37 Places to Travel on Less Than $50 a Day

It might sound too good to be true, but careful budgeting can lead to a foreign getaway sooner than you think. We've considered affordable accommodations (Airbnbs, off-peak season hotels and hostels with stellar reviews), daily round-trip public transportation, admission cost to a popular attraction, local meals and even a few drinks to keep the tally under 50 bucks per head, per day. Read on to find out just how low prices can go in these surprisingly inexpensive cities.

Image courtesy of @MargJohnsonVA via Twenty20

In the business-centric Panama City, you can find an Airbnb rental for under $20 per night. Since there aren't a ton of tourist attractions trying to compete for your money, consider visiting the significant Panama Canal Museum for only a couple dollars at the door (only $0.75 for kids). Wallet-friendly drinks are readily available, and fresh fish market meals make this a city that can be visited on a comfortable budget of $40 a day.

Look to hostels and Airbnb for decent beds in Hanoi, Vietnam, spanning from just $5 a night on the low end, to rates under $15 for apartment rentals. Food and drink are so cheap in Hanoi (some meals totaling less than a dollar) that you can splurge on more costly attractions and still spend less than $20 a day. For no cost at all, visit the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum to see the preserved body of the revolutionary leader encased there.

The enormous metropolis of Delhi, India, is densely populated—a fact that's obvious as soon as you arrive. If the masses of people feel intimidating at all, this is the place you're able to spend a bit more for comfort and privacy. An UberGo ride from airport to city center is only a few bucks, and you can find a comfy hotel room for around $25. Red Fort, one of the more famous Delhi landmarks, charges less than $4 for admission. Including food and drink, you can have an inclusive trip in Delhi for under $45 per day, easy.

The most expensive part of traveling to Bali, Indonesia, like most of the destinations listed here, is the flight. Rack up those frequent flyer miles and put them toward a ticket, because once you're there, you won't believe how affordable everything is. Choose any kind of lodging you'd like, with Airbnb rooms and villas going for $15 a night or better. Three-star hotels can be found starting at around the same price. Hiring a driver for the day is out of our budget, so discreetly call an Uber to your hotel instead to stay within a $40-$50 daily budget.

Another one of those places we all dream about going but assume it's a far reach is Cairo, Egypt. While it's easy to book a hotel or Airbnb priced under $20 per night, admission costs for attractions like the Great Pyramid and Sphinx grounds, or entrance fee for the Great Pyramid of Khufu, tend to be pricier (upwards of $25 to visit both). Consider these major attractions exceptions since other entrance fees for museums and exhibits come in under $6. A secure round trip of taxi rides, along with local eats, can keep your budget just under $50 a day.

Most people begin their adventures to Machu Picchu, the glorious archaeological site, in Cusco, Peru. Machu Picchu is worth the cost of pricey tours, but the region of Cusco is a natural beauty in its entirety, laced with scenic hiking trails and sightseeing that can be done for free. Round-trip taxi rides from the airport may cost upwards of $10 total, but a hearty meal can be as low as $3. A low-cost Airbnb stay starts at about $10 a night, as well. For an average of $30-$35 per day, you can enjoy Cusco the way most people will never get to.

A designated UNESCO World Heritage Site, Antigua, Guatemala, appears as a quaint colonial town. A hosted Airbnb rental starting at around $10 a night is the recommended route. An attentive host can point you toward the many photogenic landmarks and amazing architecture in the city. Sticking to the sights and visiting the Casa Santo Domingo, a museum complex with an entry fee of about $5, will occupy most of your trip. Dining on local small bites, such as the ever-present pupusas, you can keep the cost of this trip down to just under $50 a day. Just remember to mind your spending.

You'll be impressed at the active trading center of Marrakech, Morocco. The colorful city offers 3-star hotels starting at around $20 a night, and a tasty local meal should average close to $5. A short taxi ride and entrance fees to any of the most visited attractions, such as the El Bahia Palace, shouldn't cost over $3, keeping a trip to Marrakech below our $50-a-day mark.

