-day validity. Yes, it is that cheap!
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4. Northern Thailand, $30/day
The north of Thailand is easy on a tight budget. As one moves south, costs for accommodation start to double, triple, and even quadruple. If you are short on time and budget for your Thailand trip, stay up north! Even in popular places like Chiang Mai and Pai, you can easily find basic dorms for less than $5. If you stick with eating street food (To each her own, but why eat pasta when you can have pad Thai, am I right?), not only will you save yourself some money, the experience will be much more authentic and delicious, too. As far as activities go, you really do not need a lot of money to enjoy your day as most activities such as visiting the White Temple, hiking, or gathering 3 other people from your hostel to rent a car and go on some day trips, are all affordable.
Meals: $5 – $15 per day. Some hostels provide breakfast
Accommodation: $5-$10 per night in a hostel
Transportation: $6-$10 for a motorbike for the day (prices may vary depending on the bike condition and your haggling skills) or a rental car split between 4 people
SIM card with data: $7 for 1.5GB with 30-day validity
– Read More –
Thailand bucket list: 50 best things to do
5. Indonesia, $30/day
The thing about Indonesia is that it can be really cheap, or it can be quite expensive, depending on one big thing – transportation. Intercity traveling can be very time-consuming and costly, so is traveling from one island to another with a private boat. To save costs, stick with a region or two! There’s a lot to do and see, and spending more time in one place will only allow you to travel deeper and have a more meaningful experience anyway. If you want to travel far and wide on a budget, my biggest tip is to take the local transportation! That’s what I did backpacking in Indonesia a few years back, and sure enough, I ended up with some funny stories.
On the flip side, food and drinks are cheap throughout the country, not to mention absolutely delicious too! Riding a scooter through the mountains costs very little, so does hiking, chasing waterfalls, and slouching in a hammock by the beach all day long. Hostels are plentiful, social and affordable, especially in places like the Gili Islands.
Meals: $5 – $15 per day. Some hostels provide breakfast
Accommodation: $5-$10 per night in a hostel
Transportation: $8-$15 for a motorbike for the day (prices may vary depending on the bike condition and your haggling skills)
SIM card with data: $5 for 2GB with 30-day validity
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The Perfect Indonesia Itinerary for 2 weeks to 2 months
6. The Philippines, $35/day
The Philippines’s archipelago can cost quite a lot of both money and time to get around, and the hostel options aren’t nearly as abundant as other Southeast Asia countries. While these two factors seem like a big turn off for travelers trying to stretch their budget as far as possible, there are ways to keep your travel cost in the Philippines low. If you choose to travel during shoulder seasons, book your flights and plan your journey way in advance (it is not the country to always wing it!), and try to stick within 1-2 regions, the Philippines can still be affordable. On top of that, the country has some of the most gorgeous islands, beautiful dive sites, and hidden gems that you’d have had to pay so much more to experience in other parts of the world. In that sense, the Philippines is worth every peso you spend.
Meals: $5 – $15 per day. Some hostels provide breakfast
Accommodation: $7-$13 per night in a hostel
Transportation: $10-$15 for a motorbike for the day (prices may vary depending on the bike condition and your haggling skills) or $15 – $20 for a boat ride from one island to another
SIM card with data: $6 for 2GB with 30-day validity
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The Perfect Philippines Itinerary
A complete guide to The Philippines
7. Malaysia, $35/day
Being one of the most economically developed Southeast Asian countries, Malaysia is often perceived as expensive. On top of that, when I visited Malaysia for the first time, a few people told me it wasn’t worth staying long. However, I ended up meeting lots of locals, more able to communicate and find more common ground with them than I had in Cambodia or Laos, and had so much fun exploring Cameron Highlands, the jungles of Borneo, and the gorgeous islands. The cherry on top? They were all affordable. An overnight bus from Kuala Lumpur to the Perhentian Islands costs as little as $8, there are so many interesting local neighborhoods and markets that are free to explore, and finally, the Malaysian cuisine is like no other – you can find food from just about any culture and it’s so cheap and delicious – but not necessarily healthy. Malaysia is also one of the cheapest places in the world to get a PADI scuba diving certificate.
The one thing that could make Malaysia expensive to travel in is alcohol, which is highly taxed. However, if you don’t plan on drinking every night, that will not be an issue.
Meals: $5 – $10 per day. Some hostels provide breakfast
Accommodation: $5 – $15 per night in a hostel
Transportation: $3 – $5 for a full day of train and bus rides, or $8 – $15 for an overnight intercity bus ride
SIM card with data: $8 for 2GB with 30-day validity
– Read More –
The Best Places to Visit in Malaysia
8. Sri Lanka, $33/day
Like many countries, Sri Lanka can be seen on a backpacker budget, or one can spend a small fortune there. The biggest kicker was the price of activities, such as safaris, and admission into the UNESCO World Heritage sites. With each running about $40-$50 per ticket, this made Sri Lanka more expensive to fully explore. That said, Sri Lanka can be done on closer to $30 per day on the days that you don’t pay for expensive activities. Food, transport, accommodation, and Internet are relatively cheap. One thing to note about transportation is that in some cases, taking a taxi / uber (in major cities) can be cheaper than renting a bike. If you can find people in your hostel to split the cost, hiring a driver for the day can be as low as $5 per person. The cheapest transportation is the train, which is delightful and IMO, the best way to travel through Sri Lanka.
Meals: $5 – $10 per day. Some hostels provide breakfast
Accommodation: $8-$15 per night in a hostel
Transportation: $10-$15 per person for a private car and driver split between 4 people, or $3-$5 for a second-class cabin train ride between cities
SIM card with data: $2 for 1.5GB with 30-day validity. Yes, it is that cheap!
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Sri Lanka’s best places to visit
9. Nepal, $28/day ($15/day if trekking)
Nepal is a very cheap country to travel through, with most food, accommodation, and transport running at just a few dollars if you eat, sleep, and travel using local options. For food, while I never seem to get any stomach problems eating street food, the street food in Nepal does not have the best reputation. You can get cheap and delicious home cooked meals in local-run small cafes though. Be very mindful when you book your accommodation online, as big corporations have taken over local homestays and turned them into boutique hotels and resorts. The “local guesthouses” you’ve booked may very well be part of a big hotel chain. I suggest booking the first couple of nights online, and look for accommodation from real local guesthouses when you’ve arrived.