What are the cheapest countries for a world trip† If you're about to go on a world tour book and busy with you budget plan, then you probably have a common question in your head: What are the cheapest countries in the world? After all, you want your world tour like this planning so you can smartly add as many of the cheapest countries to travel to your plan as possible. This way you can see as much as possible and get the most out of your budget. Logically!
So it's useful to know what the cheapest countries in the world so that you can really enjoy your world trip to the maximum. In this article you are going to find some of the cheapest countries in the world and not surprisingly - it is mainly the cheapest Asian countries that make up this list. Use the list to plan your next world trip in a budget-friendly way!
UPDATE for 2024: Covid-19 has had a major impact on the travel industry. Flights and accommodations have therefore become considerably more expensive and there has also been intense inflation in 2021 and 2022. Prices appear to normalize somewhat at the end of 2023. The page has therefore been updated with the most recent prices currently available for 2024.
Skyscanner | How to save (a lot of) money on flights
Before we start with the top 10 cheapest countries, it is of course also useful to know where you can best book your airline tickets…
Also read: Worldly | Flight time – How long is the flight to Asia?
…and I keep saying it: of all the flight search engines out there is Skyscanner my best choice when it comes to finding cheap airline tickets and it save money to travel. I use Skyscanner's website for absolutely all the cheap tickets I buy – which doesn't mean I always book with them.
I'm going to show you how to use Skyscanner hacks to travel cheaply in the article below, but I'm also going to show you the limits of Skyscanner and what you need to do to find the cheapest airline tickets.
Also read: Skyscanner | How to save (a lot of) money on flights
Top 10 cheapest countries
Now that you know how to get the best and cheapest airline tickets, we can continue with the Top 10 cheapest countries to travel. Now, in January 2024, we will update this page so that it is up to date for the coming year.
We have obtained the information from various polls. Wereldreizigers.nl manages roughly 30 travel-related Facebook groups that together have about 40.000 members. In these groups we have started various Polls with questions about the costs of traveling in a certain country. Below, the Top 10 cheapest countries in the world, is a concise summary of these Poll results.
1. Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka has been snowed in a bit in recent years by popular countries such as Thailand en Vietnam † Yet Sri Lanka has a lot to offer, the country is perfect for backpack travelers because the infrastructure is reasonably good by Asian standards and the prices are incredibly low. Accommodation can be found from 4 euros per night, top hotels from 25-30 euros per night and an average meal costs the same as a Snicker or Mars in the Netherlands. Sri Lanka is a cheap but also a beautiful and diverse country that should absolutely not be missed on your world trip.
Also read: 8x the most beautiful things you must see in Sri Lanka
- Package holidays: € 1089
- Airline tickets: € 550
- Ho(s)tels: € 5
- Meal: € 2-3
- Average daily budget: € 30
2. Guatemala
Guatemala is still one of the cheapest countries to add to your world trip. Flying directly to Guatemala will cost you about 500 euros for a return. Are you really into saving and do you want to see something completely different on the way? Then book a return ticket via Miami for 300 euros, explore the city in a low-budget style for a few days and then take a cheap flight (from 85 euros return) from Miami to Guatemala! Once you have arrived in Guatemala you will also notice that when you go slightly off the beaten track, life and travel is very cheap. Transport across the country is very cheap, meals very affordable and budget accommodations are plentiful.
Also read: 20 Must Sees in South America | Food for your Bucket List
- Package holidays: € 1100
- Airline tickets: € 600
- Ho(s)tels: € 5
- Meal: € 2-3
- Average daily budget: € 30
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3. Cambodia
With the exception of the Angkor Wat region is Cambodia still one of the cheapest countries to add to your world trip. Flight tickets directly to Cambodia are generally a bit more expensive than surrounding countries (average 550 euros return), but you can also choose to fly cheaper via Bangkok and then travel to Cambodia overland for a few euros. Accommodation and meals are dirt cheap here, which makes a longer stay very budget friendly. You can already find a bed in a hostel from yes: two euros per night!!
