Let’s face it, travel, along with pretty much everything, has gotten CRAZY expensive recently. Even breathing can sometimes feel like it’s costing you money in 2023. At least, for me it does when I’m checking my bank account after a trip. 😉
So where in the world is still an affordable place for those of us who are craving some, for lack of a better word, wanderlust? (That last sentence is something I never thought I’d say)
I’m talking about the places that aren’t just easy on the bank account, they also offer so many of the incredible things we all love about travel, and are oftentimes even better than the really expensive destinations!
I compiled a quick list of places from my experience and research that are still affordable in 2023, and I’m going to keep adding to it as I explore and learn more this year. So check back! 🙂
Disclaimers: *In order to really make travel affordable, you have to be willing to ‘backpack’ it. This doesn’t really mean you have to use actually use backpack, it just means you should travel light and flexible.
*Flight prices vary a lot depending on how flexible you can be with your trip planning, and where you’re traveling from, so those won’t be the focus here. I will say a good tip is to check flights from all cities close enough to you, depending on what’s close enough for you. Sometimes a city within 8 hours of your hometown could have WAY cheaper flights that make it worth the trip on top of a trip, so research that as well.
For example: when we were living in the Raleigh/Durham, NC area, flights for our dates to Europe were close to $500 each. So we took the ‘Megabus’ from Durham for $10 each to New York City where we got flights for $225 each. Very inconvenient and time consuming, but it saved hundreds and we got a ‘free’ trip to New York as a bonus. Options like that are worth looking into for you flexible travelers.
moped.
*Many prices here will be listed in USD. For most blogs, I would use the local currency. However, in this blog I’ll be covering regions with multiple countries, so to keep it short and sweet, you’ll just have to do the conversion on Google on your own. Sorry! 🙂
*I’m also not going to get very detailed. This is simply a quick list to put places on your travel radar and give you ideas to start doing additional planning. Check other individual blogs on our website, or location specific videos on our YouTube, or other websites and sources for all the details on visiting the countries listed here.
The criteria:
For a place to really be affordable in my book, it needs to have good transportation options to get around the country, or countries in a region, or at least good rental car company options.
So let’s get into it:
1. Southeast Asia
*This region includes the countries of: Brunei, Cambodia, East Timor, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.
For the most budget and backpacker friendly travel, many stick to traveling within Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam.
This one probably seems obvious to the veteran travelers, but I think few would disagree. SE Asia is still the king of budget travel. Most of my personal experience is in the country of Thailand, so that will be the primary focus here.
Pros:
Things to do: The entire region is home to some of the most incredible biodiversity on earth, some of the world’s top beaches and bluest water I’ve ever seen. The food scene is outstanding and varies widely from country to country. Southeast Asia is home to some of the world’s most fascinating history and cultures. You can visit ancient kingdoms, or experience modern cities that feel like the future.
Multiple countries: One of the most exciting things about the backpacking style of travel for me is the opportunity to visit multiple countries in a region with relative ease.
Although there are some obstacles to jump through, it’s generally pretty easy to bus or fly between multiple countries in SE Asia. A great combo option I recommend shooting for if you have the time is Vietnam, Cambodia, and Thailand. Throw in Philippines and Indonesia if at all possible. Just make sure to plan ahead and research Visa requirements. While most are generally really easy to visit, some like Vietnam, for example have some Visa requirements for travelers from many countries, including the US, that you should be aware of.
Cons:
If you’re based in the Americas, like myself, getting to SE Asia is the most challenging, time-consuming, and most expensive part of the trip. It took me more than a full day of travel, layovers, and headaches to travel from Seattle to Bangkok, so plan ahead for that unless you want to break the bank on outrageous flights.
For this reason, it’s best for us to go somewhere else, like Central America, if you have less than 2 weeks to travel. It’s SO worth the effort to get there though.
