25 SHOCKINGLY Cheap Places to Travel in 2025

Welcome to 2025. It's a new year and you know what that means. It's time to start planning our next travel destinations without breaking the bank. I've put together what I've found to be the absolute best travel destinations to visit on a budget in 2025 and by budget I mean anywhere from 20 to 50 US dollars per day. Keep in mind that these daily costs can vary a lot depending on what time of year you're traveling. The costs I'll be mentioning in this video are also the very bare minimum that you should plan on spending while traveling if you are truly backpacking. That means staying in shared hostel dorm rooms, taking public transportation, and eating mainly street food and from grocery stores. Even if you don't backpack and sleep in shared hostels this video is still for you because the costs for private hotel rooms are also proportionately lower in these countries. Every country on this list is a budget-friendly destination in general but if you want to stay in hotels or private rooms, take taxis for convenience, you can easily add 20, 50, or even more than $100 per day to this budget. Just remember every destination in the world can be done on a budget if you're committed to getting creative with your travels. With that, here's my ultimate list of destinations for budget travel in 2025. Vietnam makes the top of our list as one of the cheapest countries to visit in Asia. I always recommend Vietnam to budget travelers because there are so many cheap transportation options to help you explore the country. It also happens to be one of my favorites because there is so much to do. My top recommendation is always to head to the coast. Anywhere you can visit along the water is going to make for an incredible trip. Once you arrive in Vietnam you can expect to pay on average $3 to $8 on accommodation per night, $9 to $15 per day on food, and $2 to $5 on transportation. You only need about $9 to $30 per day to explore Cambodia. It's a country that truly has everything that you want to see. There's islands, ancient history, temples, and budget experiences worth writing home about. During your trip you can expect to spend $3 to $6 on accommodation per day, $3 to $5 on food, and $2 to $5 on transportation. If you do head to Siem Reap to see any of the temples, I do recommend purchasing a multi-day pass. In the long run, it'll save you money. The temples are just so beautiful and I know that you're going to need more than one day to explore them all. If you're on a budget and you still want to experience island life, then I know just the place for you. Indonesia is a great place to visit on a budget because almost everything you can do here is relatively inexpensive. My favorite part of the budget travel experience in Indonesia is the food. The cost is around $3 to $5 per day to eat local meals, plus there are street vendors where you can snag a whole plate of Indonesian food for around $2. While accommodation you can expect to spend from $5 to $10 per day, and transportation during your time in Indonesia will cost you around $2 to $6 per day, of course totally depending on what you do. Laos might be one of the best-kept secrets when it comes to budget travel destinations. Almost the entire country is covered in forest, so if you want to get deep into the jungle in Asia without running into an overwhelming amount of tourists, it's time to add Laos to your bucket list. Plus, visiting here won't totally break your bank account. On a very strict backpacker budget, each day you spend in Laos will cost you about $11 to $38. You can expect to pay $4 to $6 per day on accommodation, $3 to $7 on food, and $2 to $8 on transportation per day. If you're thinking about budget travel, you're probably already thinking about Thailand. It's a stunning country that's as affordable as it is beautiful. Even here, your dollars can make a luxury experience affordable. Chiang Mai and Bangkok have absolutely exploded with digital nomad culture, and after visiting there myself, I can definitely see why. When it comes to the budget, you can expect to spend around $3 per day exploring this entire country. For food, you can expect to spend between $2 to $3 a day if you're very much only eating street food, while accommodation will cost you between $4 to $7. And as for transportation, you can get in a taxi for $3 or even take a bus for 25 cents. It's really choose your own adventure. Before we dive into the next 20 countries on this list, I want to tell you about the sponsor of this video, NordVPN. 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And while that may be true for some of those expeditions like that, it is possible to go on hiking adventures in Nepal on a budget. In total, you can expect to spend about $10 to $34 per day exploring Nepal. For food, you'll be spending about a total of $3 to $5 per day. On transportation, you'll be spending about $2 to $7 a day. And on accommodation, $3 to $6 a night while staying in Nepal. If you truly want to have a backpacking experience, Sri Lanka is an incredible destination for that because it's such a small country to explore. One of the best things that I recommend doing while you're traveling in Sri Lanka is taking the train from Kandy to Ella. This will get you out of the most touristy areas of the country and into some of the most beautiful parts of Sri Lanka that everyone raves about. And the very best part is that it will only cost you around $17 to $42 per day to explore here. As for daily spending, you can expect to spend around $5 to $9 on accommodation, $2 to $4 on transportation, and around $5 to $9 on food. One of the most quintessential backpacker budget destinations is, of course, India. And one of the reasons that this is is because of the extensive transportation systems that help you explore the country, all for very cheap prices. Of course, everyone that I know who's visited India loves it for