Which countries and cities are the cheapest? How can you get the best value vacation and lowest-cost flights possible? Kiwi.com has the answers, with trip ideas in Europe, the Americas, and beyond!
We’ve done a bit of number crunching and found some of the cheapest places in the world to travel to. Whether it’s a European city break, a jungle adventure in Central America, or a backpacker’s dream in Asia, we’ve got something just for you. Check out our destination ideas and daily budget guides right here, then head to Kiwi.com and get booking!
Europe
Wrocław, Poland
Local currency: Polish złoty; €1 = 4.70zł
Coffee: €2.50
0.5l local beer: €2.75
Lunch: €7.50
Dinner in a mid-range restaurant: €12.75
24-hour public transport ticket: €2.35
Hostel for one night: €10
3-star hotel for one night: €50 with breakfast
DAILY BUDGET: €35 — €45
Warsaw is the capital, Kraków is the tourist hotspot, so Wrocław is… well, it’s lovely, as it happens. It shares a few features with Kraków, not least a huge main square featuring a central complex of markets; only Wrocław tops it off with an ornate gothic town hall. It’s a green and pleasant city, built on 12 islands as the Odra River makes up its mind exactly which route to take, and exploring via its 130 bridges gives it a slightly Scandinavian feel — like Copenhagen, maybe, or Stockholm.
It’s nowhere near as pricey as those cities, though, as with a student population to be catered for, and with tourists heading to more well-known places, it’s still a bit under the radar. That being said, the nightlife is great, the museums are up there with the best in the country, and it’s just… nice. It’s a very nice place. And what’s not to like about that?
Sofia, Bulgaria
Local currency: Bulgarian lev; €1 = 1.90 Лв
Coffee: €1.80
0.5l local beer: €1.80
Lunch: €10
Dinner in a mid-range restaurant: €15.50
24-hour public transport ticket: €2
Hostel for one night: €12
3-star hotel for one night: €35 with breakfast
DAILY BUDGET: €30 — €40
The name Sofia comes from the Greek word for wisdom, and for a European city break on a budget, you’d be wise to consider the Bulgarian capital. Built in a valley atop rich soil filled with mineral springs, it’s been a crossroads of humanity for millennia, and this shows in its description as the ‘city of religious tolerance’, with churches, synagogues and mosques all standing shoulder to shoulder.
Vitosha Boulevard, locally known as Vitoshka, is where you’ll gravitate toward first. This long, pedestrianized street contains bars, cafés, restaurants and shops, and gives a wonderful view of the mountains that surround the city. Also, for a city that spent much of the 20th century under communism, the historical buildings remain remarkably untouched, especially when compared to, say, Bucharest. It’s all of these elements — tolerance, diverse scenery and cityscape, and knowing how to have a good time — that make Sofia a great choice for your next trip.
Sibiu, Romania
Local currency: Romanian leu; €1 = 4.90 lei
Coffee: €1.70
0.5l local beer: €1.45
Lunch: €6.10
Dinner in a mid-range restaurant: €14
24-hour public transport ticket: n/a; single bus ticket €0.40
Hostel for one night: €10
3-star hotel for one night: €40 with breakfast
DAILY BUDGET: €30
Sibiu, in Transylvania, central Romania, isn’t a big place, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. It’s gone quietly about its business, being awarded European City of Culture in 2007, named a European Region of Gastronomy in 2019, and European Capital of Hiking in 2021. Pretty good, eh? Something for everyone there, whether you want to head out into the mountains, take in a gig or a gallery, or simply sit down and try the diverse food and drink on offer.
The center of the city dates mainly from the 12th and 13th centuries, with remnants of fortifications and a classic central square. You might have also seen pictures of Sibiu’s peculiar houses, with windows in the roof that look like slightly creepy eyes. Beneath these watchful oddities, Sibiu also hosted Romania’s first Viennese-style Christmas market, since named one of the 15 most beautiful in Europe. In fact, there’s almost nothing about Sibiu that isn’t worthy of an accolade, so get booking!
The Americas
Oaxaca, Mexico
Local currency: Mexican peso; €1 = $19.45
Coffee: €2.30
0.5l local beer: €1.55
Lunch: €5.60
Dinner in a mid-range restaurant: €12.80
24-hour public transport ticket: n/a; single fare €0.40
Hostel for one night: €14
3-star hotel for one night: €50 with breakfast
DAILY BUDGET: €25 — €40
If you’re looking for a place that basically walks you through the history of a region, Oaxaca de Juárez might just be it. Archaeological sites from the Mixtec and Zapotec cultures give way to colonial-era buildings, and then you’ve got modern structures, pleasant parks and quiet squares. It’s also a place where ancient and modern mix in other ways, with a great food scene combining things like hot chocolate made in the traditional, Aztec manner, mezcal (Oaxaca is the home of the stuff), and contemporary Mexican cuisine.
Visit in summer and you might arrive during the month-long Guelaguetza festival — one of the largest cultural festivals in the world (and the most-visited in the Americas), with dance, art, music and more from across the region. Sure — there are bigger cities, more celebrated historical sites and more popular destinations in Mexico, but none of them combine the whole lot like Oaxaca.
