10 travel destinations that give you the most for your money

Traveling on a budget doesn't mean you have to settle. A little planning goes a long way, and plenty of people on tight budgets end up having trips that feel way more expensive than they actually were. The secret is knowing where to go. Pick the right place — somewhere with a good exchange rate, a low cost of living, and cheap places to sleep — and the whole trip changes.

Affordable travel has come a long way. Gone are the days when saving money meant surviving on vending machine snacks and sleeping in a dorm with strangers. Plenty of destinations now offer genuine cultural experiences, food worth talking about, and scenery that stays with you — all for a fraction of what the same trip would cost in Western Europe or North America. Sites like Indie Traveller and Expedia $EXPE are good starting points for finding these places, and programs like Worldpackers take it a step further by letting you volunteer or trade a skill for a place to stay.

Budget travel has grown up too. It's not just backpackers in their twenties anymore. Families, solo travelers, and people working remotely are all making decisions based on how far their money goes. Cheap public transport, street food that costs next to nothing, and free or low-cost things to do mean you can actually enjoy a place instead of stressing about money the whole time. From Southeast Asia to Eastern Europe, here are ten destinations that give you more than you paid for.

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Vietnam is one of those places where you almost feel guilty about how cheap it is. A street meal that costs a dollar or two is often better than something you'd pay twenty for back home. Indie Traveller puts it well — food and accommodation are both very affordable, and the things people actually go to Vietnam for, like Halong Bay and Hanoi's streets, don't cost a lot either.

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The Philippines is hard to beat for the price. Worldpackers notes that lodging, diving, and island-hopping are all affordable without feeling cheap. You can snorkel, hike a volcano, or wander through old colonial towns without watching your wallet the whole time. It's also a great place to stay longer than planned — the longer you're there, the more you get out of it.

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Mexico makes budget travel feel easy. First Alliance CU recommends it for cost-conscious travelers, and it's not hard to see why. Beach resorts, street food, ruins, local markets — everything delivers more than you'd expect for the price. Go outside of peak season and it gets even cheaper.

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Portugal is one of the few European countries where you can travel without spending too much. Expedia $EXPE often lists it as one of the best-value places in Europe, and the food, cities, and coastline prove it. While Lisbon and Porto are popular, smaller towns usually offer even better value. Transport is cheap, accommodation is affordable, and you can enjoy the same food locals eat.

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Thailand has been a budget travel staple for years and still earns that reputation. Indie Traveller highlights the cheap guesthouses, low-cost transport, and street food that many travelers say is the highlight of the whole trip. Bangkok, Chiang Mai, the beaches down south — none of it requires a big budget to enjoy properly. It's a solid pick for anyone who wants a lot of variety without spending a lot of money.

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Bali gets marketed as a luxury destination, but it doesn't have to be. A lot of things that look expensive — villas, surf lessons, wellness retreats — are actually pretty affordable when you're there. The rice terraces, temples, and the general vibe of the island are accessible to most budgets. It's developed enough to be easy to navigate without feeling like it's lost what made it worth visiting.

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Morocco gives you a lot for very little. Expedia $EXPE points out that hostels, street food, and day trips are all very affordable, which means you can cover serious ground — the Sahara, old medinas, souks full of color and noise — without spending much. Not many places offer this kind of experience at this kind of price.

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Bulgaria doesn't get talked about enough. Worldpackers flags it as one of Europe's best-kept secrets for budget travelers, and that's fair. Sofia and Plovdiv have real culture and history without the crowds or prices of more well-known European capitals. The Black Sea coast is a bonus most visitors don't see coming. Everything stays affordable — food, transport, a place to sleep.

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Colombia is a different country than it was ten years ago, and budget travelers have noticed. Indie Traveller highlights the mix of things you can do there — hiking in the Andes, walking Cartagena's old streets, eating well for very little money. Transport and accommodation are both reasonably priced, and it works just as well for people who want cities as it does for those who prefer the outdoors.

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Colombia is a different country than it was ten years ago, and budget travelers have noticed. Indie Traveller highlights the mix of things you can do there — hiking in the Andes, walking Cartagena's old streets, eating well for very little money. Transport and accommodation are both reasonably priced, and it works just as well for people who want cities as it does for those who prefer the outdoors.