I just wrapped up a glorious 8 month backpacking trip in Southeast Asia on a long-term traveler’s budget. This meant staying in dorms, taking local transport, eating street food, and generally traveling on a shoestring budget. Though I could have spent far more (or even perhaps a little less), I wanted to know if it was plausible, at least semi-comfortable, and enjoyable to travel on a tight budget. Most of all, I wanted to know,
How much money is needed for a long-term trip in Southeast Asia?
This is probably the most important and common question that any long-term traveler in the planning stages asks (and one I get quite often) when considering a trip through Southeast Asia. Some guide books will swear that $30/day or less is sufficient – let me just say that this is generally not realistic.
Though I traveled all through Southeast Asia and Oceania for 10 months, for the purposes of this guide, I am whittling it down to if I had spent just six months in Southeast Asia. This encompasses a month each in Cambodia, Laos, northern Thailand, southern Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia.
What did I personally spend?
$7,958 (without SCUBA diving – $6,095)
With flights and pre-trip expenses: $11,000
The Breakdown:
Flights: $1500
I bought two one-way flights to get from LAX to Southeast Asia and back. In hindsight, this may not have been the cheapest way to travel (I could have saved a couple hundred dollars by booking round-trip), however, I was entirely unsure of my dates and departure city. Sometimes, the penalties and restrictions on moving flights ends up making a RT flight too much of a hassle. I almost always book international flights using Expedia because most flights have a 24-hour cancellation policy and they’re often the best priced.
Though rare as I normally traveled overland and by public transport, I booked flights from time to time when overland travel was not feasible or I simply didn’t have time. One series of flights in around Indonesia was particularly painful at $300.
Travel Insurance: $793
This is one of those costs that’s annoying, but necessary should the worst occur. I went with World Nomads Travel Insurance which happened to be cheaper than any other company I could find for US citizens.
Tip: If you know for sure how much time you’ll be away, buying more months upfront is definitely cheaper than extending periodically.
Immunizations: $350
You’re out of luck if you’re an American when it comes to travel immunizations, because chances are you’ll be covering them out of pocket. I personally elected not to take Malaria pills nor get rabies vaccinations because of costs associated and unlikelihood of either becoming a real issue.
In order to get immunized the cheapest way possible, visit the travel specialist at your local county healthcare clinic.
Travel Gear: $400
My backpack alone cost me over $200, but was worth every penny as nothing ever broke and I’ll be able to use it for years to come. I also invested in Pacsafe products
to keep everything protected, which I do not regret! Check my guide out for essential travel items.
Food: Average of $10-15/day
Eating local delights and choosing street food when possible is the best way to keep food costs down. The food tastes better and costs much less when it’s a local dish vs. a western dish. Why order a disappointing burger for $4 when I could have amazing steamed pork buns, papaya salad, coconut soup, pad thai (the list is endless!) in Thailand for less than $1?
Don’t fear street food. It’s cooked right in front of you and may even be fresher and less processed than the food available at home.
Accommodation: $2-$20/day
This really varied depending on high/low season and country. Cambodia and Laos were the cheapest while Indonesia and Malaysia tended to be more expensive and provided less value for the money.
Cheapest place:
Cambodia, land of the $2 dorm rooms.
Most expensive place:
Malaysian Borneo, mainly due to the cost of activities.
Sunglasses Lost/broken:
6 – two were swallowed by rivers, two simply broke, and two seem to have grown legs, mysteriously gotten up, and walked away.
Pairs of flip flops lost:
4 – a dog made off with a pair, 2 were washed away by the ocean (and I still feel bad – sorry ocean!), and one got left in a hostel by accident.
Why couldn’t I travel on only $30/day?
The $30/day benchmark does not take into account gear, insurance, flights, and immunizations. It’s also easy to forget that things like soap, shampoo, toothpaste, sunscreen, batteries, adapters, mosquito repellent, medication, and visas all need to be periodically purchased on the road. The cost seems small but when budgeting only $30 for one day, $4 on a small bottle of shampoo can really add up.
The $30 benchmark is more than realistic, if not a little rich, when staying in one place for an extended period of time in one of the cheaper countries. I was able to spend $3/night on accommodation and around $10/day on food and drink in Otres Beach, Cambodia, for example. I didn’t spend a dime on activities because the beach was free. But what about the days when I moved around? What about the times I had to spend $40 on a visa, $9 on a bus ride, and $3 on a water taxi? My budget was blown before I even bought food or a bed for the night.
What about the days that I wanted to visit Angkor Wat (that was a $40 entrance fee), go SCUBA diving, or jungle trekking? An extremely low budget is only feasible if you hardly move around and never spend anything on activities, but why travel to the other side of the world only to miss out on these things?
If I had not SCUBA dived, climbed Mt. Kinabalu, gone trekking in Bukit Lawang or Mt. Rinjani, I would have shaved over $3000 off of my trip easily. I also never spent more than a week in any one place. Had I moved more slowly, I could have saved a lot more.
How to keep costs low
- All hope is not lost if you have a smaller budget to work with. To keep costs low, use services like couchsurfing for free accommodation. Not into it? Stay in dorms. They are a great way to meet people and save some cash. House sitting is also a possibility though less so in Southeast Asia
- Always travel local instead of by private or tourist coach, even if that means travel days are longer. If you’re rich in time but not in funds, this is the best way do it
- Eat local foods and abstain from alcohol. The biggest budget eater is partying, by far. If you never buy drinks, you’ll literally save thousands. Really, thousands!
- Use a debit card that doesn’t charge fees and refunds the ATM fees assessed by other banks. The only one I’m aware of is Charles Schwab
Lastly, I only spent three days in Vietnam. I understand this to be a pretty cheap country, while southern Thailand, Malaysian Borneo, and certain activities I did in Indonesia were quite expensive. Cut out these countries and spend more time in Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, and northern Thailand, and your budget will last longer.
