Due to the huge success of my post about the most expensive countries to travel in the world, I thought why not jump to the other side of the scale and get well-travelled adventurers to also reveal the cheapest destinations they have ever visited?
With all the chaos caused to the travel industry and people’s personal lives in 2020 and 2021, understanding the Cheapest Countries to travel in the world will be useful for many prospective vacationers.
Budget-friendly destinations are a priority for many travellers right now. Knowing how far your money can stretch before you go away will help prevent any unexpected financial surprises whilst also ensuring you have a fun and enjoyable experience. Because let’s face it, no one wants to miss out on cool stuff because you can’t afford to leave your accommodation.
To help you travel cheaper and perhaps influence where to book next, here is a list of the top voted cheapest countries in the world for tourists:
10. Laos
Relaxed, quiet, stunningly beautiful and it turns out, cheap, Laos is a fantastic budget destination no matter what your travel style. Those willing to keep it basic though can expect to only spend $20-$30 per day.
Laos is sadly one of the poorer Mekong nations, with a third of the population living below the poverty line. Responsible tourism with a focus on keeping money in local hands, and not flashing a lot cash is both respectful and important.
9. Bosnia and Herzegovina
There are many cheap places to visit in the Balkans, the first on this list being the ‘east-meets-west’ country of Bosnia and Herzegovina located next to Croatia, Serbia and Montenegro.
With churches, mosques, Ottoman architecture and natural wonders such as emerald green lakes, Bosnia and Herzegovina is a fairy tale mash up well worthy of your attention.
You can travel relatively comfortably, including pleasant accommodation and activities for about $40-50 per day.
8. Cambodia
Home of Angkor Wat, the world’s largest religious building (and one of the most popular wonders of the world), Cambodia is a top bucket-list destination for many travellers. It is however sadly one of the poorest countries in Asia, up there with Laos.
The unstable economy and poverty levels means that many foreigners find Cambodia to be a really cheap place to holiday.
Cambodia relies heavily on tourism as one of its biggest income streams (along with the export of textiles) and so it is a country well deserving of your cash.
Cambodia was pretty inexpensive! Despite being in a touristy part, I think we paid like $30/night for a nice hotel and could never manage to go over $10 for a meal for two with drinks.
— Riana | Teaspoon of Adventure (@tspadventure) January 8, 2021
Cambodia I'd say.
— Adam (@explordia) February 6, 2021
Booze was cheap, food also. Cigarettes cost me like $2 pack (I've quit since then)
7. Romania
When you think of Romania you may think of dracula, epic castles on hills and wolves living in impenetrable forests. But there is so much more to this European country than that.
Bucharest, the capital, is an extremely cost effective weekend city break destination, with plenty of free galleries, museums and incredible architecture to admire on self guided walking tours.
Out of the cities, there are plenty of quieter and cheaper rural towns to visit and your considerate tourism would no doubt be very welcome.
6. Sri Lanka
I adored my time in Sri Lanka, especially in the rural town of Ella and would wholeheartedly agree that it deserves a place on this list.
Not only were flights great value, I only spent a few hundred pounds for a 3 week backpacking trip, including all the normal tourist activities.
The thing about Sri Lanka is that there are loads of free things to do, such as epic hikes, visits to tea plantations and scenic and cultural points of interest with no entry fees.
Without a tuk tuk & by sticking to buses & trains it's have been less than 15€https://t.co/mrERNRtpzw
— Steph ✨ │ A Nomad's Passport (@NomadsPassport) January 8, 2021
You can get a lot for very little in Sri Lanka & therefore it's even cheaper than Vietnam which is my no. 2 of the cheapest countries I have been two
5. Thailand
Although prices have increased in the tourist hot-spots over the past few years due to the increased popularity of Thailand as a backpacker and honeymoon destination, you can still totally have a budget vacation here.
Street food for as low as $1, private villas for half the price of its western equivalent and readily available tuk-tuks at a fraction of the cost of a taxi means Thailand is a destination that won’t leave a dent in your wallet.
4. North Macedonia
A destination that would not necessarily jump out to many people as a place to visit, let alone a cheap one, is Northern Macedonia.
The landlocked former country of Yugoslavia, located in Southeast Europe, is probably the most unassuming destination on this list. However if you’ve got a tight budget, want to visit some incredible scenery and also score a short flight from elsewhere on the continent, then look no further than Macedonia.
Cheap hostels are around €5 euros, meals around €3.50 and one-way local transport 55 cents – an absolute bargain!
3. Poland
Go Europe! That now makes two European destinations that feature in the top 5 cheapest destinations in the world.
I was surprised just how much Poland came up. People who voted in this survey cited Warsaw, Wroclaw and Krakow as great value cities within Poland, especially for food.
A foodie city break anyone?
Poland for sure (although stick to the less touristy parts) 🇵🇱
— Morag (@MoragForbes) February 6, 2021
Poland... Unbelievably cheap! We struggled to use up the last of our money 😅
— Vickie 🌸 (@vickie_allport) February 6, 2021
2. India
The second cheapest country for travel was voted as India.
What stands out the most about this destination is that it appears to be cheap for basically everything – food, accommodation, transport, festivals AND activities, especially for independent travellers who avoid group tours.
Some people find the hectic and olfactory overload of Indian way of life intimidating. However if you’re willing to submerge yourself in the chaos of public transport, eat local street foods and get your exploring shoes on, it appears it may well ‘pay off’ (excuse the pun).
1. Vietnam
Drum roll please…..
The cheapest country to travel according to frequent travellers (and by a substantial amount of votes) is the South East Asian gem of Vietnam!
With hostels as low as $3, bowls of the most delicious pho you’ll ever taste in your life for $1 and all day motorcycle hire from $4, Vietnam is a budget friendly destination for every type of traveller.
Although guided tours such as to Ha Long Bay and the UNESCO sites are not dirt cheap, the overall extremely low travel and living expenses seem to counteract such ‘must do’ activities.
So if you’re looking for a wallet-friendly destination to travel to, keep an eye on those flight prices to incredible Vietnam!
Vietnam or possibly Macedonia!
— Clazz || An Orcadian Abroad (@orcadianabroad) February 6, 2021
Overall cheapest would be Vietnam but I was shocked with just how cheap travel in Russia was. I went to one of the fanciest restaurants in Moscow and paid like £30 for 3 courses and a cocktail 😱
— Ella ✈️🌎 (@manymoremaps) January 8, 2021
There were tonnes of other cheap destinations with multiple votes who didn’t quite make the top 10, including Albania, Philippines, Iran, Myanmar, Indonesia, Ethiopia, Serbia, Ukraine, Columbia, Kosovo, Russia and Turkey.
Have you been to any of these destinations? What would you say has been the cheapest country you have every travelled to to date? I’d love to hear your opinions!
Going Travelling Soon? Don’t forget these essentials!
Book your accommodation through Booking.com or Hotels.com.
To cover yourself for any unplanned situations, I use and would recommend World Nomads travel insurance.
To search and compare the best group tours and activities worldwide (with up to 50% off), use TourRadar.
Don’t forget to check the government visa entry requirements for the passport you are travelling with.
For some travel inspiration for your next trip, how about Lonely Planet’s top 500 places to see… ranked?
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