PYou don’t need to be rich to go travelling. In lots of countries, you can easily live on less than £20 per day. In 2018, we conducted a large survey amongst 848 people who’d done a round-the-world (RTW) or long trip. They told us their average budget for each country they visited. The daily cost listed includes accommodation, food, local transport, activities and tours. Here are the 10 cheapest destinations for which we had the average budget of at least 10 people.
Sylvain loved India so much that he went there three times. In this country, culture shock is a given. Crowds, smells, heat: all the senses are put to work as soon as you step off the aeroplane. Spectacular temples and palaces stand alongside beggars, women in shimmering saris and sacred cows that casually wander around, grazing on piles of garbage. They often say you either love India or you hate it. We sure love it!
India, the country of sacred cows
Laos is the cheapest country in Southeast Asia. The lifestyle there is particularly laid back. This country has no access to the sea and has managed to preserve its wild and welcoming side, far from the frantic life of big Asian metropolises. You can appreciate the gentle way of life along the Mekong and the Nam River. Even the capital, Vientiane, remains on a human scale with only 800,000 inhabitants.
Patuxai war monument in the centre of Vientiane
We did a three-week long hike around Annapurna. The small villages are only accessible by foot, several days walk from the main road. The panoramic views are spectacular and the landscapes go from lush jungle, to rocky and snow-covered passes, to alpine-looking meadows. In the Kathmandu valley, the centuries-old cities of Patan and Bhaktapur demonstrate an enormous cultural wealth. Naturewise, you can get up close with wild animals in the Chitwan National Park and enjoy an oasis of calm at Pokhara lake, located at the foot of the Himalayas.
Prayer flags in Annapurna
This archipelago, made up of more than 7,000 islands, is extremely diverse. From bustling megacities, to emerald green paddy fields, to underground rivers and idyllic beaches, this country has everything to please culture, hiking, diving and beach lovers.
The turquoise waters of Coron
We also popped by Guatemala during our RTW trip. François went there again in 2013. This small Central American country is still spared from mass tourism and life out there is pretty cheap. We loved the small colonial towns, Granada and Leon, with their colourful facades. Ometepe island by Lake Nicaragua, the largest in Central America, is unique with its two volcanoes. The Atlanctic coast offers great surfing spots, whilst the Caribbean coast stands out for its particular culture descending from pirates. The Corn Islands are a hidden gem in the Caribbean.
Granada, on the edge of Lake Nicaragua
This big country, with its vast dry plains and forests, lends itself perfectly to horseback travel. You can also cover the large grassy stretches in a 4×4 and test out the nomadic life by staying in a yurt for a few nights. The country of Genghis Khan is currently experiencing phenomenal growth thanks to the discovery of abundant minerals in its subsoil.
A Mongolian horseman hunting with his eagle
Cambodia is best known for the incredible temple complex of Angkor. The tangled roots in the ruins give it a unique atmosphere. But this country’s charm doesn’t stop at Angkor. Riding a bike through paddy fields is really fun. But it’s impossible to talk about Cambodia without mentioning the darkest part of its history, the Khmer Rouge period, which is still etched into the memory of older generations.
The enormous Angkor complex in Cambodia
Myanmar is the new name for Burma. Before, it was difficult to visit this country. In the last few years, tourism has been increasing very rapidly. Even with this increase in visitors, Myanmar is still an incredibly welcoming country. Bagan, the city of ancient ruins, is breathtaking. There are also other treasures such as Ngapali beach, Inle Lake or the Golden Rock.
Bagan, the Buddhist archaeological site
Those who’ve already had the chance to chat with us over a beer or at a fair know that we love to sing this country’s praises! After our two-month stay during our RTW trip, we both went back there. Beyond the classic Java – Bali – Lombok route, Indonesia is a country spared from mass tourism. Located at the heart of the golden triangle of marine diversity, it’s sure to thrill diving and snorkelling fans. You can also meet the dragons of Komodo, climb one of the many volcanoes scattered around the country, ride a scooter through the rice fields of Toraja country… The opportunities for discovery are endless.
