Travel Costs by Country

The following is a guide to what you can expect to spend per day, on a frugal budget, in various and popular destinations around the world. This cost is really a bare minimum and would ideally cover staying in cheaper hostels or hotels, food (eating locally bought produce, avoiding tourist restaurants where possible) and transport. There are a bunch of sites on the net with various strategies for travelling even cheaper than this list; though this type of journey takes travel out of the backpacking category into something more grubby. Living of $10.00 a day can be done but is not for everybody.

The costs listed are for low or shoulder seasons; if you plan to be in any of these places around Christmas or during a major event (Carnival in Rio for example) expect these prices to double or even triple.

Asia

Cheap – India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos $17-25
Average – Thailand, Philippines, Malaysia, China $35-45
Expensive- Hong Kong, South Korea, Eastern China, Singapore $45-60 (potentially in the hundreds for Hong Kong)
Very expensive – Japan $60-100 (with rail pass)

New Zealand

Average – (good value while the Aussie dollar is high) – $35 – 60

The Americas

Central America

Cheap – Mexico, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Honduras $30-40
Average – Belize (most expensive in Central America), Costa Rica $30-60

South America

Cheap Bolivia (best value), Ecuador $15-35
Average – Peru, Argentina $25-45
Just a bit more expensive Brazil (Rio can be expensive), Chile $40-60

North America

Hard to narrow down, major capitals can be ruthlessly expensive $60-100

Europe

Western Europe on a shoe string $70-100,
Eastern Europe $40-60

Africa

East Africa (without major tours/safaris) – $35-50 plus allow $150-250 per day for safaris
West Africa – from super cheap to super expensive (Lulunda in Angola is in the top five most expensive cities on Earth). Ghana is the best value ($15-30), with CFA (ex-French) countries $50-70 staying in very poor accommodation
Southern Africa – the cheap – Malawi, Zimbabwe) $30-50,
Southern Africa – not quite so cheap – South Africa, Namibia (great value) $40-60 (excluding tours and safaris)

Middle East

Israel $70 (good value) Iran $40 (better value), The Gulf States $70-100 (there is a general lack of budget accommodation in the Gulf

By: Brook Mitchell