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Trying to find the cheapest asian country to visit, or just the cheapest countries to visit in Asia overall? You’re in the right place. This isn’t a generic top-10 pulled from average cost-of-living data, it’s ranked from the priciest “cheap” country down to the actual cheapest, so keep scrolling, because it gets better the further down you go.
I came to Asia the first time completely on my own, fresh out of college, running on money I’d saved from a minimum wage internship during school, not some cushy internship stipend. I landed in Bangkok on a strict budget and never really left. Part of it was knowing that building a life and a business here meant a lower cost of living and a lot more room to take risks than I’d have had back home in Chicago. Even if you’re not trying to build anything and just want to travel, that same math still works in your favor. I’ve lived in Asia for over seven years now, and the numbers below are exactly why.
Most of these lists stop at Southeast Asia and call it a day. That’s a mistake, because South Asia is genuinely cheaper than anywhere in Southeast Asia, and it’s where this list ends up. If you’ve never left North America or Europe, some of these daily budgets are going to sound made up. They’re not.
Every country below breaks the daily budget down three ways: solo, as a couple, and as a family of four, since splitting a hotel room four ways is a completely different trip than paying for one bed alone.
This post is all about the cheapest countries to visit in Asia.
Roughly $35 to $50 a day per person, $60 to $85 a day for a couple, $110 to $160 a day for a family of four. Thailand opens this list because it’s genuinely the priciest country here, and it’s still cheaper than a long weekend in most of Europe. You’re paying a bit of a premium for infrastructure that actually works: trains that run on time, hostels with real air conditioning, and enough tourist experience that nothing feels like a gamble. If this is your first cheap-Asia trip, starting here isn’t a bad call.
Best base: The north is significantly cheaper than the islands of Thailand. I’d recommend Chiang Mai, if you want a home base to settle into for a few days or a few weeks. I’ve been living in Chiang Mai for years, and it’s still the easiest, cheapest city in the country. If you’re after islands instead, Koh Lanta and Koh Chang are the real budget picks, quieter and cheaper than Phuket or Koh Samui, while Koh Phangan and Koh Tao still run cheap as long as you’re not there for Full Moon Party week.
Roughly $30 to $45 a day per person, $50 to $75 a day for a couple, $95 to $140 a day for a family of four. Hostel beds in Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City start around $5, street meals run $1 to $2, and local buses cost under a dollar. Sleeper buses between cities are genuinely comfortable once you’re used to the flat-bed bunks, and they’re one of the best cheap-transport systems anywhere on this list.
Best base: Hoi An. It’s smaller and more walkable than Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City, with cheap tailoring, cheap food, and an easy day-trip radius.
Roughly $30 to $40 a day per person, $50 to $65 a day for a couple, $90 to $125 a day for a family of four. Hostels in Siem Reap or Phnom Penh start around $6, street food runs $1 to $3, and tuk-tuks cost $2 to $5 for a short ride. The three-day Angkor Wat pass is one of the few splurges worth budgeting extra for here, everything else runs cheap by default.
Best base: Siem Reap. Angkor Wat is the obvious draw, but it’s also just an easy, walkable, cheap home base for the rest of the country.
My parents are both from the southern Philippines, and the first time I remember visiting as a kid, what actually stuck with me wasn’t the beach or a relative’s house, it was how cheap everything was compared to what I was used to growing up in Chicago. That’s a strange thing for a kid to clock, but I still remember it clearly. Roughly $25 to $40 a day per person, $45 to $65 a day for a couple, $80 to $125 a day for a family of four. Island hopping on local bangka boats costs a fraction of what a comparable boat trip runs anywhere else in Asia, and street food (halo-halo, isaw, all of it) is some of the cheapest and best on this entire list. The one place your budget can slip fast is inter-island flights, book those early.
Best base: Cebu. It’s where a lot of my own family is from, and it’s a genuinely easy jumping-off point for the rest of the islands without the Manila chaos.
Roughly $25 to $35 a day per person, $40 to $55 a day for a couple, $75 to $105 a day for a family of four. Bali itself runs a little pricier than this thanks to the Canggu-and-Ubud crowd, but the rest of the country, Java, Lombok, Sumatra, brings the average back down fast. Warungs (small family-run food stalls) serve a full meal for $1 to $2, and that alone does most of the heavy lifting on a daily budget here.
Best base: Yogyakarta if you want the cheapest version of this trip, Ubud if you want Bali specifically and don’t mind paying a bit more for it.
Roughly $25 to $35 a day per person, $40 to $55 a day for a couple, $75 to $105 a day for a family of four. Laos is the quietest country on this list and also one of the cheapest, especially once you’re outside Vang Vieng’s party-town pricing. Luang Prabang’s night market is both excellent and affordable, and the slow boat down the Mekong is one of the cheapest multi-day experiences in Southeast Asia, transport and scenery in one.
Best base: Luang Prabang. It’s calmer than Vang Vieng, walkable, and the night market alone can cover a day’s food budget.
Roughly $20 to $30 a day per person, $35 to $50 a day for a couple, $65 to $95 a day for a family of four. Sri Lanka gets grouped with Southeast Asia in a lot of these lists even though it isn’t one, and it’s genuinely one of the best value countries on this entire list: trains through tea country cost next to nothing, guesthouses are cheap and plentiful, and the food, hoppers, kottu, curry, rice and everything else, is both excellent and inexpensive.