Also read: Travel route Cambodia in 2, 3 or 4 weeks | All must-sees and travel tips
Also read: Must sees in Cambodia | The lesser known places
- Package tour: € 1150
- Airline tickets: € 650
- Ho(s)tels: € 5
- Meal: € 1-2
- Average daily budget: € 30
TUI has years of experience in Cambodia with many thousands of satisfied customers. TUI does this for a fair price with an excellent price/quality ratio.
Tip:: Don't forget that you also need a valid visa to enter Cambodia. The visa for Cambodia can be easily applied for online and you can often complete the application procedure within minutes. After paying the costs, for € 59,95 you already have a valid Cambodia visa, you will often receive the visa within 1 week. Once the visa has been granted, you can print it out and take it with you on your trip. A Cambodia visa is valid for 90 days and good for a stay of up to 30 days.
4. Philippines
About 5 years ago, the Philippines was still in the top 3 of cheapest countries to add to your world trip. Unfortunately, this is changing at a rapid pace because (Chinese) tourism is increasing enormously and because technically speaking, people cannot keep up with the enormous demand. In particular, the beautiful accommodations directly on the beach have become considerably more expensive in recent years. Still (with a bit of common sense) it remains a super cheap country to travel around. You can move with the help of Jeepneys (dirt cheap) but domestic flights, boats and vans are also very affordable. You can find flights to Manila from as little as 550 euros.
Also read: Itinerary Philippines in 3, 4, 5 or 6 weeks | Comprehensive guide
- Package tour: € 2100 (incl. flights)
- Airline tickets: € 650
- Ho(s)tels: € 8
- Meal: € 3-4
- Average daily budget: € 35
If you want to travel around Asia, you can hardly choose which country to visit. There are so many beautiful destinations! By India to Japan and Indonesia till the Philippines: traveling through Asia offers a lot of variety. Fortunately, many destinations can easily be combined!
Shoestring offers beautiful group, single and individual tours to literally every corner of our planet.
- Combine different countries (optional)
- Incl. transport, accommodation and activities
- Many experiences with locals
- Good price/quality ratio
5. mexico
Mexico is probably not the first country that comes to mind when you think of the cheapest countries. Yet the country is very budget-friendly for backpackers. Public (bus) transport is super cheap and moving around the country is a piece of cake. Those who manage to avoid the tourist hotspots such as Cancun can survive for a long time in this beautiful country. Because Cancun and Playa del Carmen are very popular, there is no shortage of cheap airline tickets. Returns can be found from 450 euros.
- Airline tickets: € 500
- Ho(s)tels: € 10
- Meal: € 4-5
- Average daily budget: € 40
6. Malaysia
Despite Malaysia is generally a lot more developed than surrounding countries, it is still a very cheap and budget-friendly country to add to your world trip. Public transport is generally well organized, especially in the cities. Because of the mix of cultures you can really eat anything, every country is represented here in the kitchen! The food is certainly not only delicious by European standards, but also very cheap. There are plenty of hostels and from a euro or 5-6 you already have a decent place to sleep. Airline tickets are super affordable because both Singapore if kuala lumpur are huge nodes where Amsterdam or fly directly to Düsseldorf dozens of times a day. You can find plane tickets from 450 euros and with a bit of luck you can grab a nice offer for sometimes 350 euros or less.
Also read: 3 days Kuala Lumpur | Complete city guide with 15 activities
- Airline tickets: € 550
- Ho(s)tels: € 10
- Meal: € 3-4
- Average daily budget: € 40
Also read: How much does traveling in Malaysia cost? † Everything about budget and costs
7. Thailand
Was about 10 years ago Thailand can also always be found in the top of the cheapest countries in the world. Thailand has actually been one of the cheapest Asian countries for a long time. That has changed now – tourism in Thailand has really experienced a huge boost and that has put prices under pressure. The good news is that tourism has been declining again in recent years, so prices seem to be dropping again. With a few exceptions, the whole country is still super affordable and you can especially enjoy the cheap street food for a small price. You can fly to Bangkok from 400 euros. With a bit of luck you can also find good last minute offers. Dozens of flights leave for Bangkok every day and they do not get all flights filled because tourism is slowly decreasing. Nowadays people increasingly opt for Malaysia or the Philippines, Thailand is already 'out' in that regard.