Where You’ll Save The Most:
Accommodation is REALLY affordable in SE Asia. It’s gotten slightly more expensive in recent years. (At the end of 2017, we were paying as low as $4 USD a night for a basic room for two in Bangkok, Thailand. That included a fan, wifi, and private bathroom. We were finding bungalows on the beach for as low as $15-$20 USD. Although the days of EASILY finding places in that price range may be gone, you can can still expect to pay as little as double that today, or less, if you’re willing to sacrifice things like AC and extra amenities. With prices like these though, you might not need to worry about sacrificing much though.
I’d say on the low end to be safe, a single backpacker in 2023 could comfortably find accommodation on a budget of $10 USD per night on average, and could stay a lot more comfortably for around $25 USD per night.
Food is another area where you’ll REALLY save in SE Asia. Yes, there are plenty of luxury restaurant options, the range of prices and styles is massive. But if you’re on a strict budget, shop at local markets and eat street food and you’ll save big and eat great. Plates of Pad Thai at street food stalls in Thailand for example can easily be found for less than $2 USD.
Vietnam and Philippines are even more affordable than that when eating out.
The best part of this region is that no matter how much you’re spending on food, it’s probably going to be amazing. This really is one of the top culinary capitals of the world.
Where You’ll Spend The Most:
Excursions and attractions in SE Asia can typically get a little pricy depending on where you’re at in the region.
The good part is that these are optional, and still affordable in comparison to a lot of the world.
Transportation can get fairly expensive in SE Asia as well. For instance, Thailand has some amazing islands to explore in the south, but boat travel between them can add up quickly. You can often expect to pay around $20-$40 USD for boat transportation between islands. If island-hopping is a huge priority for you, and you’re on a strict budget, I recommend checking out the Philippines!
Travel around the cities can be very affordable though. The ‘tuktuk’ rides can add up around Bangkok, but there are SO many alternatives. You can take city buses and water taxis for less than $0.25 USD!
Daily moped rentals are some of the cheapest I’ve ever seen. I’ve literally paid as low as $2 USD for a full-day moped rental, and averaged around $5-$8. (Just be careful and read reviews to avoid scams)
I always tell people just getting into travel to go to SE Asia first. It’s where I REALLY fell in love with travel. However, if you only have 10 days or less and you’re coming from the Americas, I’d recommend starting out in Central America.
#2: Central America
*This region includes the countries of Guatemala, Belize, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Panama. I would argue that geographically, historically, and culturally, much of the Mexican state of Chiapas is a part of the region as well. In general, for the most budget-friendly options, avoid spending too much time on your trip in Costa Rica. The most affordable countries in Central America are Guatemala, Nicaragua, and Honduras.
Pros:
Things to do: Central America is one of my favorite regions on the planet. With some of the world’s most biodiverse places, hundreds of volcanos, rich ancient history, dense jungles, and bustling cities, it’s literally like a world of its own. Although with the exception of El Salvador, the countries in Central America don’t have any type of culinary scene comparable to Southeast Asia, this region more than makes up for it in every other category.
Another big pro is like a trip to SE Asia, this can easily involve visiting numerous countries in one trip. The 7 countries of Central America are relatively small and there are plenty of transportation options to travel between them.
If you’re based in North or South America, you’re incredibly lucky to be so close to this gorgeous part of the world. It’s really easy to get to most of Central America.
Cons:
Safety can be an issue in this part of the world. You can definitely have a safe trip by just taking general safety precautions. We do have a full video on this subject on our YouTube channel if you want a breakdown on safety issues and tips.
Travel between countries can be either A; long and tedious if you’re driving or going by bus. There are some great bus company options, like TicaBus, but the time it takes varies widely depending on border crossings, traffic, construction, etc.
The most affordable option is to take what is known as ‘Chicken Buses’ to a countries border, walk across, and then another Chicken Bus on the other side. These are typically retired school buses from the US that have been painted and decked out with bells and whistles, or old city buses. These rides are extremely affordable. You can generally go across a country for a few dollars and within cities for as low as $0.20 USD per ride.