Sunset on the Togian Islands
This country is sadly known for the Vietnam War. It stretches over more than 3,000 km of coastline and has sublime beaches. Halong Bay’s emerald waters and numerous islands, which are covered with tropical forests, are two of its distinctive features. In the mountainous regions of the north, you can meet really kind and endearing locals. Vietnam has also preserved its remarkable cultural heritage with its old cities, temples and imperial palaces.
Halong Bay’s stunning emerald waters
We conducted a large survey between 19th and 23rd January 2019, amongst 848 people who’d done a RTW or long trip. They told us their average budget for each country they visited. The daily cost listed includes accommodation, food, local transport, activities and tours.
In the top 10, we’ve only kept the cheapest destinations for which we had the average budget of at least 10 people.
| Pays | Budget à la roots | Budget backpacker | Budget avec un peu de confort | Nombre de voyageurs à partir desquels ces chiffres sont calculés |
Fiabilité de nos budgets | Budgets Lonely Planet et Routard |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Afghanistan | 0 | Pas de données | Lonely | |||
| Afrique du Sud | 25 € | 50 € | 80 € | 16 | Moyennement fiable | Lonely Routard |
| Albanie | 2 € | 15 € | 27 € | 7 | Moyennement fiable | Lonely Routard |
| Algérie | 0 | Pas de données | Lonely Routard |
|||
| Allemagne | 22 € | 30 € | 51 € | 25 | Assez fiable | Lonely Routard |
| Angleterre | 28 € | 50 € | 70 € | 21 | Assez fiable | Lonely Routard |
| Angola | 25 € | 1 | Peu fiable | |||
| Antarctique | 189 € | 250 € | 277 € | 3 | Peu fiable | Lonely |
| Antigua-et-Barbuda | 15 € | 1 | Peu fiable | Lonely Routard |
||
| Arabie saoudite | 0 | Pas de données | ||||
| Argentine | 19 € | 32 € | 63 € | 246 Voir le détail |
Très fiable | Lonely Routard |
| Arménie | 27 € | 30 € | 30 € | 3 | Peu fiable | Lonely Routard |
| Australie | 39 € | 60 € | 82 € | 243 Voir le détail |
Très fiable | Lonely Routard |
| Autriche | 20 € | 50 € | 60 € | 11 | Moyennement fiable | Lonely Routard |
| Azerbaïdjan | 5 € | 1 | Peu fiable | Lonely Routard |
||
| Bahamas | 34 € | 55 € | 67 € | 3 | Peu fiable | Lonely Routard |
| Bahreïn | 100 € | 1 | Peu fiable | |||
| Bangladesh | 17 € | Peu fiable | Lonely | |||
| Barbade | 40 € | 1 | Peu fiable | Lonely Routard |
||
| Belau | 0 | Pas de données | ||||
| Belgique | 28 € | 43 € | 55 € | 14 | Moyennement fiable | Lonely Routard |
| Belize | 20 € | 34 € | 41 € | 16 | Moyennement fiable | Lonely Routard |
| Bénin | 13 € | 20 € | 25 € | 4 | Peu fiable | Lonely Routard |
| Bhoutan | 0 | Pas de données | Lonely Routard |
|||
| Biélorussie | 21 € | 34 € | 46 € | 2 | Peu fiable | Lonely Routard |
| Birmanie | 19 € | 23 € | 30 € | 59 | Très fiable | Lonely Routard |
