๐Ÿ’ฐ How Much I Spent in 16 Destinations (2024)

A woman standing in front of a mountain view with massive ruins on them.

In the past two years, I’ve traveled to 16 countries across five continents, with daily budgets ranging from $77 to $307. Here, I share my travel costs for each destination and expected daily budgets based on research and firsthand experience.

About My Trips

To give context to the expenses below, hereโ€™s what you need to know about my trips:

  • ๐Ÿ—“๏ธ Recent years โ€“ I visited all these destinations post-pandemic, starting in 2022 and continuing until today.

This is a living document, so I will continue updating it as I visit more places in 2024.

  • ๐Ÿ’ต USD โ€“ I live in the United States, so all costs are in US dollars, converted from the destination’s local currency.
  • โ˜๏ธ Per person โ€“ All costs are per person. Except for Spain, I’ve traveled to all destinations with at least one other person, which allowed us to split costs, such as housing.
  • ๐Ÿ’ฐ Mid-range budget โ€“ Iโ€™m a mid-range budget traveler. I donโ€™t aim to travel on a budget, but Iโ€™m intentional about my spending.
  • ๐Ÿ€ Self-funded โ€“ I finance my trips and donโ€™t receive sponsorship.

My Daily Travel Budgets

Below is how much I’ve spent per day on all the destinations I’ve visited so far. These amounts do not include the cost of round-trip flights to and from the United States.

DestinationContinentMy Budget
๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ธ IcelandEurope$307
๐Ÿ‡จ๐Ÿ‡ท Costa RicaNorth America$235
๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ HawaiiNorth America$209
๐Ÿ‡ฟ๐Ÿ‡ฆ South AfricaAfrica$200
๐Ÿ‡ง๐Ÿ‡ฟ BelizeNorth America$186
๐Ÿ‡ต๐Ÿ‡ท Puerto RicoNorth America$182
๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡ธ SpainEurope$155
๐Ÿ‡ต๐Ÿ‡ช PeruSouth America$149
๐Ÿ‡ฏ๐Ÿ‡ต JapanAsia$145
๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡น ItalyEurope$131
๐Ÿ‡ฐ๐Ÿ‡ญ CambodiaAsia$123
๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿ‡ฌ SingaporeAsia$122
๐Ÿ‡ต๐Ÿ‡น PortugalEurope$116
๐Ÿ‡น๐Ÿ‡ผ TaiwanAsia$102
๐Ÿ‡ป๐Ÿ‡ณ VietnamAsia$89
๐Ÿ‡น๐Ÿ‡ญ ThailandAsia$77
Budgets are per day (e.g. daily)

For detailed budget breakdowns, click on each destination above.

Most Expensive Destination: Iceland

๐Ÿ’ฐ Why is Iceland Expensive? Iceland is one of the most expensive countries to visit in the world. The island relies on imported goods and has a high cost of living, with many locals earning a high wage (90% of the population is part of a labor union).

๐Ÿ€ Lukiih’s Take: A $230 daily budget is more reasonable for a mid-range budget traveler in Iceland. My trip was pricey because I booked it at the last minute (about a month in advance) during peak season, which was a bad decision for my wallet.

My best budgeting tip for Iceland is to book campervans and accommodations at least four months in advance if you’re traveling during the high season between July and August.

โ„๏ธ Lukiih’s Splurge: One of the most expensive things I did in Iceland was go on a five-hour glacier hike, which cost $230. At $46 per hour, this is the most expensive guided tour I’ve paid for.

A woman hiking on a glacier, surrounded by ice in all directions.
Vatnajoฬˆkull glacier hike.

Most Affordable Destination: Thailand

๐Ÿ’ฐ Why is Thailand Affordable? Thailand is one of the world’s most popular, inexpensive destinations. The country has a low cost of living, and the government has invested in the tourism infrastructure to keep attractions and activities affordable.

๐Ÿ€ Lukiih’s Take: I didn’t try to budget for my trip to Thailand. The fact that it’s my cheapest destination speaks to its affordability. I happily ate $2 meals and stayed at mid-range accommodations for $20 a night.

A good budgeting tip is to take advantage of exchange rates. For example, in March 2024, the US dollar is strong compared to Japan’s yen and Argentina’s pesos, so your dollars will go further there.