For a country-specific budget guide on each place mentioned above, I go into more detail in each of these posts:
Note: Though I spent roughly three months in Thailand, and six weeks each in Malaysia and Indonesia, for the purposes of this article, I crunched the numbers to make it a month each for simplification and easier planning.
How much do you usually spend on traveling? Do you have any budget travel tips to share?
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Great resource! Thanks for sharing that with us!
Stef recently posted…An ode to travel – 55 Reasons to love it
Glad you find it helpful!
I can’t wait for my trip to SE Asia after the World Cup in Brazil. I need to start saving!
Evan recently posted…How to close iPhone apps in iOS7
Good luck! I’m loving how travel-focused we Gauchos are!
I definitely thought this title was going to be more personal, like, the answer was going to be “MY SOUL.” Oh well though. Info is great too!
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Hahahaha! Well that too! More like my heart.
I think you budget is more realistic. If you are traveling in a country and not take part in certain tours, then you might as well not bother (i.e. Angkor Wat). Love Otres beach. So stunning!
TammyOnTheMove recently posted…Going native – A traditional Khmer photo shoot
I think $11,000 for 6 months travel, including everything is not bad at all considering that you did trekking, scuba diving and things like that.
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Yeah and when one really adds in the extras like flights, immunizations, and insurance, that’s a pretty realistic budget.
I loved how you broke everything down! I get some frustrated looks when I can’t give one price tag for any one of my trips because it really depends on how you travel and what you do!
As much as it’s great to get advice on how to stay on budget, some experiences are priceless and would be a waste to pass while you’re RIGHT THERE.
Awesome breakdown!! I love how sometimes it’s just way better to separate the ‘real cost’ from the ‘I have an expensive scuba habit’ cost 🙂
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Hahaha! Exactly. I had to state that hey, a lot of this was due to this habit I have of spending a lot of time under water. I’m a bit of a junkie. I know you can relate!
Awesome 😀 , I always envy reading your blog :'(
I hope some day, I will take my own journey same like you do 😀
thak’s for the “VIRUS” hahahah
Awesome and you’re welcome 🙂
Great breakdown. I wish I had the discipline to do that. Did you have any issues with the one way tickets and the airlines wanting you to have proof of departure from the destination country?
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I have a way around that 😉
I’m planning on traveling soon, and being only my 2nd time out of the country, don’t want to run into any unnecessary issues 🙂 what is your way around this?
Here I am sitting behind a desk bemoaning every hour of ridiculous corporate america. For the past year, I got away with playing the game my way. Was always on the ball with my work so I took advantage of countless travel opportunities and unpaid vaycay because I could care less about the money so long as I have enough to travel. Well for regulatory reasons I can no longer escape dreaded weeks, nor escape for an hour or 2 during the day for a yoga sesh when there is not work to do. 🙁 talk about killing my soul. Anyway, I can’t tell you how many people I tell about your blog and right you are, people just don’t get it. I guess taking the safe, traditional road (the road too highly traveled IMO) is what people feel comfortable with and so they stick with what they know. So here I am, trying to balance holding a job, saving the dough until I can take off on the trip of a lifetime! So glad I stumbled upon your site-absolutely love it!
Aww thanks so much for your comment. Hang in there, you’ll be back on the road and it’ll all be worth it.
Thanks for sharing Kristin! It’s always helpful to see these posts. I generally budget the same, $1000 for ground expenses, and things like flights, visas, expensive activities (i.e scuba diving) on top and that usually works for me!
Michelle | Lights Camera Travel recently posted…Back to Backpacking: Hiking the Cameron Highlands Ep 1 of 2
1k is a great budget for the extra stuff.
This is a really useful overview! I’m pretty bad at keeping a close eye on exactly what I’ve spent so when people ask me about my trip to South America, it’s a very rough estimate! Nice one keeping track!
I had a lot of going back through my bank account withdrawals to do!
Not too bad. I would be about spending $30 a day too, as per Lonely Planet suggestions, that is if all that weed and hookers didnt get in way. Sigh.
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It’s the ping pong shows and lady boys that really kill my budget.
This is amazing! Thanks for putting it together. I’m also an American and just started vaccinations – the rabies and japanese encephalitis will probably be put on the back burner due to prices (It’s outrageous!). Do you think you went the correct route skipping those?
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I couldn’t even find Japanese Encephalitis when I was getting my vaccinations. I understand it’s kind of important if you’re spending a large chunk of time in SE Asia though, as it’s a pretty serious disease. You can definitely find it in Thailand, although I’m not sure how much it would cost. I personally don’t have that immunization and, well, I’m still alive and kicking!
Great story and thank you for laying out your expenses like that. Helps those of us who are looking into long trips some very valuable info
Karl
Glad you found it helpful!
I love your breakdown and it’s really realistic. Just did the same and I’ve come to pretty much the same conclusions. It’s easy to be on the cheap in SEA, but not everywhere and all the extras add up really fast!
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Thank you! Yes the extras do add up.
please visit the philippines. plenty of places to visit and part of south east asia. many travelers often neglect the philippines and hope you can make an exception.
I will. Next year!
Brilliant post, thank you so much! My trip is rapidly approaching and this has really helped.
Hello! I came across your blog and found it really inspiring! I am planning a 3 week trip to HK and maybe Thailand in October. I will attempt to blog my journey and looking for blogs to follow as well as increasing my number of followers so feel free to explore and please join my site while you are at it!
Thanks Vera! HK is awesome
Hi Kristin,
Dropping by for the first time. I am from Malaysia.
I am surprised that you spent the most money for accommodation in Borneo as there are quite a number of budget accommodation in the area.
Did you checked out some of the islands off the coast of Semporna? Widely known as a scuba diver paradise and i am sure you will like it as diving is what fascinating you:)
Cheers,
Simon
Well, it had more to do with the fact that I had been spending closer to $5 in most other countries. Yes, Borneo has budget accommodation, especially in the cities, but it’s not as cheap as other places in Southeast Asia – Malaysia in general is not as cheap. I went diving in Sipadan and it was amazing!
