11 Cheap Travel Destinations Where Your Money Will Buy You More Fun In 2023
Time to dust off your passport!
People exchanging currency. Right: A woman on holiday at a Brazilian beach.
Everything seems to be more expensive nowadays and that includes flight tickets, so we've rounded up the best cheap travel destinations in 2023 where your money will last longer once you land.
Although it’s getting harder to avoid steep flight prices, there are plenty of other ways to cut costs while travelling and still manage to go on that holiday you’ve been craving.
The best way to do that is by going to a destination where you can save on food, hotels, experiences or simply the conversion rate. Luckily, there are plenty of destinations where the U.S. and Canadian dollars can stretch much further.
Here are the top travel destinations in 2023 where you can see the world without breaking the bank, according to food and rental data compiled by the sites Budget Your Trip and Price of Travel.
Vietnam
According to Be My Travel Muse blogger Kristin Addis, one of the cheapest places to travel in Asia is Vietnam, where you can supposedly live off $35 a day. That total includes accommodation, food, internet and transportation.
Addis says that for as little as $1.50, you can get yourself the “healthiest and cheapest” street food, like a rice noodle dish with an “amazing broth and a whole shank of pork.”
The average hotel price in Vietnam is about $29 a night, according to Budget Your Trip. Vietnam is also one of the cheapest places to travel in general, according to stats from Price Of Travel, which estimates that a visit to the city of Hoi An will cost you about US$20.71 a day. Meanwhile, they estimate a visit to Hanoi costs $22.49 a day, and Ho Chi Minh City costs $25.56 a day.
India
If you love Indian food and want to eat it every day, why not book a trip to India?
According to Price Of Travel, Delhi, India, is the 9th cheapest place to travel and costs around $22.60 a day. That number is based on factors such as the cost of hostel accommodation per night, three meals, two public transport rides, a cultural attraction and beers.
Meanwhile, the average cost of a hotel room in India is $41 a night, according to Budget Your Trip. However, you can still find places to stay for as little as $10 a night in New Delhi, as seen on Kayak.com.
We all know ordering a serving of butter chicken and naan can add up to be at least $15 depending on where you order it, but in India, the cost of a meal for two is equivalent to roughly US$12, according to Numbeo, a crowd-sourced cost of living database.
Meanwhile, a can of beer costs less than $2! What’s more authentic than Indian food in India?
Nepal
Have you always wanted to see Mount Everest? Then you’ll be happy to hear that Nepal is a very cheap country to travel to, although you'll still have to pay up if you want to climb the mountain itself.
The average price of a hotel in Nepal for a night is $35, according to Budget Your Trip.
From Addis’ experience, you can stay in Nepal for $30 a day, and the cost drops to $15 a day if you’re trekking.
According to Price Of Travel, Pokhara, Nepal, is the 5th cheapest country to travel to, and an average day can cost you $20.98. Meanwhile, bigger cities like Kathmandu cost $22.60 a day.
Indonesia
We’ve all seen the beautiful pictures of beaches in Bali and the stunning villas that tourists rent out when they visit. You could easily be one of them because travelling to Indonesia is very affordable.
If you want to stay at a hotel, the average price per night in Indonesia is $49 as per Budget Your Trip.
To pay for a meal for two, you can expect to drop 250,000 in the local currency, which is equivalent to roughly US$16.50, according to Numbeo.
Price Of Travel ranks Jakarta, Indonesia, at 12th place in terms of the cheapest destinations to travel, and according to their calculations, it'll cost about $27.41 a day.
Hungary
If Europe is more your travel scene, don’t fret, there are still affordable destinations in the continent, including countries like Hungary.
The central European country not only has a rich history but it’s also studded with Michelin-starred restaurants and tons of cool tourist attractions.
Although the cost of a holiday in Hungary does not compare to the likes of India and Vietnam, it's still relatively cheap in comparison to other holiday destinations in Europe.
According to Budget Your Trip, you can expect to spend $67 a day in Hungary while vacationing.
Czech Republic
Another frugal European country to consider visiting is the Czech Republic.
On average, the daily cost of visiting the Czech Republic is $93, with a meal costing around $22 and local transportation costing $8, as per Budget Your Trip.
Meanwhile, according to Price Of Travel, Cesky Krumlov, Czech Republic, ranks as the 60th cheapest city to travel to, but Prague jumps up 15 places and costs $65.98 a day.
Croatia
Croatia is growing in popularity, and more and more people are flocking to the country to enjoy its stunning beaches with crystal clear turquoise water.
The average cost of a hotel in Croatia is around $80, which is fairly steep, but considering you get to enjoy to the beautiful ocean for free, it might be worth it.
The capital of Croatia, Zagreb, ranks as the 46th cheapest country in the world to travel, and the average daily price of visiting the country is $42.47 according to Price Of Travel.
Greece
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Greece can be expensive but also cheap, depending on which islands and cities you visit.
According to TikToker Marina Mari Maki, if you go to a popular island like Mykonos, you can expect to spend a lot of money, but if you choose lesser well-known islands like Milos, which apparently have beaches just as beautiful or potentially even better, you can experience an affordable Greek holiday.
The average price of hotels is $86 a night, according to Budget Your Trip
Egypt
If Africa is a bucket list continent you want to visit, you might want to start with Egypt for an affordable trip.
You can visit historical destinations like the pyramids and enjoy a beach holiday near the coast on strips like Naama Bay.
Depending on the type of accommodation you want to stay at, you can spend as little as $16 a night to $73 a night, according to Kayak.
South Africa
South Africa is full of diverse natural beauty, and the fact that it’s also a cheap holiday destination just makes things that much better.
If you're wondering how much a hotel costs on average in South Africa, Budget Your Trip says it's around $78 per night.
You can book cheaper spots for as little as $10 a night, but there are still options for more expensive hotels too, shows Kayak.
The average price of a meal for two in South Africa is roughly $33, while beer can be less than $2, reports Numbeo.
Brazil
Don’t overlook South America in your research for cheap holiday destinations because there are some stunning spots you can explore without breaking your budget.
Brazil is one of those countries, and there’s so much to explore that the options are nearly endless.
From the beaches of Florianopolis to big metropolitan cities like Rio De Janeiro, you can see so much without having to spend a bunch of money.
While the flight might be expensive, everything else in the country is quite cheap, so it makes for a great holiday spot.
Rio De Janiero ranks as the 50th-cheapest city to visit, according to Price Of Travel.
On average, you can expect to spend $56 on a hotel room a night.
Good luck planning your holidays for 2023!
This article's left-hand cover image was used for illustrative purposes only.