A Few of the Cheapest Travel Spots on Earth

If you’re itching to travel the world but think you don’t have the funds, check out this list! From New Orleans to Cambodia, there’s plenty of cheap, budget-friendly accommodations and eats to be found around the globe for the money-minded traveler. (Keep in mind, most prices are generally not including airfare which can range considerably)

Central America

According to Nomadic Matt, you can enjoy impressively vast biodiversity, hike trails through jungles, and ramble through ancient relics on the serious cheap. He recommends Honduras (decent Honduran meals cost around 65 Honduran Iempira, which equals about $3 USD), Nicaragua, El Salvador and Guatamala for starters, and brags about the $3-5 meals and bus treks, $15 hotel rooms, and beers for pocket change (literally – less than a dollar.) Costa Rica is especially lovely with many national parks requiring admission fees of only a few dollars – try Corcovado and Manuel Antonio for starters, particularly if you want to see some sloths and macaws in their native habitat. Also, don’t miss the excellent surfing at gorgeous beaches, and super economical public transportation, like 8-hour bus rides for less than $10. Matt also says that as long as you stick to positive daytime activities and don’t buy any drugs, you should stay safe too! He even offers detailed trip guides with estimated costs here (based on 2015 prices).

China

A massive country, China offers an easy transportation system (local destinations are generally less than $1) and very reasonably priced taxis to get around. Although not as cheap as it once was, you’ll still find great bargains in the interior geography more so than along the coast or in the bigger cities. You can find hostels for less than $20 daily and meals for less than $5 each. Aside from that, street food is plentiful, impressive and also cheap. Here’s Matt’s guide for China.

Cambodia

A gem in beautiful Southeast Asia, Cambodia offers stunning scenery and friendly locals (more than usual, they’re friendly here). You’ll enjoy private rooms with air-conditioning for $20 and street food for $2, and Matt assures us that $50 per day will get you pretty much all you need and more. Try out the tuks tuks (like taxi bike rides), culturally conscious Aqua Expeditions, and compare relaxing boat ride prices down the Mekong River.

New Orleans

If you like jazz, history, architecture, and delicious food, this budget-friendly locale is for you! Stroll through the city at a leisurely pace, taking in the music at every turn. Don’t miss the French Quarter, the miles of cuisine and festivals (of course, don’t miss Mardi Gras if you’re in the area), tasty Cafe du Monde beignets and coffee, and a bevy of museums. You can even find some 4-star hotels for less than $99 day if you look around.

Far Eastern Europe

The cheapest spots of the region include Bulgaria, Romania, Moldova, and Ukraine. Matt assures you’ll need less than $40 per day if you travel like he does, with $8 rooms in the Ukraine while spending less than $2 for a beer in Bulgaria. There’s plenty to see and you won’t have to elbow your way through the crowds in the Western part of the continent. Bulgaria specifically offers bargain beaches along a beautiful coastline, charming old towns like Varna and historical Plovdiv, as well as majestic mountain ranges you can travel by bicycle or foot.

That’s just a few to start with, but there are so many more often overlooked regions that can be visited for cheap. If you’re ready for more, look into affordable visit guides to Thailand, South Africa, Uruguay, Greece, Vietnam, Laos, Portugal, India, South Korea, Australia, Mazatlan, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Chile, Belize, Ecuador, Barcelona, Crete and Morocco as well – you can find them on Matt’s page or several others here, here, here, and here.