We just finished 6-7 months around SE Asia as a couple and spent an average of just under $30 each. We started and finished in Bangkok though, so didn’t have the additional cost of flights to/from SE Asia. We also didn’t get any immunizations, as our doctors here didn’t recommend any. We also didn’t need to buy any travel gear, as we both already had suitcases. I think this would be the case with most travelers. We wrote a book about our experiences if anyone is interested. See our blog.
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Oooh Yikes I would DEFINITELY suggest everyone at least get the Hepatitis vaccines and Tetanus. Very important!
hi, i wanna go to Indonesia, Singapore, and Malaysia. but i am confused how to get a visa to Indonesia, Singapore and Malaysia. can you help me out?
It really depends on where you’re from! You should check your country’s travel advisory website for more info. If you’re from the US , Canada, or EU, you can get a visa on arrival for all of those countries.
What country are you from. If from US, UK, etc, you don’t need visa for Malaysia or Singapore, and can get visa on arrival for Indonesia. For Indonesia you need to have a flight booked to leave the country before arriving.
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That’s helpful info because I actually got a two month visa for Indonesia prior to going there while I was in Kuala Lumpur. I was told I needed proof of an onward flight but they never asked, and I didn’t have one!
Maybe it’s different if you have a visa in advance. Also, sometimes people need onward flights and sometimes they don’t check. But I know people that haven’t be allowed on their flight because they didn’t have onward tickets. I wish they had proper rules, but it’s all a bit hit and miss.
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You don’t *really* need anything booked onward. There are ways around that but I know what you’re saying. Thailand and Indonesia are often that way and the Philippines is as well.
Hi,
This is awesome as I’m planning my next adventures. Im currently in New Zealand but i just wondered in which currency was your budget for Asia?
Cheers,
C
Ah I should note that on the post. USD 🙂
Looking to do a 6 week trip this Summer with a friend starting with a week in Thailand and ending with a week in the Philippines. Unfortunately can’t visit every country you described – did you have any personal favorites or must-sees!? My friend and I are both scuba certified as well – any great scuba spots would be much appreciated! Thanks, love the website!
-Brett
Sipadan in Borneo is the best diving I’ve done. You must book that kind of far in advance. Komodo in Indonesia is also amazing but the current is strong and you need at least AOW certification. I loved Cambodia and Laos but in 6 weeks I wouldn’t try to rush too much. A lot of people do and they miss a lot. Northern Thailand is great!
This was a really helpful post. Thank you for all the details. I’m trying to decide where to visit on my way back from Australia to the UK. Cambodia and Vietnam are looking like they might come out top, although I really want to see the Philippines too! I see this trip extending…!
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I just did a budget post on the Philippines and it’s more expensive than I thought it would be. I have one on Vietnam going up today so check that one out! I really loved Vietnam!
I love your helpful breakdown, but I do think that hostels eat up a lot of the travel budget, so I almost always try to couchsurf or stay somewhere as a Workaway volunteer whenever I travel in Asia or Europe. I think hostels are my last resort because I’ve had a couple negative experiences in hostels, but also, when you CouchSurf (which doesnt always mean you sleep on a couch btw!) or stay as a volunteer with a local, first of all, it’s FREE–plus you get free meals as a Workaway volunteer, and your CS host may also invite you to join him/her or their family for a meal or two. And second of all, you are gaining a truly authentic experience and perspective of the lifestyle, and you have a local to help you and offer you excellent advice for your stay! 🙂
Suchi recently posted…Squid on a stick and monkey islands in Thailand
Great suggestions and agreed, especially in more expensive countries. I’ve couch surfed in Europe and in China.
Thanks this helped alot!
I’m currently planning my trip for this summer, and just wanted to say this post/site is extremely helpful! I just got all my vaccines last week. Japanese Encephalitis set me back $500 alone. Yikes! I’m now on to gear. Taking your advice w/ a 40L pack. As for travel insurance, I just got a quote online from World Nomad that says it’ll be $386 for 6mo. coverage. Why was yours so much more expensive? Was it the timing? Or maybe $793 is for a full 10 mo?
I got the adventure plan which covers SCUBA diving, etc., and that was for the full ten months as well. I wish I had just bought it all at once upfront because it’s actually cheaper that way. Oh well! You live and learn 🙂
I did a similar trip in 2000. 6 months, about eight countries. Semi-backpacking. $12,000
Did it cost money to get visas’ to these countries?
Were visa’s even required if you’re not working?
Thanks!
Thailand, Singapore, and Malaysia are free. Cambodia ($20), Laos ($35 but depends on where you’re from), and Indonesia are all visa on arrival but they cost money. Vietnam must be procured before you land and it’s expensive. I paid $20 and then $45 for a stamping fee.
I am from Asia (Nepal)..I am looking forward to travel SE Asia once I am done with university in 2015. Thank you for information 🙂
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Thanks Sunil. I’ll be in Nepal this month!
Hey Kristin – thanks for sharing this! I will say that traveling as a couple makes the cost a lot better. Rob and I did six months in SE Asia and with all flights and a lot of scuba, we came out to a bit over $30/day per person. We always stayed in private rooms with private bathrooms, although we did do a fair amount of haggling.
When you add in shots and flights to Asia, the costs do go up. But that’s what frequent flier miles and pre trip health insurance are for :o)
-Lina
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Splitting taxis is a huge help. The months that I did most of my traveling with friends were definitely cheaper.
Hey Kristin!
I’m getting ready for my trip to SEAsia in mid-June, arriving in Bangkok on a one-way ticket as well, and I just wanted to ask you about your experience flying with such a ticket.
Apparently one of the requirements for Thailand’s free 30-day tourist visa is to have proof of “an onward or return airline ticket within 30-days of arriving.” I’m planning on flying to Bangkok and staying there until my 30 days expire, at which point I’ll heading to Cambodia –> Vietnam –> Laos via LAND transport however (i’m planning on buying my bus and train tickets when I get there).