the experience itself. You can explore so many different historical sites, go to festivals, and all kinds of events for only a few dollars. In total, you'll be spending about $19 a day. Accommodation each night will cost around $4. You can spend about $4 in total as well on food per day. And transportation can potentially only cost you a dollar per day, depending on what you're doing. For a mix of affordability and luxury experiences, make sure to add Albania to your 2025 travel bucket list. Most of Albania's beautiful coastline is dotted with incredible places that you can visit for very cheap, especially the accommodation. Another draw of Albania for budget travelers is the food scene. There's nothing like eating hearty meals for about $4 a day. Almost every restaurant in the country has meal options that are delicious and wildly affordable, especially when you compare it to bigger places in the U.S. When it comes to accommodation, you'll be spending about $10 per night. The cost of transportation in Albania will reach about $4 every day, so in total you can explore Albania for about $20 a day. This one might be my personal favorite on the list. Georgia is a great place for budget travelers because you can explore on a daily budget of $10 to $20. It's an incredible destination because there are so many activities that you can do for such a cheap price. Both public and private transportation was shockingly affordable. Even the local restaurants are affordable. You can eat Georgian meals on a very low budget of between $5 and $10 per day. As for accommodation, you can have epic stays for about $10 to $15 a day. If you haven't added Georgia to your bucket list yet, now's the time. Bulgaria is rising up on the list of trendy travel destinations in 2025, and that's because the country offers everything you know and love about your favorite European destinations, but for half the price. For example, you can explore Bulgaria's food scene for about $6 a day. Transportation is also very affordable throughout the country and will only cost you about $5 to travel between some of the top tourist destinations, and accommodation, well, that's going to cost you about $10 a night. Honestly, Romania is another one of these countries on this list that is a total underrated hidden gem. It's a country that as soon as you leave, you're going to want to revisit it again and again. For a daily budget of $30, you can spend your time exploring some of Romania's best-kept secrets. For food, you can expect to spend around $6 a day, while on transportation, you can expect to spend about $8 a day, and finally, for accommodation, you'll be spending about $12 a night. Out of all of the European countries on this list, Portugal is overwhelmingly one of the best places to go on a budget. Not only is the weather amazing, especially on the coast, but so is everything that you can do on a really strict budget. I highly recommend heading to Portugal for your trip for the low-cost activities, the delicious food, and really cheap transportation options. On a daily budget, you'll be spending about $30 to $45 a day. The price of accommodation per night will total around $10 to $15, while you'll be spending about $5 on transportation, depending on what you're going to do. And we can't forget about the food. You can expect about a daily budget of $5 to $10. For all of my hyper-organized type-A travel planners, your challenge is to make Turkey a budget-friendly destination. It might seem like Turkey is somewhere that is way too expensive, but with a bit of planning, you can totally explore the country for cheap. For example, the $150 hot air balloon rides are amazing, but there are better ways to spend your money and get a pretty similar view. During your trip to Turkey, you can expect to spend at least $25 to $40 per day. That comes out to around $5 to $15 on accommodation per night, $5 on transportation, and $5 a day on food. Okay, this one might seem obvious, but of course, you gotta add Mexico to your 2025 budget travel list. One of my best hacks to keep costs low during your trip to Mexico is, of course, to eat the street food. These mean some of the best tacos you're ever going to have in your entire life, and you will not be able to eat more than $2 worth, $3 worth of tacos if you are absolutely starving. In total, you can get away with spending $5 to $7 per day on food. For the other areas of your trip, you'll likely be spending about $10 a night on accommodation, and you can spend around $5 a day on transportation. This comes out to being anywhere from $20 to $37 per day. There is so much to see in this Central American country. From the wildlife, the ecotourism, to the volcanoes, it makes me honestly want to plan another trip for myself now. But the best part is that you can do all of this per day on a budget of about $15 to $25. Plus, you can eat local food for about $5 to $6 every day, and you only need to spend between $5 and $7 on accommodation. Fun story, this is actually the country where I booked the cheapest hostel I have ever stayed in in my life. It was literally $2. I'm not going to lie, it definitely wasn't very clean, and it wasn't very comfortable, but it gave me a place to lay my head and continue my backpacking adventures in Central America on a crazy low budget. Even the transportation is crazy cheap, so you can get around for only a few dollars a day. Especially if you love coffee, Colombia needs to be at the top of your bucket list. And of course, if you want to see the monkeys, it's not a bad place to visit either. Colombia is full of charm and remote workers, so if you're a digital nomad, I definitely recommend visiting Medellin, which is a growing hotspot for remote workers. Whatever way you want to experience Colombia, you can do it on a budget. I'd expect your daily budget to be between $15 and $24 a day. For food, you can anticipate spending about $4 to $6 a day. Transportation