Cheap Countries... - TravelPUNK Backpacker College Student Budget Travel Message Boards!

**Canadian Dude** · 07-04-2003, 10:51 PM

Does anyone know or have list of the most affordable countries to travel too? Like the places where you dollar can go a long way?

**travelpunk** · 07-05-2003, 04:24 AM

From what I hear, most countries in Eastern Europe, Mexico, most of South America, Africa, and parts of Asia, and the Middle East. From that, I can only verify Mexico, first hand. But, I too, would like to see a list and the average cost per day that someone could get by on- with food/bed.

**Canadian Dude** · 07-05-2003, 08:42 AM

FO-SHIZZLE TP, we all know the areas to go, but I am looking for first hand info!!! Come on Peps, share the knowledge!!!!!!

Cuba is expencive as a tourist, you pay a premium on everything and all in American $$$$, now if you can make some contacts and get away from the resorts you can get alot of stuff on the black market, from Petrol to Cigars to fresh fruit and what ever else you want. Rent private rooms in peoples homes and your laugh'n all the way to the bank, So if you do it that way its realy frik'n cheap!!!

**Diorama** · 07-06-2003, 01:38 PM

Well I went to costa rica and it was cheap compared to "western" countries but it was the most expensive in central america. Honduras, Nicaragua, guatemala are really cheap. Belize ain't cheap. Panama is so so. so if your looking for cheap in central america those are the places. After my aus trip I'm planning on going back there and learning spanish in guatemala. It's supposed to be one of the cheapest places in the world to learn spanish.

**llemus7** · 07-07-2003, 08:26 AM

the only place I can think of is prague, I went last year, and I was paying $12 dollars for bed, and shower. The food was really inexpensive. The beer was practically given away. I went to a super market and saw a beer can that was selling for 8 cents(in u.s. money). I did the convertion to u.s. So I bouth myself a 24pck and took it to my room, and put it in the Refrigirator. I was surprise that is was actually good beer. dont remember the name of it. sorry.

**travelpunk** · 07-08-2003, 02:56 AM

So for less than 2 bucks you bought a case?! Damn! Who´s wants a drink? I´m buying :D

!

**Canadian Dude** · 07-11-2003, 06:06 AM

for 2 dollars a case, i would be dead......

PhilBill · 08-09-2003, 05:41 AM

Years ago after living and working in Europe for 2 years my hometown girlfriend and I took off to India, Nepal and Sri Lanka. Although we only had a little over U$3000 together we spent over 6 months in the sub-continent then 6 weeks in Thailand before heading for Seoul, S. Korea when we were "running on empty". We traveled for U$6 / together and in Thailand about U$15 / day for both of us.

The whole trick to living a life full of travel adventures is to make and SAVE your money in the advanced developed economies and travel in the inexpensive countries which gives you about 2/3s of the world to choose from when you're planning a trip. The average incomes in most of the "third world" ranges from U$1000 to U$3000 / year so you can live "the life of Reilly" on a small budget. When we opened our house near the Manila airports to budget travelers as a hobby in 1986 we made our room and dormitory rates and menu prices as follows: U$1 for breakfast, coffee and most drinks 35 cents and lunch and dinner meals at U$1.50 to U$2.50 with bedspaces at U$3 and rooms from U$6 to U$18 with weekly discounts. Our Boracay beachfront resort has similiar room rates. We haven't changed those prices since we opened and expanded and after 10 years finally put a sign ourt front. So it's easy for budget travelers to live on U$8 to U$15. In Thailand, Laos and Cambodia it's even cheaper. I know places in the Philippines and Asia where a traveler could escape the "rat race" for 5 years for only U$10,000! We have a special yearly offer for our beach cottages at only U$1200 / year so it's be easy to live on one of S.E. Asia's best tropical beaches and party to the max for U$3000 to $4000 / year. A liter bottle of rum is 70 cents and a case of San Miguel beer is U$5.50.

I just bought a used LP Nepal 97 edition guidebook for 25 cents and believe it or not the cost of living hasn't changed in 20 years! I'm heading back to the Himalayas next year to shed 20kgs since the only place I've ever been thin was when I was traveling in the sub-continent.

Before arriving in S.E. Asia I'd had plans to go on to travel in South America but never made it. Flights from the West Coast to Asia range from U$580 to U$680 and that hasn't changed in over 20 years.

TUI · 08-13-2003, 11:53 AM

2 BUCKS!!!!!! HOLY SHIT!!!! I hope I get home safely! I never found it that cheap before but I was paying about 40 cents for a pint of "make your face numb" in the czech pubs. Loved it!

**Esterina** · 08-15-2003, 03:54 PM

Yes, accomodation in Eastern Europe is usually very cheap, according to our standards. One can get a bed and 3 good meals for just about 10-15 Euros per day. Best deal is always to find a private room that includes meals, and the longer you stay at the same place, the lower the price per day is... Transport is also unexpensive, do not buy a railpass for this region.
Sarajevo and Warshaw are probably among the most expensive cities in Eastern Europe. But if you look a little, you can find good addresses.
Here is a good link to find accomodation around the world : aworldofadventure.com/hostels_worldwide.html
It's not only for hostels, but also hotels. (Nothing interesting for Laos though...) This is where I have found a good place in Sarajevo, and Russia, just as I was thinking not to go because my budget could not afford it... Yeah !

ErinBC · 08-19-2003, 06:53 PM

I've heard homestays are quite common in Eastern Europe?
We were emailing a lady in Poland about swapping, and they've decided flights to Canada will be way too costly, but, they have offered us rooms in their house, with no homestay fee, just pitching for groceries etc, and the chance to learn about Canada. Is this deal too good to be true?