5 Best Places to Travel on a Budget
Travelling doesn’t have to be expensive. These 5 countries let you live well on as little as $19–$45 a day.
Most people think travelling the world is out of reach, but guess what my friend, It isn't. You just have to know where to go. Although there are many places you could visit, these are the 5 best places to travel to when balling on a budget. Don't be put off by the expensive plane ticket, that will likely be the biggest cost of the whole trip.
Quick checklist. What each destination will actually cost you:
- Vietnam: $30-$45/day all in
- Thailand: as low as $7-$10/night for accommodation
- Romania: a full meal for next to nothing, hostels around $14/night
- Egypt: Nile cruise under $300, train travel for a few dollars
- Colombia: as little as $19/day when sharing a room
1. Vietnam
Vietnam is one of those places that keeps showing up on every budget travel list for a reason. It's not hype. A full day, meals, transport, accommodation, can run you somewhere between $30 and $45 if you're being smart about it. Street food is everywhere and it's not a tourist gimmick, it's how locals eat. A bowl of pho will cost you around $1.50 to $3. Guesthouses in Ho Chi Minh City or Hanoi regularly come in under $30 a night. The country stretches from mountain regions in the north down to tropical coastline in the south, so there's no shortage of things to actually do. Vietnam is one of those rare destinations where budget travel and good travel are the same thing.
Vietnam Nature
2. Thailand
Thailand has a reputation for being oversaturated by backpackers, and sure, in certain pockets that's true. But the country is massive and most of it remains untouched by that scene. Food is absurdly cheap. Accommodation in the right areas will run you $7 to $10 a night. The real draw is variety. You can go from dense jungle to pristine beach to ancient temples without ever feeling like you're running out of things to see. Thailand has been a budget travel staple for decades and it still earns that spot. The crowds exist where you'd expect them to. Avoid those spots and you won't even think about it.
Beautiful Thailand Sunset
3. Romania
Romania is Europe's best-kept secret and people keep sleeping on it. Brasov sits in the Transylvania region and it's stunning…Medieval architecture, mountains, and a cost of living that makes the rest of Western Europe look ridiculous. Hostels run around $14 a night. A meal at a local spot will barely dent your wallet. The country has rolling hills, the Carpathian mountains, and enough history to keep you busy for weeks. If you want the European experience without the European price tag, Romania is where you should start.
Romanian Nature
4. Egypt
People underestimate how cheap Egypt actually is once you're on the ground. Train travel between cities like Cairo and Luxor costs next to nothing, a few dollars at most. The iconic sites are affordable to enter compared to equivalent monuments anywhere else in the world. A four-day Nile cruise can be had for just over $300. The food is good, the history is unmatched, and the sheer scale of what you're looking at puts everything else into perspective. Time your trip outside of the December to February rush and you'll get even better rates on accommodation.
The Pyramids of Egypt
5. Colombia
Colombia is quietly becoming one of the most interesting destinations in South America, and the cost of living backs that up. Budget travellers report getting by on as little as $19 a day when sharing a room. Three meals will run you around $8. The country has coastline, jungle, mountains, and cities like Medellín that have completely reinvented themselves in the last decade. Internal flights between regions are cheap, often cheaper than buses. Colombia is the kind of place where your money stretches so far that you stop thinking about money altogether and just focus on being there.
Shop Till You Drop in the Columbian Markets
Ready to travel?
Travelling on a budget doesn't mean settling. Vietnam, Thailand, Romania, Egypt, and Colombia are five destinations where your money goes further than almost anywhere else on the planet, and each one offers something genuinely worth experiencing. The key is picking the right place, staying flexible on timing, and not letting the myth that travel has to be expensive stop you from actually going. One less thing to stress about when you're on the ground so grab an eSIM before you leave. No hunting for SIM card shops, no overpaying at the airport. You land, you're connected, and you're already ahead of the game.
