Cheapest Travel Destinations In the World in 2024

Daily Budget: $45-$70*
Popular Spots: Christ the Redeemer Statue 

I can’t think of a better place to begin our travels than in the city that hosts the world’s largest Carnival party every year, Rio de Janeiro. When perusing the vibrant streets of Rio, whether it’s the street performers or the food vendors, there’s always something to keep yourself occupied with and, usually, for a half-decent price.

Brazil ©TravelDestinations / Shutterstock.com

With a budget of $70 a day, you could live like royalty in Rio de Janeiro. Budget accommodation should only cost about $10, and the delicious street food that you won’t be able to resist will probably set you back 2 or 3 bucks. Of course, you can’t visit Rio without heading to the Tijuca Forest to visit the 98-foot tall Christ the Redeemer Statue that watches over the city from high above.

Daily Budget: $45-$70*
Popular Spots: Monte Fontainhas

If you’re hoping to find somewhere remote to relax where escaping reality could become a reality, check out the second-largest island of Cape Verde, Santo Antão. The island has a beautiful mountainous terrain that’s covered in lush greenery, and full of low-cost outdoor activities in which to partake.

Cape Verde @cntraveller / Pinterest.com

Leading the way for things to do in Santo Antão is the hike to the Monte Fontainhas for breathtaking views of the island, and all it will cost is the time it will take to get there and the cost of food and drinks for the way. At around $20 a night, the biggest cost that you’ll find in Santo Antão will be the accommodation, but a nice beer at the end of your hike will only be about $1.10.

Daily Budget: $30*
Popular Spots: Vardzia Cavetown

For the next stop on our trip, we’re going to head over to the southeast coast of the Black Sea, to the Republic, not the state, of Georgia. When visiting the Republic, most people spend their time in the capital city, Tbilisi, but for someone who’s looking for a cheap getaway and a once-in-a-lifetime experience, Akhaltsikhe is the place to be. 

Republic of Georgia ©Lidia Ilona / Wikimedia.org

It will cost you, approximately, $30 a day to enjoy the spoils of this small city, but what you’ll find there just might amaze you. The people are friendly, the food is great, and about an hour’s drive from the city is Vardzia, a monastery cave town (with an entrance fee of less than $3) that was built into the rockface close to 1000 years ago.

Daily Budget: $30*
Popular Spots: The Love Waterfall

In northwestern Vietnam, found deep within the Hoàng Liên Son Mountains, is Sa Pa, a small town with a magnificent view of the Moon Hoa Valley and the rice paddies below. When waking up in Sa Pa, you are, literally, waking up in the clouds, and it only costs about $8 a night to do so.

Vietnam ©Romas_Photo / Shutterstock.com

Sa Pa is known for having some of the most beautiful hiking spots in Southeast Asia, and few treks show this more than the 2-day hike over to the out-of-worldly Love Waterfall. If you don’t feel like hiking, rent a motorbike for the day instead – it’ll only set you back about $5.

Daily Budget: $30*
Popular Spots: Monte Alban

If you’re planning a trip to Mexico, try to steer clear of tourist hotspots like Cancun and Mexico City. Instead, head down south and check out some of Oaxaca’s beautiful coastline and amazing sights for a quarter of the price.

Mexico ©SVongpra / Shutterstock.com

If history is your thing, then you’re in luck, the Monte Alban Mayan ruins are only 3.3 miles from Oaxaca City, and it draws a much smaller crowd than Chiten Itza over on the Yucatan Peninsula. When you get back to the city, it’s the perfect time to hit up the street food stalls for some $1 tacos and tamales, and then cool off with a full pitcher of fresh juice for less than $4.

Daily Budget: $40*
Popular Spots: Cafesjian Center For The Arts

In the Armenian Highlands, a few hundred miles from where Armenia and Turkey meet, Yerevan can be found. Armenia’s capital city is quite affordable, costing a little more than $40 a day. Even if you’re looking to splurge for a night in a 4-Star hotel, you’d only be paying around $60/night at the Ramada.

Armenia ©GaroManjikian / Shutterstock.com

When it comes to seeing the sights, there is no way that you can make a stop in Yerevan without checking out the Cafesjian Center For The Arts. Its stunning architecture and beautifully designed garden staircase pale, in comparison, only to the works of art that can be found inside.

Daily Budget: $45*
Popular Spots: Old Havana

Hanging out near the mouth of the Gulf of Mexico, with beautiful beaches, strong cocktails, and local culture up the wazoo is Havana, Cuba’s capital city. Don’t worry about overspending when you’re in Havana, because everything is very cheap!

Cuba ©Delpixel / Shutterstock.com

A personal-size chorizo pizza will come to about $0.50, a plate of spaghetti with cheese and sauce will be, maybe, $0.25, and a chilled bottle of local beer to cool off at the end of the day might be a buck, at most. At those prices, you’d be looking at less than $5 a day for food, and you’ll have plenty of your budget left to spend on knick-knacks at the market in Old Havana.

