11 of the cheapest countries Canadians can visit in 2026 with a daily budget as low as $22
The world's most affordable travel destinations aren't always the ones you'd expect. In fact, some of the cheapest countries to visit right now are also among the most compelling — and a few of them come in at under $28 a day for accommodation, food, and local transport combined.
If the weak Canadian dollar has you second-guessing your travel plans this year, don't worry: there are still plenty of destinations where your money goes a long way further than it does at home.
A recent report by HelloSafe crunched the numbers on the world's most affordable travel destinations in 2026, ranking countries by average daily spend for one person. That figure includes a place to sleep, food, and getting around — pretty much everything except your initial flights and activities.
Whether you've been dreaming of riding camels through Mongolia's Gobi Desert, exploring ancient clifftop monasteries in Armenia, trekking through Rwanda's volcanic national parks, or wandering the UNESCO heritage streets of Laos, all of it is more achievable on a budget than you might think.
We've gone through the full HelloSafe ranking and filtered it down to destinations where the Government of Canada's travel advisory sits at either "Take normal security precautions" or "Exercise a high degree of caution" — the two lowest risk levels. Any country with a higher travel warning didn't make the cut on this list.
Keep in mind that outbound flights aren't factored into the daily budgets below, and airfare costs can vary significantly depending on when and where you're flying from. Visa requirements also differ by destination, so make sure to double-check specifics before you get going.
Laos
Travel advisory: Exercise a high degree of caution (with regional advisories)
Why you need to go: Laos is the quieter, less-crowded alternative to its Southeast Asian neighbours, and at $22 a day it's also the cheapest.
Luang Prabang is the main draw — a UNESCO town where monks collect alms at dawn, ancient temples line the streets, and the Mekong does the rest of the work.
From there, you can kayak through limestone caves, chase the turquoise pools of Kuang Si Falls, or take the legendary slow boat through the jungle. Street food costs a few dollars, and guesthouses are genuinely cheap — even by backpacker standards.
Kazakhstan
Travel advisory: Take normal security precautions
Daily budget: $27
Why you need to go: Kazakhstan swings between two extremes that somehow both work on a budget. Astana looks like a sci-fi capital dropped onto the steppe, while Almaty is backed by the snow-capped Tian Shan mountains with ski slopes and hiking trails practically at the city's edge.
Get outside either city and you'll find vast grasslands, dramatic canyons, and glacial lakes with almost no one else around. Public transport is cheap, street food will cost you a few dollars, and Canadians can enter visa-free for up to 30 days.
Rwanda
Travel advisory: Take normal security precautions (with regional advisories)
Daily budget: $29.60
Why you need to go: Known as the Land of a Thousand Hills, Rwanda is widely considered one of Africa's most underrated travel destinations. Markets are inexpensive, street food is everywhere, and the country has a well-earned reputation for being one of Africa's most tourist-friendly destinations.
Gorilla trekking in Volcanoes National Park is the headline experience — and yes, the permits are pricey, but the rest of the trip doesn't have to be. Getting around is easy and affordable, and the local food scene in Kigali punches well above its weight.
Ghana
Travel advisory: Exercise a high degree of caution
Daily budget: $31.40
Why you need to go: Ghana has beaches, history, and food — and it's one of West Africa's most welcoming entry points for first-time visitors to the continent. Accra is lively and easy to navigate, the Cape Coast castles are a sobering and essential piece of world history, and the palm-lined sugary shores of Busua Beach are exactly what they sound like.
Mongolia
Travel advisory: Take normal security precautions
Daily budget: $33.90
Why you need to go: Mongolia rewards travellers who want to get genuinely off the beaten path. The Gobi Desert alone covers singing dunes, ancient dinosaur fossil beds, and camel herders — and that's the south. Head north, and it's dense taiga, crystal lakes, and even reindeer-herding communities.
Plus, staying in a ger with a nomadic family costs next to nothing and will be far more memorable than any hotel room.