My question is: Did you happen to have another airline ticket (out of thailand within 30 days) purchased and ready to show to the immigration officials and/or airline when you arrived? How’d it go for you? Do you think the airline could bar me from getting on the plane if I show up to the airport in new york with nothing but the one-way ticket to bangkok and my passport?? :S
It’s just one of my scruples at this moment!
Hope that all made sense! Thanks so much!
Sometimes the agent at the check in counter will ask for onward travel proof and if you don’t have it they won’t let you check in. I’d suggest editing an old e-ticket from a different airline with a future travel date and printing that to bring with you.
Thailand also has (or had 5 years ago) cheap rooms. I got a single or double bed room for 3-4€ outside of bangkok on different occasions. I plan for round trip with Thailand, Vietnam and Laos now and it is great to hear that I won’t be completely broke at the end of it. 🙂 Also one hint: An Indonesian friend showed me some Indonesian booking sites and they seem a lot cheaper than the American/European ones. Try tiket.com for instance.
Your website is freaking awesome! No nonsens lifestyle generic scribbling, but actual useful practical advice. Big thank you!
Wow. THANK YOU!
I just got home from a 18 month trip all over SE Asia, Singapore 3x, Malaysia 6x, Indonesia 1x, Thailand 2x, Philippines 1x, and did the whole 18 months on $8200 USD including my separate 1 way flights back and forth from the US. It helps to make friends on the way, lots of free food and places to sleep.
Couchsurfing and staying with friends definitely helps a lot. I tend to buy meals or pay my share or bring a gift, though, which does increase my costs. To me, it seems like the right thing to do.
Hey, I love your post and have found it particularly useful whilst planning my own trip, I’ve got a question about currency.. How did you handle money over there? Did you have lots of different currency on you at all times or did you literally just withdraw money in each country when you needed it?
Also, how did you cross from each country to the next and have you got rough prices for them?
Thank you 🙂
I just withdrew money when I needed it. I crossed overland for the most part and typically you want to pay visa fees in US Dollars so always have some of those on you.
Travelling is enjoying the different food: should be careful as paying too low …you might be fed with rat meat instead of pork… especially in poor country, meat is still expensive. If the meal is a buck, I’m not sure it’s pork or rat….?
A 3 to 4 dollar meal should be very satisfying… if your budget could not afford that then I was wondering what would you enjoy in your travel?
My idea is to save a bit more before your trip and really enjoy the time there …. if you find yourself penny-pinching then wait for another season and build those extra bucks…The worst thing is to see something that your friends enjoying while you couldn’t afford.
Wd you sleep in a place where rats came out at night to say hi? It is much more enjoyable to stay at a 5.00 or 10.00 room and enjoy the night rather than sleepless because of those vermins….
That’s absolutely ridiculous. You can see the meat before you eat it, usually raw, at the street stall. I think we all know that beef ribs look nothing like rat meat, and it’s possible to just go vegetarian as well. I also eat food locals eat and take pride in making. It’s insulting to them to claim they’re cooking rat’s meat.
$1 streetside soup in Vietnam (with a giant pork shank in it, I might add) is delicious.
Lastly, most rooms I stayed in that year were around $5-$10 per night. I now often spend a bit more but I wanted to see if it could be done for $30/day back then.
After doing some number crunching, it looks like you spent about $34/day not including the scuba (which wouldn’t necessarily be something alot of people would do on such a trip) or the flights (which most people don’t include in their daily budget). So really it’s not so far off the $30/day recommendation! Either way, this is a great article showing real expenses on your trip. I have been to Thailand and Cambodia before for 2 weeks, but I want to go back and do a much longer trip to more countries in the next couple years, so I will definitely keep this budget in mind 🙂 You are so right that not drinking saves SOOOOO much money. I feel like half my budget in Cambodia was for those $5 buckets LOL.
That’s true, but I think a lot of people have one or two expensive activities they just really want to try, so it’s worth budgeting that in. Cutting out drinking would actually make it much cheaper than $30/day considering where I was staying and the types of transport I was taking.
Hey Kristin,
Great blog!! I was wondering if you had any advice on obtaining visas on your travels?? I have a one way ticket to thailand this upcoming November, and I was honestly just going to wing it as far as determining my length of stay in certain countries/areas. Any help would be appreciated!!
I did the same. Most countries, except for Vietnam, you can just get a visa on arrival (depending on which country you’re from, of course), and it can be pretty easy to extend.
Im on my 111th day today, and so far spent <1500$. Tracking all my expemses daily to meet the least possible expensiture, though i must say coffee, cigarette, and seldom beers can help lower this doen further.
Wow you’ve done a great job then!
Not as much as how you organized your expenses ;-). Im glad how quite basic i’m becoming
Wow thats cheap.. good for you!
I tried! Could do it even cheaper and certainly more expensively as well.
If your in Cebu, Philippines by mid Jan – May 2015, I help you find a place for $20 per day. Living with local family.
Hey Kristin,
HUGE fan of your blog and the advice you give. You have really helped me out as I plan for my backpacking trip to SEA, Australia, and New Zealand (leaving in 65 days!!–but who’s counting?!). Quick question: did you get a credit card for this trip? I opened up a Charles Schwab account for the ATM card, but I wanted to get a credit card with 0 foreign transaction fees as well, just as a precaution. Do you have any banker recommendations? :). Thanks again!
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Glad to have your readership! I use a Capital One Venture card and would also suggest having some kind of back up as well. Airline mileage cards also often are transaction-fee-free.
Hi Kristin,
For your southeast asia travels you got immunizations for Hepatitis A and Tetnus?
Did you get any for: Fly or Typhoid or Hepatitis B or Japanese Encephalitis or Rabies?
Also, you mentioned you chose not to take medication for Malaria? Any concern why?
My mother wants me to inoculated for every conceivable transmittable/contagious disease but to save both money and side effects I want focus on the truly most necessary vaccinations.