However, the buses are not very well maintained, sometimes the drivers illegally pass and drive recklessly around mountain curves, and they can get extremely crowded. In my opinion, it’s well worth it to hire a driver (the more expensive option), rent a car, or to take a reputable bus company like TicaBus, which can typically cost around $20-$40 USD, but the buses are pretty nice. Nicer than MegaBus and Greyhound for sure. The ride may be long and bumpy either way though and in general, bus travel in Central America is a tiring experience, but it makes seeing the incredible sights easy and cheap.
Flights between countries can be really expensive. In many cases, it was cheaper to fly back to Florida, USA from Central America first and then fly back into a country that we were right next to. Another reason why using the roads to get around makes the most sense here.
Where You’ll Save The Most:
Food is generally fairly inexpensive in Central America. Again, most of the countries don’t have a super impressive food scene of their own, but they do have lots of international options in the cities, and the local food is good enough. El Salvador without a doubt has the best food scene (Nicaragua is probably second), and also has very affordable options.
For example, the national dish of El Salvador is the Pupusa, which is basically like a stuffed pancake with ingredients of your choice. You can typically get 3 for $1USD or less, and that comes with curtido (similar to slaw) and salsa. They’re delicious and available all over. Street food is also a big deal in Central America and often delicious. So it’s safe to say you won’t be breaking the bank on good food.
Transportation is another part of Central America that can be REALLY cheap. See the ‘Cons’ section above for additional info. To summarize: the absolute cheapest way to get around besides hitchhiking on the backs of trucks (yes, that’s a thing here), is taking chicken buses. However, I overall recommend taking a reputable bus company like TicaBus between countries, and then renting a car within the country to explore. Many of the attractions are in remote jungles, beaches, and in the mountains so taking a bus, while an option, can be tedious, unsafe, and require a lot of planning and waiting. Having a car will make your trip much more enjoyable.
Where You’ll Spend The Most:
Accommodation can add up pretty quickly in this part of the world, especially if you want a private room in a touristy area with decent amenities like AC. The range is wide though. For example in 2022, private rooms in El Tunco, a popular beach town on El Salvador’s coast, were $80-$100 USD or more with AC, while more basic accommodation without AC was $50 USD or less. We also spent a few nights staying just down the coast in La Libertad, away from all the touristy hotspots and paid only $20 USD per night.
Meanwhile, in the capital city of San Salvador, we stayed at basic accommodation in the city center for as low as $14 USD per night for two in a private room. Shared dormitory rooms in hostels are generally the cheapest way to travel in most parts of the world if you’re a solo traveler, and Central America is no exception. There are still many places where you can rent a bed for less than $10 USD per night. It varies and requires some shopping around, but you’ll likely end up spending more in this category overall than food and transportation.
Excursions can add up quickly in Central America, especially in countries like Costa Rica and Belize. However, this could also be where you save the most if you’re traveling to Honduras or Nicaragua though. As Honduras is known for having some of the most affordable scuba diving in the world, and Nicaragua blew my mind with it’s cheap and epic excursions. For example, touring the ‘Isletas’ of Granada, Nicaragua, which are a network of 365 islands in Lake Nicaragua (Central America’s largest lake) created centuries ago by a volcanic explosion, cost as low as $10 USD per person. Visiting the Masaya Volcano in Nicaragua with transportation and a guide included was around $20 USD per person, and is one of the only places in the world where you can view a flowing lava lake.
Additional Tips & Thoughts:
Flying directly into El Salvador’s Airport or into San Jose, Costa Rica are both great options. Flights are typically affordable and they both make an excellent base for exploring either the Northern countries of Central America (El Salvador), or the Southern (San Jose). If you’re only going to visit one country at a time, starting with Guatemala is a great option in my opinion.
COMING SOON: Eastern Europe, South America, Africa & more!
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Stay tuned for a full YouTube video on this topic as well. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0e9Bsdjmo5kCCrw13rUYIw
See you out there amigos! 🙂