| Bolivie | 20 € | 27 € | 35 € | 90 | Très fiable | Lonely Routard |
| Bosnie-Herzégovine | 15 € | 18 € | 30 € | 6 | Moyennement fiable | Lonely Routard |
| Botswana | 26 € | 36 € | 56 € | 3 | Peu fiable | Lonely Routard |
| Brésil | 30 € | 40 € | 54 € | 46 | Très fiable | Lonely Routard |
| Brunei | 29 € | 35 € | 41 € | 2 | Peu fiable | Lonely Routard |
| Bulgarie | 10 € | 18 € | 27 € | 6 | Moyennement fiable | Lonely Routard |
| Burkina Faso | 10 € | 20 € | 23 € | 3 | Peu fiable | Lonely Routard |
| Burundi | 0 | Pas de données | ||||
| Cambodge | 18 € | 23 € | 31 € | 452 Voir le détail |
Très fiable | Lonely Routard |
| Cameroun | 24 € | 24 € | 24 € | 1 | Peu fiable | Lonely Routard |
| Canada | 20 € | 40 € | 57 € | 34 | Assez fiable | Lonely Routard |
| Cap-Vert | 15 € | 1 | Peu fiable | Lonely Routard |
||
| Chili | 25 € | 38 € | 52 € | 339 Voir le détail |
Très fiable | Lonely Routard |
| Chine | 18 € | 30 € | 46 € | 248 Voir le détail |
Très fiable | Lonely Routard |
| Chypre | 60 € | 1 | Peu fiable | Lonely Routard |
||
| Colombie | 22 € | 28 € | 34 € | 29 | Assez fiable | Lonely Routard |
| Comores | 0 | Pas de données | ||||
| Congo | 0 | Pas de données | Lonely Routard |
|||
| Cook | 35 € | 40 € | 52 € | 4 | Peu fiable | |
| Corée du Nord | 0 | Pas de données | Lonely |
|||
| Corée du Sud | 20 € | 30 € | 33 € | 11 | Moyennement fiable | Lonely Routard |
| Costa Rica | 22 € | 36 € | 54 € | 24 | Assez fiable | Lonely Routard |
| Côte d’Ivoire | 0 | Pas de données | Lonely Routard |
|||
| Croatie | 14 € | 22 € | 35 € | 11 | Moyennement fiable | Lonely Routard |
| Cuba | 18 € | 30 € | 44 € | 19 | Moyennement fiable | Lonely Routard |
| Danemark | 15 € | 35 € | 60 € | 13 | Moyennement fiable | Lonely Routard |
| Djibouti | 0 | Pas de données | Lonely | |||
| Dominique | 15 € | 1 | Peu fiable | Lonely Routard |
||
| Écosse | 20 € | 41 € | 61 € | 9 | Moyennement fiable | Lonely Routard |
| Égypte | 35 € | 53 € | 96 € | 4 | Peu fiable | Lonely Routard |
| Émirats arabes unis | 39 € | 84 € | 130 € | 7 | Moyennement fiable | Lonely Routard |
| Équateur | 21 € | 29 € | 37 € | 43 | Très fiable | Lonely Routard |
| Érythrée | 0 | Pas de données | ||||
| Espagne | 23 € | 35 € | 49 € | 22 | Assez fiable | Lonely Routard |
| Estonie | 15 € | 25 € | 37 € | 7 | Moyennement fiable | Lonely Routard |
| États-Unis | 30 € | 50 € | 70 € | 70 | Très fiable | Lonely Routard |
| Éthiopie | 16 € | 20 € | 29 € | 3 | Peu fiable | Lonely Routard |
| Fidji | 23 € | 58 € | 96 € | 4 | Peu fiable | Lonely Routard |
| Finlande | 15 € | 40 € | 56 € | 10 | Moyennement fiable | Lonely Routard |
| France | 24 € | 40 € | 51 € | 20 | Moyennement fiable | Lonely |
| Gabon | 13 € | 1 | Peu fiable | Lonely Routard |
||
| Galapagos | 48 € | 56 € | 82 € | 5 | Peu fiable | Lonely Routard |