Thank you!
Haley
I got Tetanus and Hep A, already had B, as well as Typhoid. Did not get rabies and Japanese Encephalitis wasn’t even available at my clinic. I have never taken anti-malaria medication. I’m in that part of the world for way too long for that.
I just wrote an article on tips for Thailand, and one of my tips was that it is NOT as cheap as people make it out to be. I couldn’t agree more with the misconception that it’s “easy” to live on a shoe string budget in developing countries. There are many costs, and chances are that most travelers WANT to experience things like an elephant reservation park or Angkor Wat.
Nice to hear it from you too!
Southern Thailand is definitely more expensive than the middle and north as well!
I forgot how cheap SEA can be and after being traveling around Europe for more than 1 year, it seems like a dream being able to spend so little and still enjoying yourself so much! We spent a lot less than you have, but mainly because we didn’t do the activities you did and we took some extra vaccinations (rabies for instance because we volunteered in dog shelters) and malaria pills in some areas. Sometimes I miss these countries, maybe we should go back and explore the countries we haven’t been yet. There is too much of the world I want to see, my list gets longer instead of shorter 🙂
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Same here. I am over in Europe now, thankful that I now have a bigger budget but definitely do still love SEA, both for how cheap it can be and how amazing it can be.
Definitely agreed $30 isn’t realistic if you want to see and do things, although I think as an American you have it way worse! In the UK immunisations are free, I go to TK Maxx for my travel gear so we’re looking at maybe £30-40 on a bag and then flights cost me about £400-£500 RETURN if I don’t care what day I travel on. When I did Phuket for a month it cost $400 US for my room ($13 per day) and then I spent roughly $10-$20 on food and I literally wasn’t doing ANYTHING except working on my computer and going to the beach. So really $30 is only do-able if you decide to do the ‘living somewhere’ option and do nothing.
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Definitely true. Moving around is expensive due to traveling costs, but living in one place or moving very slowly makes things much more affordable.
THIS is on my to-do list! Yup, travel to-do list!
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Hey Kristin,
We shall be traveling Indonesia in June and we wondered if you had any tips on where to go?
we figured we’d stop off in Bali (its the cheapest island to fly to) plus my friend works there as an instructor and I’m going to take my DM course there. Other than that we’ve seen that Sumatra and Flores look good, but we don’t really know anything about them.
Also, how expensive is it to take a tour with the orang-utans? i’ve looked online and it said 20,000Rp… that seems pretty cheap to me, does that sound about right?
Finally, how expensive is it to island hop? we traveled south thailand via boats and busses and it work out pretty cheap but will it be the same in Indo?
Thanks for your advice and your amazing travel blog!
Keep up the awesome work!
Emily 🙂
Definitely I wrote a lot about it in the Indonesia https://www.bemytravelmuse.com/category/destinations/southeast-asia/indonesia/
Here’s the info on Orangutans https://www.bemytravelmuse.com/bukit-lawang-trekking/
Here’s info on island hopping local style https://www.bemytravelmuse.com/how-to-get-from-flores-to-lombok/
what backpack did you buy for $200 and what do you do for income (or has the initial funds from liquidating your assets not run out yet)? also do you still maintain and contribute to a retirement plan? lastly, i assume travel insurance makes up for not having employer sponsored health benefits? i too am a banker and im wondering how i can make this a reality for myself.
Yes I contribute to a retirement account, which was pretty heavily invested in with my old job. I make money off of this blog and freelance writing. Check out my series on how to start a travel blog if that interests you!https://www.bemytravelmuse.com/category/travel-prep/how-to-start-a-travel-blog/
Hey,
i wanna backpack for 6- 8 months in Asia , and is like 10.000 dollar enough ??
Well you can see how I laid out my expenses here, so I’d say that no, it is not, if you add in things like flights, gear, and insurance. It is if you don’t party much and don’t do expensive activities and stay in dorms, eat street food, and take local transport. It boils down to your way of traveling.
You really missed out by not spending as much time in Vietnam! Vietnam is extremely cheap.
However I didn’t spend as much time in Cambodia, this time i’ll make sure to check out the beaches! Last time I just hit the temples of Cambodia and skipped right through!
Also traveling with someone else would really bring these costs down!
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I ended up returning to Southeast Asia and spending a month in Vietnam after writing this post. Traveling with someone else would definitely cut the costs down but I’m a solo traveler and that’s the focus of this blog 🙂
I’m so curious, why and what would all the reasons traveling with a partner cut the costs down??
You split cabs and private rooms
Hey! Amazing article and love your website!
Can you please let me know how many flights did you have to take in your 10 months Oceania & SE Asia trip? And what were those flights?
Thanks!
Muzammil
I probably took around 6-8. If you just stayed in Southeast Asia you can do almost all of it overland. You can get very cheap last minute ones on local airlines and on Air Asia. I really like Bangkok Airways in Thailand, and Tiger is also good.
Thanks for the response! When you say overland, are you referring to taking ferries/boats between countries like Philippines, Indonesia, Singapore, etc.?
You could do that but it takes a VERY long time and in that case I’d just fly.
Really useful Kristin thanks for sharing 🙂
Wow , I really want to do this how do you find all the places to sleep and not end up paying for hotels
Stay in hostels/guesthouses and especially dorms to save money.
What an awesome breakdown Kristin. I know what you mean about $30 a day. Sometimes it happens but most of the time not. There are so many awesome activities to do all over South East Asia and we were not missing out on them. Love your tips for cheap travel. We love eating locally and traveling locally too. It is not just cheap but such a great experience. We have met some wonderful people on some journeys. We have been taking a budget daily so we can keep track of our spendings. The fact it is there on paper has really helped us budget. Over spend one day, lay low the next day. It is crazy how much alcohol can add up too and how many stories I have heard of people spending all their money partying and have not enough to see the rest of the country. The country always comes first for us. Thank you.