Acting as a cultural center for the Philippines, Manila can be experienced in luxury by even the most cost-conscious travelers. For a measly $20 a day, you can rent an entire condo or book a pretty swanky hotel room. Many things to do around town are free or cheap, such as the National Museum of the Philippines, a must-see for visitors. With most taxi rides ending before they hit $2 and full entrees averaging less than $3 per meal, Manila is the perfect getaway for a $20-$35 daily backpacker budget.

Regional cuisine is what you want to stick to in underrated Krakow, Poland, where meals listed in English tend to push the limits of our daily budget. Consuming local food and drinks will keep costs low, with general ticket prices at $3-$4 per item. Enjoy the historical castles, including Wawel Castle for a modest entry fee of around $4. For close to the same price as a hostel, you can rent an apartment through Airbnb and enjoy Krakow at around $30 a day.

Avoid touristy places in Mexico City, Mexico, and buy food from street vendors. If you decide you want to dine in, follow the locals, not the signs. Bites will start from just under a couple of bucks in price but can rise quite a bit at a sit-down restaurant. Add $20 to the daily budget to rent an entire loft via Airbnb, and you've got yourself a trip under $50 a day.

Many travelers pass through Arusha, Tanzania, on their way to Kilimanjaro, but the town itself is a pleasant retreat. Local wildlife is easy to spot, and attractions like the Arusha Cultural Center are free of charge for visitors to explore. The costlier (and sort of creepy) Meserani Snake Park and Maasai Cultural Museum hosts a crazy amount of reptiles, which you can see for about $10 (proceeds benefiting charity). Private Airbnb rooms for rent keep the overall average daily budget down to around $45 per day.

No doubt about it, the best budget-friendly (with a touch of luxury) lodging option in Santiago, Chile, is Airbnb. Less than $15 a night can get you privacy in the right places in town and, once again, local eats will save you big on the bill. The cityscapes of Santiago are so vast and full of gothic and art-deco design, walks can take up much of your time, without demanding any of your dough. Forty dollars a day in Santiago is a sound daily budget for the frugal traveler who wants an elite experience.

Known to be one of the more affordable cities in Europe, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, has untapped charm for cheap. Twenty-five dollars, or less, can rent you an entire place through Airbnb. See sites like the 15th century architecture of Bascarsija, a historical bazaar you could pay a guide to tour, or look up the history beforehand and admire the grounds on your own, like the smart saver you are. Even when you pay for the (barely) more expensive entrance fee to the Natural Museum and add on public transportation, you can do this town for under $45 a day.

The invaluable trip to Dakar, Senegal, will be one that opens your eyes but not your wallet (not too often, at least). For under $20, you can book an Airbnb room with stunning views. Eats and treats aren't as cheap here as other places, so local lunches it is. The $9 ferry ride to Gorée Island, where you can visit an old slave trade processing center, is well worth the splurge and still fits within the $50 daily budget, saving a little more on transportation costs and other free and cheap attractions.

It's hard to tell the difference between some hostels and hotels in the two-in-one city of Budapest, Hungary—that is, except for the difference in price. Hostels are plentiful and beautiful here, so have some faith and find one located close to the Danube River for low-cost lodging. Food, drinks and attractions are all affordable in this eastern European city, even with slices of pizza available for less than a few bucks. Feel free to stay in the tourist areas, take public transit and have a few lagers all for less than $40 per person on any given day.

Saturated with tropical rainforests, San Jose, Costa Rica, is a breathtaking destination for an unbelievably low budget. Street stalls and small local eateries serve generous portions for about $5 per meal. It's hard to find a bad room on Airbnb in San Jose if you have at least $20 dedicated toward lodging. Since the natural setting of San Jose is so enchanting, save on attraction spending by staying outdoors and simply exploring. Rounding your daily budget to $45 can also make museum visits an inclusive part of your getaway.

Airbnb wins again for the best balance of quality and budget accommodations in Zagreb, Croatia. Spending just $20 or less can afford you host-free lodging for a night using the habitat-sharing app. It gets better from there with a long list of cheap and free things to do in the interesting city, including self-touring the magical architecture design along practically any street. Five dollars is the average admission price for local museums and attractions, sharing the same price point with the average local meal and bringing the daily budget right under $50.