| Gambie | 0 | Pas de données | Lonely Routard |
|||
| Géorgie | 17 € | 20 € | 25 € | 5 | Peu fiable | Lonely Routard |
| Ghana | 126 € | 1 | Peu fiable | Lonely Routard |
||
| Grèce | 16 € | 25 € | 53 € | 13 | Moyennement fiable | Lonely Routard |
| Grenade | 0 | Pas de données | Lonely Routard |
|||
| Groenland | 93 € | 1 | Peu fiable | |||
| Guatemala | 15 € | 25 € | 33 € | 25 | Assez fiable | Lonely Routard |
| Guinée | 0 | Pas de données | ||||
| Guinée équatoriale | 0 | Pas de données | ||||
| Guinée-Bissao | 0 | Pas de données | ||||
| Guyana | 0 | Pas de données | Routard | |||
| Haïti | 10 € | 1 | Peu fiable | Lonely | ||
| Honduras | 15 € | 20 € | 35 € | 5 | Peu fiable | Lonely Routard |
| Hong Kong | 32 € | 42 € | 57 € | 34 | Assez fiable | Lonely Routard |
| Hongrie | 14 € | 15 € | 24 € | 7 | Moyennement fiable | Lonely Routard |
| Île de Pâques | 35 € | 46 € | 54 € | 29 | Assez fiable | Routard |
| Inde | 11 € | 18 € | 25 € | 57 | Très fiable | Lonely Routard |
| Indonésie | 18 € | 23 € | 31 € | 86 | Très fiable | Lonely Routard |
| Irak | 0 | Pas de données | ||||
| Iran | 10 € | 15 € | 27 € | 3 | Peu fiable | Lonely Routard |
| Irlande | 22 € | 40 € | 76 € | 8 | Moyennement fiable | Lonely Routard |
| Islande | 35 € | 60 € | 94 € | 12 | Moyennement fiable | Lonely Routard |
| Israël | 40 € | 45 € | 63 € | 5 | Peu fiable | Lonely Routard |
| Italie | 20 € | 40 € | 56 € | 20 | Moyennement fiable | Lonely Routard |
| Jamaïque | 43 € | 48 € | 52 € | 2 | Peu fiable | Lonely Routard |
| Japon | 30 € | 43 € | 60 € | 46 | Très fiable | Lonely Routard |
| Jordanie | 30 € | 38 € | 49 € | 6 | Moyennement fiable | Lonely Routard |
| Kazakhstan | 11 € | 19 € | 27 € | 2 | Peu fiable | Lonely Routard |
| Kenya | 21 € | 48 € | 117 € | 5 | Peu fiable | Lonely Routard |
| Kirghizistan | 11 € | 19 € | 27 € | 2 | Peu fiable | Lonely Routard |
| Kiribati | 16 € | 1 | Peu fiable | |||
| Koweït | 0 | Pas de données | ||||
| Laos | 15 € | 20 € | 25 € | 74 | Très fiable | Lonely Routard |
| Lesotho | 26 € | 35 € | 52 € | 3 | Peu fiable | Lonely |
| Lettonie | 9 € | 20 € | 31 € | 9 | Moyennement fiable | Lonely Routard |
| Liban | 0 | Pas de données | Lonely Routard |
|||
| Liberia | 0 | Pas de données | Lonely | |||
| Libye | 0 | Pas de données | Lonely Routard |
|||
| Liechtenstein | 37 € | 48 € | 58 € | 2 | Peu fiable | Lonely |
| Lituanie | 26 € | 28 € | 35 € | 3 | Peu fiable | Lonely Routard |
| Luxembourg | 44 € | 60 € | 78 € | 3 | Peu fiable | Routard |
| Macédoine | 13 € | 19 € | 31 € | 4 | Peu fiable | Lonely Routard |
| Madagascar | 15 € | 23 € | 24 € | 3 | Peu fiable | Lonely Routard |
| Malaisie | 18 € | 23 € | 30 € | 53 | Très fiable | Lonely Routard |
| Malawi | 18 € | 25 € | 31 € | 2 | Peu fiable | Lonely |
| Maldives | 35 € | 41 € | 46 € | 2 | Peu fiable | Lonely Routard |
