The short answer, and a necessary caveat
Go to Vietnam, Sri Lanka or Morocco if you want the lowest daily costs we track. Here is the caveat first: no destination on our list costs under $60 (≈ €55 / £45) a day at mid-range. The cheapest, Vietnam, is about $65 (≈ €60 / £50). So this guide uses our backpacker tier, which is derived at 45 per cent of mid-range, and that tier is where the sub-$60 (≈ €55 / £45) days live. A backpacker day means a hostel or basic guesthouse, street and market meals, local transport and one paid sight.
All figures are our own estimates per person per day, flights excluded, as of October 2026. Prices move with the exchange rate and the season, and the destination pages carry a slightly wider hand-set range for each place. Use these numbers to rank places, not to budget to the dollar.
Seven places pass the test with room to spare: Vietnam, Sri Lanka, Morocco, Thailand, Angkor Wat, Rajasthan and Bali.
One more caution before the list: cheapest is not the same as best. Thailand and Bali are the easiest first trips on it, with the most tourist infrastructure. Vietnam and Sri Lanka are the best value, and take a little more planning. Morocco and Rajasthan are the most demanding, with the most hassle and the longest drives, and they suit travellers who have a few trips behind them.
How the numbers work
Cheap is a relative word. A $40 (≈ €35 / £30) day in Vietnam buys a private room, three meals and a long bus ride. A $40 (≈ €35 / £30) day in Bali buys a guesthouse, a scooter and a fair amount of noodles, but the scooter is the biggest injury risk on the island. The same dollar goes further on some axes and not on others.
Our method is simple: take the mid-range figure on each destination page and multiply it by 0.45 for the backpacker tier. The destination pages carry a hand-set range alongside, and where the two differ the range is the better guide to what you will spend on the ground. Neither includes flights, visas or travel insurance.
| Destination | Backpacker tier (45% of mid-range) | Destination page range | Mid-range per day | Best months |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vietnam | $29 (≈ €25 / £25) | $25 to $35 (≈ €20–30 / £20–30) | $65 (≈ €60 / £50) | Feb–Apr & Sep–Nov |
| Sri Lanka | $34 (≈ €30 / £25) | $25 to $40 (≈ €20–35 / £20–30) | $75 (≈ €65 / £60) | Dec–Mar |
| Morocco | $38 (≈ €35 / £30) | $35 to $50 (≈ €30–45 / £30–40) | $85 (≈ €75 / £65) | Mar–May & Sep–Nov |
| Thailand | $41 (≈ €35 / £30) | $30 to $45 (≈ €25–40 / £25–35) | $90 (≈ €80 / £70) | Nov–Feb |
| Angkor Wat (Cambodia) | $41 (≈ €35 / £30) | $30 to $45 (≈ €25–40 / £25–35) | $90 (≈ €80 / £70) | Nov–Feb |
| Rajasthan (India) | $41 (≈ €35 / £30) | $25 to $40 (≈ €20–35 / £20–30) | $90 (≈ €80 / £70) | Oct–Mar |
| Bali | $41 (≈ €35 / £30) | $35 to $55 (≈ €30–50 / £30–45) | $90 (≈ €80 / £70) | Apr–Jun & Sep |
Vietnam, Sri Lanka and Morocco: the three cheapest
Vietnam is the cheapest on our list at about $29 (≈ €25 / £25) a day at backpacker level. The spread of experience is wide: Hoi An's lantern-lit old town, the limestone islands of Ha Long and Lan Ha, and Ho Chi Minh City with a Mekong day trip. Weather swings by region, which is the real planning problem: typhoons can hit the centre from September to November. Crossing the road in Hanoi takes nerve.
Sri Lanka comes in around $34 (≈ €30 / £25) a day. The Kandy to Ella train is slow and beautiful (reserve seats ahead), Sigiriya should be climbed early, and Mirissa runs whale boats from December to April. The weather is split by two monsoons, so one coast is always wet, and the roads and trains are slow. A rushed loop will exhaust you.
Morocco is about $38 (≈ €35 / £30) a day. Marrakech's Jemaa el-Fna changes by the hour, and a two-night trip reaches the Sahara dunes at Merzouga. The catch is hassle: persistent touts, haggling that wears you down, and medina lanes where even phone maps struggle. March to May and October to November are the comfortable windows.
Thailand, Angkor Wat, Rajasthan and Bali
Thailand sits at about $41 (≈ €35 / £30) a day. The cool season from November to February brings the best weather and the biggest crowds, and March to May is very hot. Choose one city and one coast, and book islands early in high season.
Angkor Wat is about $41 (≈ €35 / £30) a day, with a temple fee for foreigners on top. Go to the Bayon in the morning, keep Ta Prohm and Banteay Srei for calmer hours, and treat sunrise at the main temple as a spectacle shared with a very large crowd. March to May heat is punishing, with little shade.
Rajasthan is about $41 (≈ €35 / £30) a day. Winter is the season: warm days, cool nights, and the forts of Jaipur, Jaisalmer and Udaipur. It is too hot from April to June and wet in the monsoon. The long drives, touts and stomach upsets are part of the price. It scores 3 out of 5 on our safety scale.
Bali is about $41 (≈ €35 / £30) a day, though Nusa Penida and Uluwatu run slightly differently. April to October is the steadier window. Traffic around Canggu, Seminyak and Ubud is heavy, the main sights are crowded, and scooter accidents are among the most common problems for visitors. Our is Bali safe guide covers it in detail.
What cheap hides, and how to stay safe on it
A low daily number hides things that a quick comparison will not show. Long travel days cost time rather than money. Dorm beds are cheap, but a good night's sleep is not guaranteed. Cheap domestic buses and flights vary widely in comfort. Put travel insurance first in the budget, and do not economise on the airport transfer after a long-haul night flight.
On safety, our scores run from 4 out of 5 (Vietnam, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Angkor Wat, Bali) to 3 out of 5 (Morocco, Rajasthan). Each destination page links the UK FCDO, US State Department, Smartraveller, Japan MOFA and South Korea 0404 pages; we do not quote levels because they change. Read them before you book, particularly for border regions.
Cheaper does not always mean better value. If your list includes Europe, our budget Europe guide is the relevant read, and compare Thailand and Bali if you are torn between the two most popular picks.
Under $60 (≈ €55 / £45) a day: frequently asked questions
What is the cheapest country to travel in?
On our estimates Vietnam is the cheapest of the places we cover: about $65 (≈ €60 / £50) a day mid-range and about $29 (≈ €25 / £25) at backpacker tier, per person, excluding flights, as of October 2026.
Can I travel on under $60 (≈ €55 / £45) a day at mid-range?
Not on our figures. The cheapest mid-range day is about $65 (≈ €60 / £50) in Vietnam. Under $60 (≈ €55 / £45) works at the backpacker tier, which means hostels or basic guesthouses, local food and local transport.
Are cheap destinations safe?
Our safety scores for these seven places run from 3 to 4 out of 5, with normal precautions in most. Check the UK FCDO, US State Department and Smartraveller pages for current advice before you travel.
When is the cheapest time to visit?
Usually the shoulder or rainy season, when hotels drop their prices and crowds thin. Check each place's best-months bar and weather notes, because cheap months can also be the wet or very hot ones.