Armenia
Travel advisory: Take normal security precautions (with regional advisories)
Daily budget: $36.60
Why you need to go: Armenia packs an enormous amount into a relatively small country — ancient monasteries carved into cliffsides, volcanic mountain scenery, a capital city full of affordable cafes and pomegranate wine, and centuries of history that most visitors know almost nothing about before they arrive.
The country's capital city, Yerevan, is compact and walkable; hiking in the surrounding countryside is spectacular; and the food is excellent at prices that make it hard to overspend.
Stick to the main tourist circuits and away from the eastern border with Azerbaijan, and it's a straightforward and rewarding trip.
Georgia
Travel advisory: Take normal security precautions (with regional advisories)
Daily budget: $39.50
Why you need to go: Georgia sits at the crossroads of Europe and the Caucasus, and it punches well above its weight. Tbilisi's old town is a maze of carved wooden balconies, sulphur bathhouses, and restaurants where you can eat and drink extremely well for almost nothing.
Outside the capital, there are ancient cave cities, clifftop monasteries, and ski resorts in the Greater Caucasus mountains. It's a compact country too, which means you can cover a surprising amount of it without blowing your budget on getting around.
Moldova
Travel advisory: Exercise a high degree of caution (with regional advisories)
Daily budget: $50.60
Why you need to go: Moldova is believed to be one of Europe's least-visited countries, which is part of its appeal for many travellers. The capital, Chișinău, has a low-key charm, cheap restaurants, and a wine culture that deserves more attention. In fact, Moldova is one of the world's most wine-dense countries per capita, and cellar tours are a fraction of what you'd pay in France.
The Transnistrian border region is off the table, but the rest of the country is accessible and affordable, with a growing food and arts scene in the capital.
India
Travel advisory: Exercise a high degree of caution (with regional advisories)
Daily budget: $50.80
Why you need to go: India is overwhelming and overstimulating in the best possible way, and at under $51 a day, you can go all out. The country is too big to summarize — Rajasthan alone could fill a month, and that's before you factor in Kerala's backwaters, the chaos and colour of Mumbai, or the Himalayan foothills in the north.
Skip Jammu and Kashmir, given the current travel advisory, but the rest of the country is open and endlessly varied. Trains are cheap, street food is incredible, and the sheer density of things to see and do makes it one of the best-value destinations on the planet.
Malawi
Travel advisory: Exercise a high degree of caution
Daily budget: $51.20
Why you need to go: Malawi doesn't get nearly enough credit. Lake Malawi — a massive, clear freshwater lake that takes up a third of the country — is the centrepiece, with sandy beaches, cheap guesthouses, and snorkelling among hundreds of species of colourful cichlid fish.
It's also one of the friendliest countries in Africa to travel independently, the national parks offer solid wildlife viewing at a fraction of safari prices elsewhere, and the lack of crowds makes the whole experience feel like a genuine find.
Nepal
Travel advisory: Exercise a high degree of caution
Daily budget: $51.40
Why you need to go: Nepal is the obvious choice for anyone who wants seriously impressive mountains on a seriously tight budget.
The Annapurna and Everest trekking circuits are among the most iconic hikes on the planet; teahouse accommodation along the trails keeps costs low, and Kathmandu is a dense and fascinating base to start from. Permits are cheap, the scenery is unmatched, and you can do a full Annapurna circuit for well under your daily budget average.
What's more, the political situation has stabilized after months of unrest in late 2025, and Canada's travel advisory for the country is now within the standard range.
Keep in mind that these daily budgets cover the basics — a place to sleep, food, and getting around — but don't factor in bigger expenses like flights or activities.
Always check the latest Government of Canada travel advisories before you go — particularly as a few of these destinations have regional restrictions worth knowing about.
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Before you get going, check out our Responsible Travel Guide so you can be informed, be safe, be smart, and most of all, be respectful on your adventure.