Flores, Guatemala
Local currency: Guatemalan quetzal; €1 = Q7.70
Coffee: €2.60
0.5l local beer: €1.90
Lunch: €2.80
Dinner in a mid-range restaurant: €11
24-hour public transport ticket: n/a
Hostel for one night: €15
3-star hotel for one night: €55 with breakfast
DAILY BUDGET: €20 — €30
It’s a tricky place to get to and from, but if you do make the trek to this small town on Lake Petén Itzá (literally — it’s on an island), you’ll be at the center of one of the most important historical regions in Central America. It is from Flores that hardy adventurers such as yourself can reach the mighty, 2,000-year-old ruins of Tikal, one of the greatest examples of Mayan civilization on the planet.
Flores does have an airport, but most people opt to get there by bus (there are a number of companies running overnight services from Guatemala City). Once you’re on the island, you’ll get views over the lake, the distant hills, and back to the larger towns of Santa Elena and San Benito on the mainland. It’s a pleasant, if not massively inspiring place, but as a cheap base for seeing some of the finest and most venerable history and culture in the world, it’s unsurpassed.
Medellín, Colombia
View this post on Instagram
Local currency: Colombian peso; €1 = $4,955
Coffee: €1.05
0.5l local beer: €1
Lunch: €3
Dinner in a mid-range restaurant: €9
24-hour public transport ticket: n/a; with a Civica card, single journeys are €0.55
Hostel for one night: €12
3-star hotel for one night: €20 with breakfast
DAILY BUDGET: €15 — €25
In years past, Medellín was a byword for everything wrong with Colombia: violence, drugs, disorder and general chaos. In the late 80s and early 90s it was the most dangerous city in the world; today, it’s a different place entirely. The early 2000s brought forward-thinking leaders, sensible urban planning, and innovative ways to reduce poverty, crime and exclusion through cheap public transport, education, liberal politics and sustainable social development. A raft of recognition and global awards followed.
An example of this is the idea of a library park. As the name suggests, they’re a combination of a new public library with surrounding green space. Located around the city and all connected by the cheap, regular Metro system, they were designed to give neighborhoods a center, a community space and access to education and activities. Public art is everywhere, the city has a huge student population, the cuisine is superb, and the city puts on festivals pretty much all year round. It truly is one of the most remarkable urban transformations ever to have taken place.
Asia and Australasia
Luang Prabang, Laos
Local currency: Lao kip; €1 = ₭17,124
Coffee: €2.00
0.5l local beer: €0.90
Lunch: €1.70
Dinner in a mid-range restaurant: €9
24-hour public transport ticket: n/a; taxis from €3
Hostel for one night: €7
3-star hotel for one night: €25 with breakfast
DAILY BUDGET: €25
Known for grand temples and royal residences, Luang Prabang was the capital of the Kingdom of Laos until 1975 and is an unusual place. It’s basically over 50 interconnected villages, more than 30 of which make up the Luang Prabang Unesco World Heritage Site. One of the centers of Buddhism in Laos, every morning, hundreds of monks walk the streets collecting donations (something that tourism has aided).
Other sights to see are up in the surrounding hills: waterfalls, caves and stunning views over the town and the Mekong river, particularly at sunrise and sunset. During the day you can choose to mountain bike around the region, head down the river to Ban Chan — a village given over to making pottery — or learn how to make some of the special local dishes favored by royalty in the past.
Jaipur, India
Local currency: Indian rupee; €1 = ₹82
Coffee: €1.50
0.5l local beer: €1.80
Lunch: €2.50
Dinner in a mid-range restaurant: €6.20
24-hour public transport ticket: n/a; max. fare €0.50
Hostel for one night: €6
3-star hotel for one night: €27 with breakfast
DAILY BUDGET: €20
Home to over three million people, Jaipur is the biggest city on this list but barely scrapes into the top 10 in India. If you want to visit the country but you’re not quite ready for the million-mile-an-hour madness of Mumbai or Delhi, for example, then Jaipur might be for you. It’s a relatively modern city, all things considered, having only been built properly in 1727; India’s only truly planned city, it’s built on a grid system.
It’s also pink. The Pink City, as it’s colloquially and creatively known, is a city of mighty walls, and grand palaces, and it’s all jolly pink indeed. It’s the color of hospitality and so, according to the local story, in anticipation of a visit by the Prince of Wales, the Maharaja of Jaipur decided to paint the whole place pink. It was a grand gesture, certainly, and even among the many regional differences this huge country has to show, it gives Jaipur something extra special.
Cairns, Australia
View this post on Instagram
Local currency: Australian dollar; €1 = $1.54
Coffee: €3.20
0.5l local beer: €5.20
Lunch: €15
Dinner in a mid-range restaurant: €26
24-hour public transport ticket: €4.85
Hostel for one night: €12.30
3-star hotel for one night: €90 with breakfast
DAILY BUDGET: €60
Obviously, the two cities above are on a different level when it comes to finding things on a tight budget, but in Australian terms, Cairns is generally where you get the most bang for your (Aussie) buck. Mostly known as the gateway to the Great Barrier Reef, it’s also a popular spot for backpackers, beach bums, and those wanting to head to the rainforests, as well as north to the Cape York peninsula.
Eat and drink for cheap by heading to one of the many markets in the town, or treat yourself now and again with a bit of outdoor dining on Cairns Esplanade. You can learn about the region’s ancient culture by taking a guided tour through the forests with an indigenous guide (the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have both inhabited the region for at least 40,000 years). Or, head to the coast for local diving spots, canoeing, kayaking and other ways to cool off. Whatever you choose to do, it’s much more than just a gateway to somewhere else.
Did you like this article? For more travel inspiration, visit Kiwi.com Stories.