| Mali | 0 | Pas de données | Lonely Routard |
|||
| Malte | 17 € | 24 € | 31 € | 2 | Peu fiable | Lonely Routard |
| Maroc | 22 € | 35 € | 44 € | 13 | Moyennement fiable | Lonely Routard |
| Marshall | 0 | Pas de données | ||||
| Maurice | 30 € | 40 € | 90 € | 4 | Peu fiable | Lonely Routard |
| Mauritanie | 35 € | 43 € | 50 € | 2 | Peu fiable | Lonely Routard |
| Mexique | 20 € | 29 € | 40 € | 41 | Très fiable | Lonely Routard |
| Micronésie | 0 | Pas de données | ||||
| Moldavie | 0 | Pas de données | Lonely | |||
| Monaco | 31 € | 40 € | 88 € | 3 | Peu fiable | |
| Mongolie | 16 € | 22 € | 41 € | 19 | Moyennement fiable | Lonely Routard |
| Monténégro | 4 € | 11 € | 29 € | 4 | Peu fiable | Lonely Routard |
| Mozambique | 24 € | 31 € | 37 € | 2 | Peu fiable | Lonely Routard |
| Namibie | 36 € | 43 € | 70 € | 6 | Moyennement fiable | Lonely Routard |
| Nauru | 0 | Pas de données | ||||
| Népal | 14 € | 20 € | 30 € | 39 | Assez fiable | Lonely Routard |
| Nicaragua | 14 € | 20 € | 30 € | 17 | Moyennement fiable | Lonely Routard |
| Niger | 11 € | 14 € | 16 € | 2 | Peu fiable | Lonely Routard |
| Nigeria | 15 € | 1 | Peu fiable | Lonely | ||
| Norvège | 30 € | 92 € | 111 € | 10 | Moyennement fiable | Lonely Routard |
| Nouvelle Calédonie | 38 € | 50 € | 78 € | 15 | Moyennement fiable | Lonely Routard |
| Nouvelle-Zélande | 36 € | 57 € | 85 € | 250 Voir le détail |
Très fiable | Lonely Routard |
| Oman | 34 € | 40 € | 46 € | 2 | Peu fiable | Lonely Routard |
| Ouganda | 16 € | 1 | Peu fiable | Lonely | ||
| Ouzbékistan | 10 € | 1 | Peu fiable | Lonely Routard |
||
| Pakistan | 9 € | 1 | Peu fiable | Lonely | ||
| Palestine | 30 € | 1 | Peu fiable | Routard | ||
| Panama | 23 € | 35 € | 48 € | 9 | Moyennement fiable | Lonely Routard |
| Papouasie – Nouvelle Guinée | 50 € | 1 | Peu fiable | |||
| Paraguay | 15 € | 19 € | 29 € | 9 | Moyennement fiable | Lonely Routard |
| Pays-Bas | 29 € | 40 € | 53 € | 13 | Moyennement fiable | Lonely Routard |
| Pérou | 20 € | 29 € | 39 € | 85 | Très fiable | Lonely Routard |
| Philippines | 18 € | 20 € | 30 € | 21 | Assez fiable | Lonely Routard |
| Pologne | 14 € | 18 € | 31 € | 10 | Moyennement fiable | Lonely Routard |
| Polynésie | 50 € | 87 € | 111 € | 32 | Assez fiable | Lonely Routard |
| Portugal | 32 € | 45 € | 50 € | 9 | Moyennement fiable | Lonely Routard |
| Qatar | 44 € | 59 € | 74 € | 2 | Peu fiable | Routard |
République centrafricaine
|
0 | Pas de données | ||||
République démocratique du Congo
|
0 | Pas de données | ||||
| République dominicaine | 12 € | 29 € | 46 € | 2 | Peu fiable | Lonely Routard |
| République tchèque | 11 € | 25 € | 38 € | 7 | Moyennement fiable | Lonely Routard |
| Roumanie | 13 € | 27 € | 39 € | 6 | Moyennement fiable | Lonely Routard |
| Russie | 22 € | 25 € | 50 € | 19 | Moyennement fiable | Lonely Routard |
