With everything feeling like it is becoming more and more expensive over the past few years it can be hard to feel like travel is an affordable thing to do. But that is where many are mistaken and miss out on a whole world of adventure…the global economy might have struggled in some places, but many other places around the world were either unaffected or actually came out on top! Here is a list of the cheapest and most budget friendly countries around the world to prove that all it takes to make travel affordable is a bit of research! Backpackers, students, scrimpers and savers…you don’t have to spend a fortune to visit somewhere amazing!
Here we have 14 of the most budget friendly destinations around the world! All it takes is a bit of saving up, some research and away you go! Don’t let money stop you from exploring your world! Of course, you need you airfare so check out our best tips for saving up here! How to save for travelling: It’s easier than you think!
India

Food average: 30-300 Rps
Entrance fees average: 5-750 Rps
Local Transport: 70
Poland
If you are based in Europe then Poland is an amazing opportunity to see a beautiful country full of moving history and stunning architecture for a tiny price. Flight from the UK cost as little as £25 and accommodation is a steal. We visited in November 2015 and absolutely fell in love with Poland as well as eating out every night and picking up a few bargain buys! Alcohol is also crazily cheap too and the tram and absolute steal! We hardly spent any money in Krakow and had an amazing time!
Accommodation average: PLN 50- 135 per night
Food average: PLN 20- 60
Entrance fees average: PLN 5- 20
Local Transport: PLN 10
100 Zloty = £16.59 / $25.17
Cambodia

Food average: 19,000
Local Transport: 6,500
1000 Cambodian Riel = £0.16 / $0.24
Ukraine
The second largest country in Europe and one time part of the Soviet Union Ukraine is often over looked and misunderstood. Offering historic cities with a unique blend of architecture and a fascinating look into the past Ukraine is a off the beaten track gem. We visited the western city of Lviv and struggled to spend our money, it is by far the cheapest place we have ever visited, going up the main town hall tower set up back only £0.20 and a can of red bull only £0.10…crazy when it cost sometimes as much as £2.00 at home!
Accommodation average: 290 per night
Food average: 70
Entrance fees average: 10-20
Local transport: 10
100 Ukrainian Hryvnia = £2.80 / $4.28
Slovakia
Despite being within the Euro zone Slovakia has still somehow managed to stay out of the financial crisis of the rest of Europe and keep their prices low! We headed over to the capital city of Bratislava this year to experience the charming and contrasting nature of the architecture, history and culture. Set only an hour away from Vienna this is also a great way to take the trip over to what is an expensive place without breaking the bank and also experiencing how wonderful Slovakia is too!
Food average: 10 Euros
Entrance fees average: 5-20 Euros
Local Transport: 1-4 Euros
100 Euros = £72 / $109
Vietnam

Food average: 83,885.56
Local Transport: 38,803.83
100,000 Vietnamese Dong = £2.93 / $4.45
Hungary
Another place we visited in 2014 and fell in love with, the capital of Budapest has to be one of the most beautiful places we have ever seen, not only that but Budapest has a refreshingly understated attitude that other such cities lack. It has a bohemian edge alongside its old world charms which come together to make a unique and intriguing city. It’s also a great bargain when other like cities as Paris, Rome and Vienna and expensive and crowded, Budapest is humble and affordable.
Accommodation average: 5,041.54 per night
Food average: 2,040.14
Local Transport: 950.24
1000 Hungarian Forint = £2.27 / $3.40
Bulgaria
Food average: 8.38
Local Transport: 5.57
100 Lev = £36.90 / $55.95
Turkey
A country both of us are very familiar with, Shorty having visited almost every summer when he was growing up and subsequently somewhere in which we have quite a few friends. Turkey is also somewhere that we plan on touring more extensively in the future as it has a wealth of both natural and historic sights on our bucket list; from the Blue Mosque to Cappadocia, the imposing saklikent gorge and the beautiful salt pools of Pamukkale.
Food average: 12.43
Local Transport: 4.78
Philippines

Local Transport: 102.67
100 Philippine Peso = £1.40 / $2.20
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic was the first country I ever visited in Eastern Europe and it really opened my eyes to just how different this region is but also how much I loved those differences. On the university trip I also fell in love with the gothic character and charm of Prague. Having kept its own currency when many around it have switched to the Euro has kept this picturesque country affordable for any who want to explore all it has to offer!
Food average: 200.97
Local Transport: 56.93
100 Czech Koruna = £2.67 / $4.00
Bolivia
Accommodation average: 24.45 per night
Food average: 28.80
Local Transport: 5.59
100 Bolivian Boliviano = £9.50 / $14.47
Egypt
Food average: 35.54
Local Transport: 19.92
100 Egyptian Pound = £8.40 / $12.77
Thailand
100 Thai Baht = £1.80 / $2.77
Of course, there are many other places out there that are great for the budget traveller, where else would you recommend?
Pin for later:
I appreciate your description of the Philippines here. It is a good place to see…after all, we only have 7,100 islands to explore and coastlines to enjoy 🙂 This is a great list of countries!!!
Aww, thanks! We will finally be going to see it ourselves this year. My aunt is from there and I can’t wait!