Asia Budget

Budget for Asia (US $)

This budget is not shoestring. The average daily cost includes accommodation, food, transportation, site entries and all miscellaneous expenses for two people. Accommodation consisted of inexpensive hotels, hostels or campsites. We averaged one restaurant meal per day (the rest bought in grocery stores, deli shops, street vendors). We traveled by bus, train, shared taxi, or hitch hiking. Other travelers could save an additional 10-20% by staying outside of town, staying longer in one location, or eating and sleeping at the cheapest places.
	China	$40 per day	China would be much cheaper if tourists weren't charged 'foreigner prices' for sites, hotels, and transportation.

	India	$29 per day	India can be much cheaper than this. We enjoyed decent hotels and food. Prices for tourest sites have been raised to $10 for Unesco Sites, $5 for non-Unesco sites.

	Sri Lanka	$37 per day	Sri Lanka is a bit more expensive than India but value is just as good.


	Myranmar	$28 per day	The government sets reasonable rates for hotels and tourist sites.

	Thailand	$32 per day	Bangkok is at least twice as expensive as the rest of Thailand.

	Laos	$25 per day	Good value, but will soon be learning from it's neighbors, Thailand and Vietnam, to charge more.

	Vietnam	$33 per day	Different type of travel. Every trip is some sort of package. Transport, sites, day trips, are all best arranged from your hostel. One time tours are cheaper than doing it solo.


	Cambodia	$35 per day	Siem Riep (Ankor Wat) is at least twice as expensive as the rest of Cambodia


	Malaysia	$30 per day	Affordable. Easy to get around.

	Singapore	$40 per day	Expensive for the budget backpacker. Boarding house is the cheapest option at $25 per night.

	Brunei	$70 per day	One of the smallest and richest places in Asia. The cheapest hotels charge $40 per night. Rent a car and drive around the country in a day; gas is cheap.

	Indonesia	$50 per day	We treated Indonesia as a vacation. We surfed, ate well, and stayed at $20 resorts in Bali. Current visa restrictions limit visitors to one month. Interal flights are inexpensive ($30-$50 per flight).