Thanks Lesh. I definitely agree it’s better to buy experiences than beers, but if you can do both, even better! 😉
Hey Kristin, great breakdown – I’ve managed on $30 in Asia, but on the basis it was covering food and accommodation only and no sightseeing. Also, these kind of simple ‘figures’ just don’t work in places like Singapore, Tokyo, etc. It annoys me when I see guides/books/etc. encouraging this as an ‘option’ because there must be so few people who manage on something like $30 a day and still get to see and do everything they wanted! Bring more – see and do more.
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True Singapore is a lot more costly and I actually haven’t been there yet. If any guide books are suggesting $30/day is doable in Tokyo I’d toss that right out the window!
How am I only just finding this blog? Good stuff
Aw thank you.
Never tried this myself, but I would imagine $30 (3000 yen) in Tokyo is possible. Well, I am in Tokyo now working (I am from Canada) but will travel abroad in November.
3000 yen breakdown possibility (if not relied on heavy tourist travel-style) – of course, it all depends on what you want to do that day; the list of what to do is endless:
1. Yamanote Line (most of the touristy places are on this line): 730 (day pass; it is even less that if you want to stay in places that require less than 730 yen)
2. Food ~1000 a day IF cheap, healthy, and convenient food places (i.e. Sukiya) –> much less required if rice balls and other smaller foods bought at convenience stores or McDonalds (100 yen options)
3. Accommodation – Couchsurfing! (0 yen)
4. Others (museum fee, drinking, whatever you choose)
Total: 1730yen plus additional
I do not know how much travel insurance is needed. Nor visa. However, when sites that say $30/day is possible, I do not believe that cost includes visa, insurance, etc. I think it means just travel expenses (food, accomodation, and such).
And for visa, I have never bought it before. But according to my Japanese passport Visa requirement for travel in Europe, I can travel in Europe for 3 (or 6) months at maximum without visa, so I am sure Visa is not required if less than 3 (or 6) months?
Thanks for that! I had no idea it could be so cheap since Japan is always thought of as so expensive. You can get a VOA for fewer than 3 months in Europe, yes. You can only stay for 3 out of every 6 months.
wow! This post inspired me. I’m planning to go on a southeast asian trip though I would be returning to Philippines, my home country, after each destination. You should visit here too! you can survive on less than 30$/day
I went for a month in December/January of last year and found it expensive, probably because I wasn’t able to find as many dorms and it was over the holidays which is an understandably expensive time.
We are spending around 15/20$ a day in two in North Thailand. We rented a huge house with 3 bedrooms for little more than 150/month. We always cook at home buying stuff at the market.
Northern Thailand is really nice and cheap. Cooking at home is cheaper than street food? That’s my favorite part of Thailand!
Thanks for the great advice! One thing to add, when I was traveling for 6 months through Western Europe, I got charged about $5 per ATM withdrawal– I have Chase. BUT, I called and asked them, and kind of sweet talked them, into refunding me the charges! It wasn’t a lot since I went to the ATM as few times as possible but every dollar counts!
I’d suggest Charles Schwab which refunds all ATM fees and doesn’t charge foreign transaction fees. I really think they’re the best option. Great customer service, too. Wow I sound like an ad but honestly I love them.
Hi Kristin,
do you by any chance know how this works for Europeans? Can, say a Belgian guy, get an Charles Schab account? 🙂
Have you met Europeans troughout your trip who managed to solve or eliminate these fees?
Cheers
I believe Schwab is only in the US, these are some good suggestions: http://www.nomadicmatt.com/travel-blogs/avoid-paying-bank-fees-traveling/
First off I want to say I’m a huge fan of your blog! Your posts are always great and so interesting! I’m very grateful for this post in particular. I’m considering homeschooling my son for a year and spending the time traveling SE Asia. So I have a few questions for you: what is the point of travelers insurance? Is it health insurance? We have health insurance and I cover my electronics through my homeowners insurance (it’s very cheap btw) so I don’t think I need travelers insurance, right? Did any areas seems unsafe at all? My son is 13 so he’s not a baby but I still don’t want to put him directly in danger of course. When you reference “dorms” is that the same thing as hostels? What is high season in SE Asia? What language is most widely spoke? I was thinking about spending a few weeks in one spot to take courses on a foreign language. Anything else you think I should know? Thanks and keep up the great work!
Hey Kristin! Depends on which country you’re in regarding which language is spoken the most widely. In Thailand that would be Thai, Malay in Malaysia, etc. However, most places you’ll find you’ll be fine communicating as locals speak at least some English and much communication isn’t verbal anyways, as I’ve learned through the years. I also don’t think a few weeks is enough time to learn much of a language, though I wouldn’t want to discourage you!
As for insurance, you can check if your health insurance covers you abroad. Mine didn’t. I have travel insurance so that I’m always covered and if I need to be flown home for medical care, I’m still covered. Hope that helps.
Yes that helps a lot! Thank you!
I find your post realistic! And refreshing knowing that I’m not able to always stick to $30/day either. Currently traveling in Northern Thailand and doing my best with level of comfort, while staying cheap. Probably the biggest money saver as you mention is indeed when I go a week or so without drinking. 🙂 Thanks for the honest post and keeping up with your site. Inspiring!
Thanks Erin! Yep the biggest budget killer is alcohol, even though each drink individually is cheap, it adds up!
Awesome! I got to understand on how much should I be needing and what do I really want before exploring outside my country in SEA!
Very informative post! 😀
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Hey Kristin, when will you visit Vietnam? We can go for coffee and eat some local food. I live in the Mekong Delta area. Love your blog by the way! 🙂
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I spent one month there in 2014 but would love to return. I love the food and the coffee so much!