Daily Budget: $30*
Popular Spots: Nam Song River 

The Southeast Asia backpacking circuit (Thailand, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia) has become quite popular over the past few decades, probably, because of how incredibly inexpensive everything is there. When visiting Laos, Vang Vieng is a great place to visit, and not just because of the tropical climate. 

Laos ©Kawinphat Waratteerachot / Shutterstock.com

It’s located near the Nam Song river, the home of one of the world’s best lazy river tube rides, with riverside bars that open into the river – and everything is insanely cheap. The river ride will cost around $7, but a bunk in a hostel dorm room can be found for as little as $3-$4/night, and why not treat yourself to a bit of privacy, it’ll only cost $11 to have a room by yourself.

Daily Budget: $50*
Popular Spots: Monserrate Mountain

Found 8,660 ft above sea level, towards the center of Columbia is the nation’s capital city, Bogota. Its lively marketplaces can provide entertainment for days, and if you start to tire out, you can find a fresh cup of Colombian coffee on almost every street corner. Budget travelers will be thrilled to know that lodging is cheap, and the food is too.

Colombia ©Jess Kraft / Shutterstock.com

If you don’t want to travel too far from Bogota, Monserrate mountain is smack dab in the middle of the city, and it’s only a 3.2-mile hike to the top, where you’ll find an old church and a newfound appreciation for Columbia’s beautiful landscape.

Daily Budget: $38*
Popular Spots: Mundo Petapa Irtra

A visit to Central America isn’t complete without first having a look at what Guatemala has to offer, and there’s no better city to give you the full experience than the capital, Guatemala City. You can find accommodation for less than $10/day and some of the tastiest chuchitos and Tamalitos de chipilín that you’ll find anywhere in the world, and all for less than $1 each.

Guatemala ©Galyna Andrushko / Shutterstock.com

On the way from Guatemala City out to Lake Atitlán, don’t forget to make a pit stop at the Mayan ruins of Iximché. However, if you’re looking for something fun to do in the city, the Mundo Petapa Irtra amusement park has enough fun and games to keep the whole family occupied for the day.

Daily Budget: $15*
Popular Spots: Chandragiri Hill

Surviving on $15 a day might seem like an impossibility, however, when traveling through the Kathmandu Valley, in the heart of Nepal, that really is all you need. If you don’t mind hostels, it’ll cost you less than $5 for a place to snooze for the night. In the morning treat yourself to one of Kathmandu’s famous roadside Mango Lassis, you won’t regret it.

Nepal ©TRAN CONG PHUC / Shutterstock.com

If you’re in Kathmandu, then you’re, probably, interested in taking a nice long hike or seeing some breathtaking views. Chandragiri Hill has you covered. It’ll take about 7 hours to get to the top, but it’s worth it for the chance to stand on top of the world – or, you could take the 9-minute cable car ride to the top.

Daily Budget: $30*
Popular Spots: Wat Phra That Doi Suthep

“The Land of Smiles” has many beautiful destinations to choose from, but, today, we’re heading up north to the mountains to see what Chiang Mai has to offer. The Buddhist temples that you’ll be able to visit are like something out of a movie, especially, Wat Phra That Do Suthep, which needs to be seen to be believed. 

Thailand ©CGN089 / Shutterstock.com

You’d think that the price of seeing such magnificent things would be steep, however, being a temple, it’s free to go in. A place to call home for the night in Chiang Mai will only run you between $5-$10, or, for $3/night, you could always “slum it” in a hostel.

Daily Budget: $60*
Popular Spots: The Medina Souks

In the center of Morocco, surrounded by desert sands but flooded with 1000 years of rich culture, is Marrakech, Morocco’s capital city, a place where, at any given moment, you might turn down a street and feel as though you took a time machine back a few hundred years.

Morocco ©Balate Dorin / Shutterstock.com

The souks (markets) in Marrakech are amazing. To get a real feel of what the city is like, the Medina Souks, in particular, is a place that you must browse around for a while. The variety of spices, clothing, and delicious goodies is like something out of a dream, as are the prices, which could all be bargained lower.

Daily Budget: $30*
Popular Spots: Valle de la Luna

At 11,942-feet, no capital city in the world is higher above sea level than Bolivia’s capital city, and our next stop, La Paz. No matter where in the city you are, you’ll be treated to a unique experience, and all for less than $30 a day. 

Bolivia ©Catarina Belova / Shutterstock.com

Aside from the outrageously cheap cost of meals, which should only be $2-$3 each, La Paz has a number of majestic things to see. For instance, less than 6.5 miles from the city is the Valle de la Luna (Valley of the Moon). Its formation and unique colorization has been known to create some amazing optical illusions – oh yeah, it was also formed 1.8 billion years ago!