How Much Does it Cost to Travel in 2019?
Its useful to know how much to budget when planning and saving for a trip. Here I give a brief rundown of my average travel costs in India and South East Asia.
My costs reflect my travel style. I have to admit I am not the kind of person who obsessively records every penny, cent or rupee I spend.
I traveled on a budget but not rock bottom shoe string and splashed out on nicer accommodation or meals every now and then but these are average guideline prices.
Your cost of backpacking could be less or more depending on your style of travel and comfort level. If you travel as a couple or with a friend it is cheaper as you can split accommodation and taxi costs. These costs are for a average guideline only and it is always, always better to take more money to account for incidentals, emergencies, impromptu shopping sprees or a splurge on a posh hotel or internal flight. Doing activities like scuba diving, trekking, courses and tours will also push your budget.
I have displayed costs in local currency, British Pounds and US Dollars but be aware that exchange rates change. In Vietnam and Cambodia US Dollars are widely used.
The Average Daily Budget (per person) takes into account;
- Accommodation shared between two people, (apart from in countries where dorm beds have been the only budget option)
- 2 restaurant meals per day,
- A street food or convenience store like 7/11 snack,
- 3 bottles of water,
- A couple of beers,
- A long distance (12 hr) bus or train journey
- 2 short taxi or public transport rides
- Visiting an attraction.
Cost of Travel: India
| Item | Cost in Rupees | Cost in GDP £ | Cost in US$ |
| Guesthouse Room for 2 | 700 Rupees | £7.00 | $11.60 |
| Restaurant Meal | 150 Rupees | £1.50 | $2.50 |
| Street Food | 50 Rupees | £0.50 | $0.80 |
| Long Distance Bus/Train | 150 Rupees | £1.50 | $2.50 |
| Local Transport & Taxis | 70 Rupees | £0.70 | $1.15 |
| Bottle of Water | 20 Rupees | £0.20 | $0.35 |
| Beer | 100 Rupees | £1.00 | $1.65 |
| Attractions | 250 Rupees | £2.50 | $4.15 |
| Average Daily Budget Per Person | 1500 Rupees | £15 | $25.00 |
| Average Weekly Budget Per Person | 10,500 Rupees | £105 | $175.00 |
| Average Monthly Budget Per Person | 45,500 Rupees | £450 | $755.00 |
Cost of Travel: Thailand
| Item | Cost in Baht | Cost in GDP £ | Cost in US$ |
| Guesthouse Room for 2 | 500 Baht | £9.25 | $15.50 |
| Restaurant Meal | 150 Baht | £2.75 | $4.65 |
| Street Food | 70 Baht | £1.30 | $2.15 |
| Long Distance Bus/Train | 275 Baht | £5.10 | $8.50 |
| Local Transport & Taxis | 80 Baht | £1.50 | $2.50 |
| Bottle of Water | 20 Baht | £0.37 | $0.60 |
| Beer | 80 Baht | £1.50 | $2.50 |
| Attractions | 200 Baht | £3.70 | $6.20 |
| Average Daily Budget Per Person | 1475 Baht | £27 | $46.00 |
| Average Weekly Budget Per Person | 10,325 Baht | £191 | $320.00 |
| Average Monthly Budget Per Person | 44,742 Baht | £828 | $1,386.00 |
Cost of Travel: Vietnam
| Item | Cost in Dong | Cost in GDP £ | Cost in US$ |
| Guesthouse Room for 2 | 250,000 Dong | £7.00 | $12.00 |
| Restaurant Meal | 120,000 Dong | £3.40 | $5.70 |
| Street Food | 40,000 Dong | £1.15 | $1.90 |
| Long Distance Bus/Train | 150,000 Dong | £4.25 | $7.10 |
| Local Transport & Taxis | 30,000 Dong | £0.85 | $1.42 |
| Bottle of Water | 15,000 Dong | £0.40 | $0.70 |
| Beer | 15,000 Dong | £0.40 | $0.70 |
| Attractions | 50,000 Dong | £0.85 | $0.70 |
| Average Daily Budget Per Person | 740,000 Dong | £21 | $35.00 |
| Average Weekly Budget Per Person | 5,180,000 Dong | £146 | $245.00 |
| Average Monthly Budget Per Person | 22,447,000 Dong | £636 | $1,065.00 |
Cost of Travel: Cambodia
| Item | Cost in Riel | Cost in GDP £ | Cost in US$ |
| Guesthouse Room for 2 | 36,000 Riel | £5.40 | $9.00 |
| Restaurant Meal | 20,000 Riel | £3 | $5.00 |
| Street Food | 4,000 Riel | £0.60 | $1.00 |
| Long Distance Bus/Train | 28,000 Riel | £4.20 | $7.00 |
| Local Transport & Taxis | 4,000 Riel | £0.60 | $1.00 |
| Bottle of Water | 2,000 Riel | £0.30 | $0.50 |
| Beer | 2,000 Riel | £0.30 | $0.50 |
| Attractions | 20,000 Riel | £3 | $5.00 |
| Average Daily Budget Per Person | 128,000 Riel | £19 | $32.00 |
| Average Weekly Budget Per Person | 896,000 Riel | £135 | $225.00 |
| Average Monthly Budget Per Person | 3,882,667 Riel | £585 | $980.00 |
Cost of Travel: Laos