Good write-up
The Wife & I traveled SE Asia for 3 months last year and are hooked! On seeing more. We did things a different way financially so are kinda setup now but it meant foregoing this earlier on. But also means work is almost optional now. We spent about $8k across 7 Countries and that’s staying in Hotels ranging from $50-$100 per night. Everything is cheap there and most things are just so much better. They live a good life and we now see that Western world has it all wrong
Can definitely see where you’re coming from with that. Wouldn’t say they all live a good life though. It’s easy for us to do so because we were born with privilege, a passport that provides mobility, and the ability to earn in a strong currency.
Great post! Southeast Asia sure is a great region to travel in!
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My main question in all of this was how did you go about traveling to these countries once you started in Thailand? Are there cheap (significantly cheap) flights available from one to the next or are you able to cross the border in a local bus? *I’m trying to convince my friends of a southeast Asia tour and the only way I can persuade them is if this factor is relatively inexpensive lol.*
Hi Jasmine, I generally crossed overland though I flew to Malaysian Borneo and did a few flights in Indonesia as well. For the most part busses and trains are the method of getting around, and they’re cheap! So are Air Asia flights so I’d suggest signing up for their newsletter and taking advantage of sales. I scored a flight for $18 with them previously.
Thanks for all your tips! I’m looking to do some backpacking soon and one thing I’m concern about are bank fees! You mentioned Charles Schwab doesn’t have any fees, can you elaborate more on this? Were you always banking with them or only as a travel account? Is it only available to US citizens (I’m from Canada).
Thanks!
Hi Charmaine, I don’t know if it’s available in Canada but I don’t think so. This post is a pretty good resource: http://www.nomadicmatt.com/travel-blogs/avoid-paying-bank-fees-traveling/
Is not that expensive !! Incredible is very economic
Going back to Cambodia soon and I hope the country is still cheap! 🙂
It’s still cheap.
Nice post! My wife and I traveled this year around Asia, including SEA. We also find the $30 limit not very realistic unless you stay for long time and live more like a local (preparing your own food instead of restaurant)
I feel like eating street food is superior to cooking your own when traveling in Asia. It’s fresh, cheap, and lots of it is healthy.
Hey Kristine,
I just want to thank you. As your blog is super helpful for me. I will keep all your points in my mind as i am thinking of visiting few countries in southeast asia.
Great article, Myself and my girlfriend are travelling on the 10th of February for 167 days. We will be going to Thailand Laos Malaysia Indonesia and Cambodia. We will be taking with us just over 9000 euro and have our flights booked travel insurance bought and vaccinations done.
I’m wondering if you think this will be enough money? We would like to see and do as much as we can and will be mostly eating street food but will be staying in our own rooms and not in dorms.
Thanks 🙂
If you take local transport and don’t party too much it could work. You might have to stay in dorms sometimes but the main thing that eats a budget quickly is partying for sure.
Thanks for the reply. We’re not going over to party, so hopefully we’ll be ok with the budget we have….
is it best to book hostels and such before or just go on the go
I generally do it on the go unless it’s a holiday in which case they can book out for months ahead of time.
Love your blog. What would you say this budget would be for 2 people?
That was just for me. For two double the food costs and add for busses and flights too. I stayed in dorms as well so I paid a single amount but for a private room or a dorm for two you’ll pay double. It’s not entirely double the cost but I’d budget as much for cushion.
Hello
i’m sorry but i really need to write on maximum english blogs because after 6 months of travel in South East Asia, it is my duty to prevent the maximum person from countries such england or australia
Everywhere we went, thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Philippines, Burma, Malaysia, and Laos, we encountered the same type of travelers, loud, arrogant, completely disrespectful of other travelers and local poeple or places..A on several occasions we had to change guesthouse to find a more quiet place, especially away from you english people.
You have a tendency to shout rather than speak, to make noise, in couple or group, always acting as if you were alone in earth..Even if you know that the owner of the guest house sleeps just next door, even if his childrens have to sleep to go at school the next morning, it will not matter, you continue until late at night yelling like pigs, in total disrespect of your neighbors .I therefore ask you this: learn to respect your neighbors, cease to believe you higher because the whole world must understand you and speak your language when you do not speak any other language except yours..the local bad feel towards overseas is due in large part to your behavior..Vang Vieng but the Thai islands are the best examples of your behavior incredibly bad.English women love to put almost naked, where the local dress head to toe in all sacred places or elsewhere, you English women you absolutely not respect the modesty of local people, in bikini everywhere..we thing that you really behave badly, the whole world hates you for that, but you don’t care and continue..if ever someone notice it to you, you laugh..You, English, you must to know it, please, SHUT UP, and respect local cultures and your neighbors..your culture based on easy friendship, nudity in public places, and “shouting” must stop!!!.Please be respectful and forget your huge egos!!! … you are the shame of Western europe to abroad …you have to know and to behave in consequence please..if some of you think that i’m exagerating, just look and listen, everywhere in South asia, and certainly everywhere in the world..you are in holidays, ok..but maybe your neighbors or the local people around you are NOT in holidays!!!
-so 1 : be quiet
-2 : stop wearing bikinis and show your muscles to the whole world..
if people comme here to read these comments, be adise that you are not really appreciated in the world…especially because of young travellers who just care about themselves, and just think about making party…
I had no bad idea about english or autralian before, not at all..now after six month travelling, i just hate you, and can’t stand anymore your fucking behaviour..
I wasn’t going to approve because it’s racist this but then again, there are some nuggets of wisdom in here. People who travel elsewhere only to behave badly and disrespect the locals but partying like crazy are the scourge of Southeast Asia and a big reason why I tried to get away from the Thai islands and find other places that weren’t ruined yet.
Also, I’m not English. Not Australian either. Your problem is with the bad eggs, not the entire race of people. Calm down.
Hey Kristin, this is a great site and very helpful…kudos to ya for setting it up and providing all of the valuable information! I have been pondering leaving my job for some time now to travel Southeast Asia for a year. I have been fortunate that I can travel twice a year while still having my job, and I have been to a few countries so far (Thailand, Vietnam, Philippines) but I really want to spend more time there than just a few weeks per year. What are your thoughts on being there for a year? Do you think it’s too long? Also, after your 8 month trip and you returned to the States what was your takeaway from it and are you more motivated to travel now or less? What would say was the best part of the trip?