A day trip to visit the Great Wall of China might be out of reach for those looking to keep to our $50 a day budget. While in Beijing, China, consider visiting sites like the Forbidden City for around $9. Take the subway around town and stick to small bites that cost just a few dollars per transaction. Order beers in restaurants, not bars, to save a few bucks and look to Airbnb for a private room. Follow this advice, and $50 will go far in Beijing.

Feel at ease taking the reasonably priced public bus around Quito, Ecuador. You'll find a great range in food prices and $1 beers all over town. There are no entry fees into the intriguing National Museum of Quito, and you can climb the towers of the Basilica del Voto Nacional for less than $2. Since you can easily find suitable hotel rooms for $20-$25, Quito can be experienced for $40-$45 per day without having to compromise.

You'll need to stay near local restaurants and eateries again to make this highly desired destination fit within our daily budget. Cheap public trams and trains will take you around town to view the eclectic pieces of art and architecture left behind from various eras. Airbnb private rooms and entire apartment rentals range (on the low end) from $10-$20, making Istanbul a practical destination for budget travelers hoping to experience an international city for under $50.

In a scene you won't be able to find in the U.S., Kenya hosts the Nairobi National Park in close proximity to its city center. It should be noted that entry is not cheap ($43 for non-residents), however, if it is divided among the total time there and your beer budget is sacrificed, you may still be able to work this incredible attraction into your time in Nairobi. If not, take a trip to the humongous solar skating rink ($7). Rent an apartment for $25 through Airbnb and enjoy a frugal trip of a lifetime.

Following the trend of the cities listed here so far, Seoul, South Korea, is another budget-friendly destination. Visit free attractions like the Oil Tank Culture Park or the Museum of Art. Airbnb homes and 3-star hotels can be booked for $20 on the low end and upwards of $30 for a little added luxe. With inexpensive local food and cheap subway rides, Seoul just makes it under our $50 a day budget.

Though it's not known for being a cheap city, the options offered in Taipei, Taiwan, let travelers decide what kind of trip they'd like to have. Of course, you could spend more and get a hotel suite, but our budget works in Taipei, too. Grab a hostel or Airbnb room (there are some pretty nice ones to choose from) for between $20-$25. The metro and bus system have low-cost fares, and finding meals for just a few bucks isn't hard to do, keeping us well under $50.

In Bucharest, Romania, focusing on museum tours will fill your days and keep as many dollars in your bank account as possible. Village Museum, an open-air display of an ancient settlement, costs less than $3 to enter, and that's not even the cheapest attraction! Rent an extremely stylish Airbnb for around $25-$30. Local eats are generous and only cost a couple of bucks. Plan to spend right under our $50 daily budget.

From the moment you arrive in in Vilnius, Lithuania, avoid tourist traps like the plague. This city is best seen on a budget through the eyes of a local, so look for a friendly Airbnb host ($25 per night), ask where the best (and most affordable) places to eat are, and take the trolley wherever you need to go. Taxi fares add up quickly here, so use public transit whenever possible. This will be a tight squeeze under our $50 belt, but with the affordable and no-cost attractions like the Palace of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania, Vilnius makes up for it with freebies.

If you want to see what a modern, almost futuristic city looks like, some would direct you to visit pricey Singapore, a spectacular region. But its nearby neighbor Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, is strikingly similar, but cheaper by a noticeable difference. You can have a private Airbnb stay with a pool, or book a 3-star hotel for under $30 a night. (Good luck finding anything like that in Singapore!) Even food prices are low, but stay away from Western food, a much costlier choice. Depending on how much you'd like to drink, $40-$45 a day in Kuala Lumpur can be enough.

Wherever there's a beach, there's a free activity begging for all of your attention. This isn't any old beach, either—it's Santorini, Greece. There are hundreds of hotels in town and you can find a high-quality room for under $25. Eat at the plentiful gyro shops scattered everywhere, and keep away from restaurants with a view (it's going to cost you). Santorini makes it in right at $50 a day.