| Rwanda | 0 | Pas de données | Lonely | |||
| Saint-Christophe-et-Niévès | 18 € | 32 € | 46 € | 2 | Peu fiable | Lonely |
| Saint-Marin | 30 € | 1 | Peu fiable | |||
| Saint-Siège | 0 | Pas de données | ||||
Saint-Vincent-et-les-Grenadine
|
0 | Pas de données | Lonely Routard |
|||
| Sainte-Lucie | 0 | Pas de données | Lonely Routard |
|||
| Salomon | 12 € | 1 | Peu fiable | |||
| Salvador | 12 € | 17 € | 25 € | 5 | Peu fiable | Lonely Routard |
| Samoa occidentales | 20 € | 1 | Peu fiable | Lonely Routard |
||
| Sao Tomé-et-Principe | 0 | Pas de données | Lonely | |||
| Sénégal | 22 € | 43 € | 56 € | 4 | Peu fiable | Lonely Routard |
| Serbie | 4 € | 9 € | 23 € | 4 | Peu fiable | Lonely Routard |
| Seychelles | 17 € | 1 | Peu fiable | Lonely Routard |
||
| Sierra Leone | 0 | Pas de données | Lonely | |||
| Singapour | 22 € | 34 € | 50 € | 42 | Très fiable | Lonely Routard |
| Slovaquie | 16 € | 18 € | 27 € | 5 | Peu fiable | Lonely Routard |
| Slovénie | 16 € | 20 € | 25 € | 6 | Moyennement fiable | Lonely Routard |
| Somalie | 0 | Pas de données | ||||
| Soudan | 0 | Pas de données | Lonely | |||
| Sri Lanka | 20 € | 25 € | 31 € | 25 | Assez fiable | Lonely Routard |
| Suède | 18 € | 45 € | 71 € | 10 | Moyennement fiable | Lonely Routard |
| Suisse | 33 € | 65 € | 92 € | 10 | Moyennement fiable | Lonely Routard |
| Suriname | 0 | Pas de données | Routard | |||
| Swaziland | 48 € | 53 € | 57 € | 2 | Peu fiable | Lonely |
| Syrie | 0 | Pas de données | Routard | |||
| Tadjikistan | 5 € | 1 | Peu fiable | Lonely Routard |
||
| Taïwan | 34 € | 55 € | 75 € | 3 | Peu fiable | Lonely Routard |
| Tanzanie | 30 € | 40 € | 46 € | 4 | Peu fiable | Lonely Routard |
| Tchad | 0 | Pas de données | ||||
| Thaïlande | 20 € | 25 € | 40 € | 722 Voir le détail |
Très fiable | Lonely Routard |
| Timor Oriental | 0 | Pas de données | Lonely | |||
| Togo | 4 € | 5 € | 8 € | 3 | Peu fiable | Lonely Routard |
| Tonga | 0 | Pas de données | ||||
| Trinité-et-Tobago | 17 € | 20 € | 23 € | 2 | Peu fiable | Lonely Routard |
| Tunisie | 32 € | 37 € | 46 € | 4 | Peu fiable | Lonely Routard |
| Turkménistan | 0 | Pas de données | Lonely Routard |
|||
| Turquie | 16 € | 26 € | 32 € | 10 | Moyennement fiable | Lonely Routard |
| Tuvalu | 0 | Pas de données | ||||
| Ukraine | 12 € | 27 € | 40 € | 4 | Peu fiable | Lonely Routard |
| Uruguay | 26 € | 33 € | 50 € | 19 | Moyennement fiable | Lonely Routard |
| Vanuatu | 46 € | 56 € | 66 € | 2 | Peu fiable | Lonely |
| Venezuela | 0 | Pas de données | Lonely Routard |
|||
| Vietnam | 18 € | 24 € | 32 € | 451 Voir le détail |
Très fiable |
Lonely Routard |
| Yémen | 0 | Pas de données | Lonely Routard |
|||
| Zambie | 17 € | 1 | Peu fiable | Lonely Routard |
||
| Zimbabwe | 28 € | 36 € | 53 € | 3 | Peu fiable | Lonely Routard |
