How to travel Southeast Asia on $30 a day
To stay under $30 a day, you must prioritize street food, dorm-style accommodation, and local transport like buses and trains. Avoid alcohol, skip domestic flights, and focus on moving slowly between cities to minimize transit costs.
- Choose the right countries. Focus on Vietnam, Laos, and Northern Thailand. These countries offer the best value for money. Avoid Singapore, Southern Thailand islands, and parts of Malaysia where costs inflate rapidly.
- Master the street food habit. Never eat in restaurants with English menus. Eat where locals are sitting on plastic stools. A bowl of noodles or a Banh Mi should cost between $1.50 and $2.50.
- Book beds, not rooms. Use apps like Hostelworld to find dorm beds. In non-tourist hubs, you can find a clean bed for $5–$8. Always look for included breakfast to save another $3.
- Use land transport only. Take overnight buses and slow trains. They function as both transport and a night's accommodation, saving you the cost of a hostel bed for that night.
- Control your liquid budget. Alcohol is the budget killer. A beer might be $1, but five of them destroy your daily limit. Drink water from refill stations and skip the nightly bar crawl.
- Is $30 a day actually realistic?
- Yes, if you move slowly. If you take a flight, go on an expensive guided tour, or drink heavily, you will blow the budget in one day.
- How do I handle money without high ATM fees?
- Use a debit card that refunds ATM fees, like Charles Schwab, and take out the maximum amount allowed each time to minimize the per-transaction flat fees.