Costs courtesy of my friend Kevin from www.vagabondimpluse.com
| Item | Cost in Kip | Cost in GDP £ | Cost in US$ |
| Guesthouse Room for 2 | 100,000 Kip | £7.50 | $12.50 |
| Restaurant Meal | 35,000 Kip | £2.60 | $4.35 |
| Street Food | 12,000 Kip | £0.90 | $1.50 |
| Long Distance Bus/Train | 85,000 Kip | £6.30 | $10.55 |
| Local Transport & Taxis | 15,000 Kip | £1.10 | $1.85 |
| Bottle of Water | 4,000 Kip | £0.30 | $0.50 |
| Beer | 8,000 Kip | £0.60 | $1.00 |
| Attractions | 40,000 Kip | £3 | $5.00 |
| Average Daily Budget Per Person | 315,000 Kip | £23.50 | $39.00 |
| Average Weekly Budget Per Person | 2,205,000 Kip | £164 | $275.00 |
| Average Monthly Budget Per Person | 9,555,000 Kip | £710 | $1,188.00 |
Cost of Travel: Malaysia
| Item | Cost in Ringgit | Cost in GDP £ | Cost in US$ |
| Guesthouse Room for 2 | 40 Ringgit | £7.40 | $12.35 |
| Restaurant Meal | 15 Ringgit | £2.75 | $4.65 |
| Street Food | 5 Ringgit | £0.90 | $1.55 |
| Long Distance Bus/Train | 30 Ringgit | £5.50 | $9.25 |
| Local Transport & Taxis | 5 Ringgit | £0.90 | $1.55 |
| Bottle of Water | 3 Ringgit | £0.55 | $0.90 |
| Beer | 10 Ringgit | £1.85 | $3.10 |
| Attractions | 15 Ringgit | ||
| Average Daily Budget Per Person | 139 Ringgit | £26 | $43.00 |
| Average Weekly Budget Per Person | 973 Ringgit | £180 | $300.00 |
| Average Monthly Budget Per Person | 4,216 Ringgit | £778 | $1,300.00 |
Cost of Travel: Singapore
Singapore is not a budget destination. Here the average daily costs accounts for staying in dorms, eating cheap street food, fast food or buying groceries more than eating in restaurants and using only public transport instead of taxis.
| Item | Cost in SG Dollar | Cost in GDP £ | Cost in US$ |
| Dorm Bed | SG$30 | £14.00 | $24.00 |
| Restaurant Meal | SG$15 | £7.00 | $12.00 |
| Street Food | SG$5 | £2.40 | $4.00 |
| Long Distance Bus/Train | N/A | ||
| Local Transport | SG$5 | £2.40 | $4.00 |
| Bottle of Water | SG$3 | £1.40 | $2.40 |
| Beer | SG$10 | £4.80 | $8.00 |
| Attractions | SG$25 | £12.00 | $20.00 |
| Average Daily Budget Per Person | SG$119 | £57 | $95.00 |
| Average Weekly Budget Per Person | SG$833 | £398 | $667.00 |
| Average Monthly Budget Per Person | SG$3,609 | £1,727 | $2,890.00 |
So how much money do you need for 3 months in South East Asia?
3 months (better make it nearer 13 weeks!) is the minimum time you would need to take in all the amazing sights, cultures and landscapes South East Asia has to offer. I spent over 6 months and only scratched the surface.
The flight will likely be your biggest expense, check out websites like skyscanner to compare prices and get the best deal. Flights to Bangkok from the UK start at about £400 return.
After flights, visas, insurance, immunisations, a backpack or any equipment you want to buy, enjoying the amazing sights of Asia could cost you less per day than your costs at home so how much money will you need? Let’s assume your 3 months looks a bit like this:
| Local Currency | GDP £ | US Dollars $ | |
| Thailand 3 weeks | 31,000 Baht | £575 | $965.00 |
| Laos 2 weeks | 6,615,000 Kip | £500 | $830.00 |
| Vietnam 3 weeks | 15,540,000 Dong | £440 | $735.00 |
| Cambodia 3 weeks | 2,688,000 Riel | £405 | $680.00 |
| Malaysia 10 days | 1,390 Ringgit | £255 | $430.00 |
| Singapore 4 days | 476 Singapore $ | £225 | $380.00 |
| Total for 13 weeks | £2,400 | $4,020.00 |
So hopefully this gives you a guideline cost so you can work out how much you need to save up for how many weeks you wish to travel South East Asia! Also think about saving for any extra activities like scuba diving courses, cooking or yoga lessons, trekking, sightseeing, shopping, souvenirs and wild nights out drinking that you do on your trip. For me, it’s well worth it for the adventure of a lifetime!
More Great Resources
An excellent resource for backpacker costs is Price of Travel which lists cities in order of price. Asia is the cheapest region in the world with cities in Nepal, Vietnam, India, Thailand and Laos dominating the top 10 cheapest from US$ 14 per day See here for cheapest cities in Asia
The website also has listings for other continents too. See here for cheapest cities in Europe. Eastern European countries are considerably cheaper than the more famous Western European cities. For example Bucharest, Romania is quoted at US$25 per day compared to Zurich, Switzerland at US$123