โ›ฐ๏ธ Lukiih’s Splurge: One of the most expensive things I did in Thailand was go on a four-hour outdoor climbing guided tour for $62. At $15 per hour, this was one of the most affordable adventures I’ve had.

A woman climbing up a wall of rocks with a rope tied to her.
Rock climbing in Thailand.

Best Value Destination: South Africa

๐Ÿ’ฐ Why is South Africa a Great Value? South Africa isn’t the most expensive or cheapest destination, but it’s my top vote for a place with great value because you can enjoy high-end accommodations, food, wine, and experiences for very reasonable prices.

๐Ÿ€ Lukiih’s Take: In South Africa, I ate at fine dining restaurants for $20 a meal, had an hour-long massage for $54, and went on a full-day wine-tasting tour for less than $30. You also spend close to no money hiking many of its beautiful mountains.

โ›ฐ๏ธ Lukiih’s Splurge: Besides a safari, my biggest splurge in South Africa was a two-day private hiking tour in the stunning Drakensberg mountains for $516. This experience included round-trip six-hour transportation, a fantastic dinner, and guided hikes through adventurous trails that I couldn’t have navigated on my own.

A woman sitting at the edge of a mountain cliff overlooking a lush valley with clouds in the horizon.
Drakensberg epic hike.

Expected Daily Budgets by Region

Countries vary in how accessible they are to travelers with a wide range of budgets.

Below is my estimated daily budget range for a traveler at each destination. The range takes into account approximate spending on food, transportation, accommodation, and entertainment (e.g., excursions, entrance fees).

How I Determine the Ranges

  • Lower end โ€“ I calculate the lower end of the expected budget based on research and firsthand experience. I ask questions like: How much does it cost to stay at a hostel? What budget do I need to eat at local spots? What’s my spend if I primarily do free activities?
  • Higher end โ€“ I calculate the higher end of the daily budget primarily based on my experience. I adjust them by doing an educated guess on whether my travel choices reflect those of other mid-range budget travelers.

The higher end does not reflect the maximum spending of a luxury traveler; I suspect they can spend beyond my imagination.

Asia

DestinationExpected BudgetMy Budget
๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿ‡ฌ Singapore$70โ€“$140$122
๐Ÿ‡ฏ๐Ÿ‡ต Japan$60โ€“$120$145
๐Ÿ‡น๐Ÿ‡ผ Taiwan$45โ€“$90$102
๐Ÿ‡ฐ๐Ÿ‡ญ Cambodia$40โ€“$90$123*
๐Ÿ‡น๐Ÿ‡ญ Thailand$35โ€“$80$77
๐Ÿ‡ป๐Ÿ‡ณ Vietnam$30โ€“$65$89
Budgets are per day (e.g. daily)
*My Cambodia daily budget is high because I splurged on accommodation.

Europe

DestinationExpected BudgetMy Budget
๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ธ Iceland$90โ€“$250$307
๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡ธ Spain$90โ€“$200$155
๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡น Italy$75โ€“$150$131
๐Ÿ‡ต๐Ÿ‡น Portugal$60โ€“$120$116
Budgets are per day (e.g. daily)

The Americas

DestinationExpected BudgetMy Budget
๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ Hawaii$95โ€“$250$209
๐Ÿ‡ต๐Ÿ‡ท Puerto Rico$85โ€“$200$182
๐Ÿ‡จ๐Ÿ‡ท Costa Rica$55โ€“$200$235
๐Ÿ‡ง๐Ÿ‡ฟ Belize$50โ€“$160$186
๐Ÿ‡ต๐Ÿ‡ช Peru$40โ€“$130$149
Budgets are per day (e.g. daily)

Africa

DestinationExpected BudgetMy Budget
๐Ÿ‡ฟ๐Ÿ‡ฆ South Africa$60โ€“$180$200
Budgets are per day (e.g. daily)

How I Label Trip Costs

In each destination’s cost breakdown, I label whether the trip is expensive or affordable. The label is based on the lower end of the expected budget range:

Trip Cost LabelExpected Budget
Very Expensive>$90
Expensive$70โ€“$89.99
Average$55โ€“$69.99
Affordable$45โ€“$54.99
Very Affordable<$44.99
Budgets are per day (e.g. daily)

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