Altogether I’ve spent 3 years of my life in Asia and I STILL feel like I haven’t seen it all so there’s no way that a year is too long. I loved the interactions with locals when they happened. Have fun!
This blog is friggin amazing! Thanks for all the great advice. I’ve been saving for the last two years and I’m about to embark on an across the globe backpack journey, living on 20 dollars a day.
Thanks a lot for sharing!! I’m planning a trip to Southeast Asia and this is the first article that actually helped me to calculate expenses. Thank you for all the helpful information
Thanks so much for the invaluable info! Thinking of heading to Vietnam and Cambodia next summer and this post will be perfect to re-visit before I book my trip. Thanks for sharing!!
Thanks for all the great advice! I want to travel now ^^
i think 11.000$ is too expensive
i also paln a 6 months travel, in southeast asia
but probably 4000/5000
will be my budget
Hi NickPomata, are you still traveling? And how about yourt target 4000/5000 per 6 months? Thank you!
I am always amazed on how much expenses keep piling up when I am on vacation… Even when I don’t do anything fancy. I now try to do some volunteering work. I receive accommodation and meals and in return I do some work. It is the best way to travel with minimum expenses and to get to know some local people and the local culture. I did it last year in a yoga ashram in India called Arhanta Yoga. It was the best experience ever. I am now looking for a place in Cambodia, if any body has any suggestions… I would love to know!
Southeast Asia is a wonderful destination for the families with kids. Also for many travelers, this region is their first introduction to Asia.
Took my first trip to Southeast Asia summer of 2015 and spent 10 days in Thailand going through Ayutthaya, Lopburi, and then finally Bangkok. Even spent my 18th birthday in Bangkok and stayed on Khaosan Road! Best experience of my life, planning another trip summer 2017 with my dad that takes us to Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, and finally Thailand. We both want to hopefully move somewhere in SE Asia in the next few years and this breakdown of costs and your experience helps with the planning process!
That’s wonderful! So glad that you had such a great time 🙂
Vietnam is also a good suggestion, I visited Ha Long Bay is very beautiful there and Nha Trang, Sai Gon … Maybe you’ll like it
If you really put young urban mind to it $30 a day overall is very realistic. I did that ciircuit as part of a larger trip and it can be done on around $18 a day. Couchsurf, hitchhike, and that’s your two biggest costs wiped out. As far as food, you can easily eat breakfast for $1 and evening meal for $3. Use a steripen so you can drink tap water, never drink alcohol. Also don’t take tuktuks unless you really need to. Wake up early and walk everywhere. Some days I would walk in excess of 20km to explore places. Keeps you fit and it’d free.
I’d say the biggest part of that advice that helps with costs is not drinking (and for the sake of argument, not doing activities that cost money). Eating local and sleeping cheap are great ways to save but I also think most people can’t resist indulging when they travel, in all of the fun stuff, so I’d rather spend a bit more to have more fun.
Hi Kristin,
My Partner and I are planning a 6 month trip to South East Asia with our 16 month old son.
We want to do it as cheap as possible and we’re thinking of buying a van and decking it out with a mattress etc.
Do you think this would be safe and efficient way to travel South East Asia?
We are planning on going to Singapore, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam & Cambodia.
I don’t really think that’s necessary. Busses and private rooms at hostels are so cheap, and I never really saw anyone self-driving there except for on a motorbike.
So true about the $30 a day and just totally going over with even just a visa fee or transport! Transport prices are what surprised us! I did not get any immunizations though and I flew from Australia so my flights were much less as well. Love your honest breakdown. Very helpful for first-timers to SEA 🙂
Hi there Kristin,
Just stumbled on your blog and as a former expat in Asia I’m glad to see you covered some useful tips and advice when traveling around this region. I haven’t read all of your posts for this particular adventure… you mentioned some stuff you did in the south of thailand and indonesia and malaysia, was it scuba diving? Would love to know more, did you write a post about these travel experiences as well?
Have a great weekend,
Sam aka “Äventyrsresenären”
Sure did! Scroll down to SCUBA diving on this active adventures page and you can see what I wrote about: https://www.bemytravelmuse.com/outdoor-travel-blog/
Hello,
I am going away for 6 weeks on boxing day to Thailand, Vietnam & Cambodia.
What would you say is the best way to carry money as i will need three different currencies.
Thank you
get it from ATMs
Wow, this is great! I learned a thing or two I could’ve done better when I was in SEA. It’s affordable travel, but it could even be made more affordable. There’s something about the people in SEA that totally makes me want to go back.
Hi Kristin,
Thank you for the tips, I have traveled around the world but most of them were with the US Marine Corps. I am just finishing up grad school this May and will travel for the first time that is not work related. I will be traveling for 3 months and want to start with Thailand, and end in Australia. I don’t drink (I am hoping that will save me some money) and I don’t have any other habits that will cost me more (want to get a scuba license though). I like the couchsurfing idea (do you know any other option if I don’t find accommodations for free?). What safety advice would you give me (specially if I was in military in my past life) and i believe I have most of the immunization done through military deployments. Where would I be able to learn to surf for cheap or even free in any of these countries that you have visited in SE asia?
Thank you,
Michael
There’s no surf except for in Indonesia, I’m fairly certain. As for safety, just be smart. If you don’t drink then that’ll help a lot with money and with not getting into trouble. Dorms are so cheap, if you can’t couchsurf then go for those.
You really can’t miss scuba diving in SE Asia. It’s a must and the experience is absolutely worth the money. Thank you for putting this together Kristin! Your blog is so awesome, great tips and recommendations, keep it up!
Glad you liked it! I totally agree, I wouldn’t have wanted to experience SEA without the diving. It was worth every penny!
Has anyone tried camping in South Asia or have any experience with it? I’m considering that 🙂