is also a really low budget option in Colombia, which you can get around for even just a few dollars a day. Exploring Ecuador is totally possible on a budget. It's cheap to eat incredible meals and to get around. One of the best parts is that a lot of its top attractions and events are cheap or even free. A total daily budget in Ecuador is around $20 to $30. For food, you'll be spending around $5 to $10. Accommodation will be a little bit more expensive and maybe even your biggest expense while in the country. You can expect to pay around $10 to $15 per night. On the flip side, transportation is the cheapest and will only cost you anywhere from $0.50 to $2 a day. If rolling mountains, farmland, and coffee sound like something you want more of in 2025, it's time to add Ecuador to your bucket list. If you want to experience awesome yet inexpensive cultural experiences, then Bolivia is your place. It's a great country to immerse yourself in and spend an extended time in even if you're on a budget. For example, all daily budgets in Bolivia will cost around $20 to $35. So let's break that down. Local restaurants and authentic food can be found for a budget of around $5 to $10 per day. As for accommodation, it's pretty inexpensive as well. You'll be paying about $5 to $7 a night. And let's not forget about how to get around. You can expect your transportation budget to be around $2 to $5 per day. One of the cheapest places in Central America, if not the entire world, is Nicaragua. And if the low cost doesn't completely sell you, the natural beauty will. One of my absolute favorite places that I went to in Nicaragua was called Omotepe Island. You can spend your time in Nicaragua visiting volcanoes, beaches, lakes, and even islands. And you can do that all for about a total of $20 a day. But the budgeting doesn't stop there. Food in Nicaragua will cost around $10 a day, which is similar to the daily cost you should anticipate for transportation. What tends to be the cheapest is accommodation, which will range from $5 to $10 a night. If you have always wanted to travel to Africa, but you have to do it on a budget, then Morocco is the place for you. Some of my favorite places in Morocco were, of course, Marrakesh, the Blue City, Chefchaouen, the Atlas Mountains, and of course, being able to camp in the Sahara Desert. While you're spending your time exploring just how much this country has to offer, it'll cost you around $10 to $35 per day. If you're a foodie, then you're in luck because the food in Morocco is not only insanely good, but it's also very cheap. You can spend between $3 to $5 a day on food. As for transportation, that will cost you around $5 for public transportation, although renting a private driver, for example, will cost a lot more than that. And accommodation will average about $10 a night. You can see the iconic Pyramids of Giza on a budget in Egypt. Both with and without a guide, there are ways to make Egypt affordable. Let me explain. You can explore the pyramids, eat traditional food, and dive into the Egyptian culture, all for a daily budget of $15 to $20 a day. I do have to say, the street food is incredible, and it will only cost you about $10 per day to eat some incredibly good food. As for accommodation, you'll be paying between $5 and $10 a night for hostels while staying in Egypt. As for transportation, it'll cost you about $1.50 a day to get around. I absolutely loved visiting Jordan, especially if you're interested in ancient ruins, hidden history, and incredibly beautiful deserts where actually so many iconic movies were filmed. There is so much to see here, even if you're on a budget. For between $22 and $60 a day, you can dive into the country's history that is just begging for you to ask questions and learn more about its mysteries. During your trip, you can expect to spend between $7 and $22 on accommodation, $6 to $12 on food, and $5 to $10 on transportation. If you're ready for a budget adventure that's going to make you never want to leave, that's exactly how a trip to the Philippines will make you feel, even if you're on a tight budget and have no room to splurge. Although the cities in the Philippines can be fun, I highly recommend getting as far away from the city as possible and exploring the islands. This will cost you between $10 and $38 a day. As for the local authentic food, that'll cost you between $3 and $8 per day. When you're making a budget for a place to stay, you can expect to spend between $4 and $7 a night. Lastly, you'll need a small budget for transportation per day, which in total you can expect to spend around $2 to $8. Also, if you do have any wiggle room to splurge on a trip in the Philippines, I highly recommend taking a boat trip that'll take you to multiple islands in one day. I did this in El Nido in Palawan and it was incredible. One of the most epic and unexpected places that you can visit in 2025 is going to be Pakistan. Not only is it full of cultural heritage, but there are stunning mountains and it's so inexpensive to visit. You can explore Pakistan for a huge range of $3 a day to $40 a day or more, and that just depends on if you want to go camping in the remote countryside or stay in a hotel in the city. Either way, it's affordable. During your trip, you should expect to spend about $12 to $25 a night on accommodation, $2 to $4 on food, and about $10 on public transportation. There you have it. These are my top travel recommendations for budget travelers in 2025. And remember that if you ever want to go to a country, any country, and it feels like it might just be too expensive, I promise that with research, patience, and some open-mindedness to some clever backpacker tactics, you can always find a way to make it affordable. So let me know in the comments what destinations are on your 2025 bucket list. If you found this video helpful, don't forget to subscribe, and until next time, let's push our limits.