There's not much else to do besides go to the beach in Roatan Island, Honduras, but that's good for our budget. Bring snorkel gear and plan to spend your days floating around spotting sea life. It's likely that a hosted $20 Airbnb rental may have equipment you can borrow. Shacks and restaurants with reasonably priced food and drinks round out an average day on-island to right under $50.

Winter months bring the best deals on hotels and hostels in Kathmandu, Nepal, but you could easily book a room for a September stay via Airbnb for about $12. The public bus costs what you have in your couch in loose change, and cabs are usually a couple of dollars per ride. Eating regional meals will keep meals around $2-$4 apiece, and you can enter temples for even less than that. Guided tours can hike up expenses, but just ask your Airbnb host a few valuable questions, and tour the town on your own $35 budget.

There won't be many places you can visit on a backpacker's budget that will be as awe-inspiring as Prague, Czech Republic. Thirteenth and 14th century gothic and renaissance architecture, uniquely intact, are enough to keep you walking around town during your entire stay. With free must-stops like the John Lennon Wall and Charles Bridge, you'll mainly want to save your money to eat, which is not as cheap as some of our other listed cities ($3-$9 for a budget meal). Still, with Airbnb bed options available for well under $20, Prague can be done for close to $50 a day exactly.

As long as you visit museums with admission prices at around $5 and forgo entering temples for way steeper prices, you'll do fine in Siem Reap, Cambodia. Food is cheap, drinks are cheaper and tuk-tuk rides will only cost you a couple of bucks each time. You can find a pretty inexpensive (or extremely expensive) hotel room with the wide range of selections, but choose carefully, considering amenities like included breakfast. When budgeted correctly, travelers can see Siem Reap for $35-$40 per person, per day.

If visiting Colombia was ever on your travel bucket list, think about making Cartagena your first city of choice. For at or below $20, it's no problem to find an Airbnb bed, spend time taking photos in the color-blasted Old Town, rub Botero's "La Gorda Gertrudis" for good luck, or check out a local baseball game for almost nothing. Be mindful when looking for places to eat. Some food prices will easily fit within our $50 budget, but pricey restaurants can turn this trip into a cause to get a second job.

Turn straight to Airbnb to find stylish apartments that you can rent all to yourself in Bratislava, Slovakia, for the right price of $15 a night (or below). Take the tram throughout the city and visit low-cost attractions like the Slovak National Museum with admission under $4. That leaves plenty of spending money for food and drinks, which is awesome because local meals can range from $1-$3 on the low end. Even with the food costs, lodging is so cheap, $45-$50 is a perfect daily budget for Bratislava.

Because Cape Town, South Africa, offers gorgeous beaches and rich culture, it's popular with tourists on any budget. The natural elements in town, including hikes up Lion's Head, gardens, green paths and forests, allow literal free rein of this magnificent location. Try to take shorter cab rides, totaling just a few dollars each time, if you absolutely need a ride. Less than $20 gets you a bed reserved through Airbnb, and for a few extra dollars, you can even upgrade to renting an entire apartment. Food can get expensive so think locally or get fast food for a cheap grab-and-go lunch.

We're certainly not telling you to plan a trip to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, around the weeks surrounding Carnival. While the experience would be unforgettable, so would the bill. Instead, look at off-peak seasonal times, paying close attention to Airbnb rentals, with attractive rooms listed at prices as low as $10 per night, per head. You know by now that if you look hard enough, you can find cheap eats ($5 will lead you to a nice treat or meal). Public transportation is low-cost and as long as you take fairly quick cab rides, you can keep daily expenses under $50.

Last but far from least on our list is Sofia, Bulgaria. As one of the least costly cities to visit in Europe, travelers can enjoy prices usually seen throughout more backpacker-prone destinations, such as those in Asia. With a full menu of no-cost and cheap tourist options, like the free walking tour of Sofia, you'll find your time well spent instead of your cash poorly budgeted. Find decent meals from $2-$5, and book an apartment for around $25 on Airbnb to make $40-$45 enough for any day in the city.