💰 How Much I Spent in 17 Destinations (2024)

In the past two years, I’ve traveled to 17 countries across five continents, with daily budgets ranging from $59 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, here’s what you need to know about my trips:

• 🗓️ Recent years – 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.

• 💵 USD – I live in the United States, so all costs are in US dollars, converted from the destination’s local currency.
• ☝️ Per person – 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.
• 💰 Mid-range budget – I’m a mid-range budget traveler. I don’t aim to travel on a budget, but I’m intentional about my spending.
• 🍀 Self-funded – I finance my trips and don’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.

Destination	Continent	My Budget
🇮🇸 Iceland	Europe	$307
🇨🇷 Costa Rica	North America	$235
🇺🇸 Hawaii	North America	$209
🇿🇦 South Africa	Africa	$200
🇧🇿 Belize	North America	$186
🇵🇷 Puerto Rico	North America	$182
🇪🇸 Spain	Europe	$155
🇵🇪 Peru	South America	$144
🇯🇵 Japan	Asia	$145
🇮🇹 Italy	Europe	$131
🇰🇭 Cambodia	Asia	$123
🇸🇬 Singapore	Asia	$122
🇵🇹 Portugal	Europe	$116
🇹🇼 Taiwan	Asia	$102
🇻🇳 Vietnam	Asia	$89
🇹🇭 Thailand	Asia	$77
🇳🇮 Nicaragua	North America	$59

For detailed budget breakdowns, click on each destination above.

Most Expensive Destination: Iceland

💰 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).

🍀 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.

❄️ 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.

Most Affordable Destination: Thailand

💰 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.

🍀 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.

⛰️ 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.

Best Value Destination: South Africa

💰 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.

🍀 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.

⛰️ 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.

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 – 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 – 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

Destination	Expected Budget	My Budget
🇸🇬 Singapore	$70–$140	$122
🇯🇵 Japan	$60–$120	$145
🇹🇼 Taiwan	$45–$90	$102
🇰🇭 Cambodia	$40–$90	$123*
🇹🇭 Thailand	$35–$80	$77
🇻🇳 Vietnam	$30–$65	$89

Europe

Destination	Expected Budget	My Budget
🇮🇸 Iceland	$90–$250	$307
🇪🇸 Spain	$90–$200	$155
🇮🇹 Italy	$75–$150	$131
🇵🇹 Portugal	$60–$120	$116

The Americas

Destination	Expected Budget	My Budget
🇺🇸 Hawaii	$95–$250	$209
🇵🇷 Puerto Rico	$85–$200	$182
🇨🇷 Costa Rica	$55–$200	$235
🇧🇿 Belize	$50–$160	$186
🇵🇪 Peru	$40–$130	$144
🇳🇮 Nicaragua	$35–$100	$59

Africa

Destination	Expected Budget	My Budget
🇿🇦 South Africa	$60–$180	$200

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 Label	Expected Budget
Very Expensive	>$90
Expensive	$70–$89.99
Average	$55–$69.99
Affordable	$45–$54.99
Very Affordable	<$44.99