Best base: Ella. It’s small, walkable, surrounded by tea country, and one of the cheapest, most scenic bases on this whole list.
Roughly $15 to $25 a day per person, $25 to $40 a day for a couple, $50 to $75 a day for a family of four. Hostel beds in Kathmandu’s Thamel district start around $4, a full dal bhat meal runs about $1.50, and local buses cost well under a dollar. Trekking permits and guides are the one real expense here, everything else (food, sleep, getting around) is some of the cheapest on the planet.
Best base: Kathmandu’s Thamel district for arriving and organizing a trek, Pokhara if you want a slower, lakeside home base instead.
Roughly $10 to $20 a day per person, $18 to $32 a day for a couple, $35 to $60 a day for a family of four, and that’s a real number, not a typo. India is the cheapest country on this entire list, and it’s not close. A hostel bed can run $3 to $5, a full meal is often $1 to $2, and local trains cost pennies on the dollar for the distance covered. It’s also one of the most overwhelming countries to travel for a first-timer, so budget extra time to adjust rather than trying to move fast through it.
Best base: Rishikesh if you want a gentler, slower introduction to the country, Varanasi if you want the real, intense version from day one.
What’s the cheapest country in Asia overall? India, consistently. Daily budgets of $10 to $20 are realistic for hostels, street food, and local transport, and that holds up across most of the country, not just one region.
What’s the cheapest country in Southeast Asia specifically? Laos, though Cambodia and Vietnam are close behind. All three run cheaper than Thailand once you’re outside the most touristy stretches.
Is Japan or Singapore ever a budget option in Asia? No, and it’s worth saying clearly: both are genuinely expensive by regional standards, closer to Western Europe pricing than anything on this list. They’re worth the trip, just not the budget trip.
How much should I budget per day for a cheap Asia trip? $20 to $35 a day covers most of Southeast Asia comfortably. Budget closer to $10 to $20 if you’re spending most of your time in Nepal or India instead.
What’s the most affordable Asian country for a first-time budget trip? Thailand or Vietnam, honestly. Both are cheap by any Western standard while still having enough tourist infrastructure that a first-timer isn’t figuring everything out from scratch.
Asia is hectic and hot in the same week it’s somehow the most grounding place I’ve ever spent real time in, and that combination is exactly why it’s worth the trip. The real gift of these nine countries is that your money goes further here than almost anywhere else on earth. You can eat out for every meal, stay somewhere decent, and still come home having spent less than a normal month at home would cost you. The flight is usually the most expensive part of the whole thing. Everything after you land tends to run cheaper than staying local ever would.
Whichever one of these you pick, sort your travel insurance before anything else, it’s the cheapest peace of mind on this entire list. I wrote a full, honest breakdown of the one I actually use: SafetyWing Nomad Insurance review.
This post was all about the cheapest countries to visit in Asia.
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Check out some of my favorite tools and companies I actually use when I travel.
Need a Bank Account for Life Abroad? Wise is the best option for travelers, study abroad students and expats. I use it as my everyday checking account since it lets me hold and spend in multiple currencies without getting hit with a bad exchange rate every time I cross a border.
Want to Travel for Free & Skip the Foreign Transaction Fees? I put my spending on my Chase Sapphire Preferred card and let the points cover flights and hotels I'd otherwise be paying for out of pocket. I've been able to use the points I earn on this card to pay for flights, hotels and meals all around the world!
Please Don't Forget Travel Insurance! Travel insurance protects you against illness, injury, theft, and cancellations. I never go on a trip without it. My two favorites are:
Need a Flight? I personally love using Google Flights to track prices and compare dates before I commit, the flexible date view alone has saved me a lot of money. Skyscanner is another great search engine to find cheap flights because it searches sites and airlines around the globe, so you know no cheap deal is being left on the table.
Getting Around Southeast Asia? Book your buses, trains, and ferries with 12Go Asia. One search shows you every route and price, so you're not digging through ten different local booking sites.
Need a Place to Stay? Book your hotel with Expedia, where I start looking, especially when I want to bundle flights and stays together. Hotels.com is my backup when I want to compare prices or I'm chasing their rewards program for a free night.
On a Tighter Budget? Hostelworld is where I go for hostels. It has the largest inventory out there, and you can search for dorm beds or private rooms depending on what you're after!
Want a Free Way to Travel? Try TrustedHousesitters! You look after someone's home and pets while they're away, and in exchange you get free accommodation (minus the subscription fee). It's a great option if you're traveling long term and want to cut costs. I personally use this as a host and a sitter, and it's truly great!
Need Inspiration or Just Want to See What's Out There? Go Guides is a solid resource for destination guides, must-see landmarks, local markets, best beaches, and things to do, browsable by place or by theme. It's a good stop whether you already know where you're headed or you're still looking for your next destination.
Check out my full packing gear guide for everything I bring on international trips, or browse my favorite travel finds on Amazon for quick links to it all.
Check out my full resource page for every company I use when I travel. I list them all in one place so you can go from planning to booked without digging through old blog posts!
Hey there, I'm Angelique!
I'm a Filipina-American, Chicago native living abroad and running my online design agency from Chiang Mai, Thailand. Over a decade of traveling in, and yes, I still pinch myself. With family split between the US, UK, and SE Asia, travel has always been part of my story. This blog is where I share the honest side of living and traveling abroad, the places I explore, my best study abroad tips from personal experience, and the little hacks that make this life actually work. Glad you're here, friend!
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