Also read: Travel route Thailand in 2, 3 or 4 weeks | All must-sees and travel tips
Also read: Thailand | 10 Must Sees to discover during your tour
Also read: The 10 Most Beautiful National Parks in Thailand | Untouched Wilderness
- Airline tickets: € 400
- Ho(s)tels: € 10
- Meal: € 3-4
- Average daily budget: € 40
8. Indonesia
Despite the fact that Indonesia and Bali in particular has become very popular in recent years, prices have remained low. Bali is the perfect place to let yourself be pampered because you can already book 4 or 5 star hotels here with all the trimmings from 40 euros. The competition between hotels is fierce and with a bit of searching you can find something unique for next to nothing. You also have nothing to complain about for airline tickets. From Amsterdam, a plane flies directly to Bali about twenty times a day, so there are plenty of seats. A nice offer is therefore never far away. Flight tickets can be found from 500 euros with peaks of up to 300 euros for a return ticket.
Also read: Itinerary through Bali in 2, 3 or 4 weeks | All must-sees and travel tips
- Package tour: € 799 for 10 days
- Airline tickets: € 500
- Ho(s)tels: € 10
- Meal: € 3-4
- Average daily budget: € 40
A holiday to Bali doesn't have to be expensive. Various budget airlines such as TUI and D-Reizen...
- Cheapest providers for Bali
- Including flight, hotel & transfer
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9. Colombia
Colombia is still one of the cheapest countries in South America† It was a change of penny, because here was just as good Bolivia or Nicaragua can stand! In the end we chose Colombia because it is the most diverse country of the three. Colombia actually has everything: a rich culture, lots of nature, jungles, beautiful islands and even vast deserts. Flight tickets to Colombia can be found from about 600 euros. Flying to South American countries is unfortunately a bit more expensive compared to Asian countries, but don't let that stop you from going!
Also read: Round trip through colorful Colombia | So much more than Pablo Escobar
- Airline tickets: € 650
- Ho(s)tels: € 10
- Meal: € 4-5
- Average daily budget: € 45
10.Myanmar
Personally I expected that Myanmar higher in the list of cheapest countries in the world expected. It does not make the top 5, mainly because the infrastructure is not so good in the country and because tourism in Myanmar is still in its infancy. It is sometimes difficult to move around in Myanmar and finding decent accommodation is a challenge, you are soon inclined to pay more for a nice bed because the offer is quite scarce and it fills up quickly.
You already have a bed from 5 euros, but because it is quite scarce, you quickly pay (much) more. Yet Myanmar is still one of the cheapest countries in Asia and the country is rightfully in this top 10. Flying to Myanmar is somewhat more expensive compared to neighboring countries. Flight tickets can be found from about 550 to 600 euros. There is simply a lot less flights that way, so seats are scarce. Book on time and make sure you don't pay too much.
Also read: Travel route Myanmar in 2, 3 or 4 weeks | All must-sees and travel tips
Also read: Eat safe street food during your World Trip | Tips from real World Travelers
- Airline tickets: € 550
- Ho(s)tels: € 9
- Meal: € 3-4
- Average daily budget: € 45
Other cheap countries to travel
There are many countries that have just fallen short of the list of cheapest countries to travel. Think of some of the cheapest countries in South America, countries such as Paraguay, Ecuador en Peru† Some of the cheapest countries in Asia that just missed the list are Vietnam , Laos en India† All these countries are still among the cheapest countries in the world to travel – and therefore very suitable for a long-term stay during your world trip.
Also read: Itinerary Laos in 2, 3 or 4 weeks | All must-sees and travel tips
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Asia travel providers
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Latin America travel providers
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