13 Affordable Countries That Are Perfect For Budget Travelers

Where to go to get the most out of your dollar. Inspired by this Quora thread.

Jenny Chang / BuzzFeed Life

After you're done reading this article, check out Bring Me for even more of BuzzFeed's best travel tips and hacks, vacation inspiration, and more!

Jay Fleckenstein / BuzzFeed

You already know that there are so many awesome ways to travel when you're on a serious budget. But what's equally important is ~where~ you go in the first place.

Romolotavani / Getty Images

Your dollar will get you pretty far in these 13 countries — which means they are pretty much the best places to go when you're watching your wallet.

Happy travels!

1. Indonesia

Witthaya / Getty Images

Eat Pray Love is just the tip of the iceberg: There is so much more to this beautiful country, including the fact that it is majorly budget-friendly. Click here to find out how much things typically cost there. Highlight: A full dinner costs about 13,500 Indonesian rupiah, or $1!

2. Cambodia

Skouatroulio / Getty Images

Cambodia is a staple go-to for budget travelers. You can see the ancient ruins of Angkor Wat (above), go diving on the cheap, and hit up any of the country's beautiful, sparkly pristine beaches — and it's all so affordable. Find out ~just~ how inexpensive everything is here. Sneak peek: A restaurant meal is rarely over $5, and beer starts at — wait for it — just 25 cents!

3. Vietnam

Cristaltran / Getty Images

In a sentence, Vietnam is just stunning. That's Ha Long Bay above, a 600-mile turquoise bay filled with huge limestone islands, and there are many more just-as-beautiful views around the country. It's affordable, too: Check out how much you'll end up paying here. Hint: You can get your favorite Vietnamese dish, which you WILL learn to pronounce correctly, for about $1, or 22,000 Vietnamese dong.

4. Laos

Itman__47 / Getty Images

Laos is a Southeast Asian country known very much for its beautiful mountains, Buddhist monasteries, and "tubing parties," where you basically float down a river and stop at tons of bars and "happy" restaurants along the way. So, of course, be responsible! You can get a room for about $10 to $30 a night (depending on how fancy you go), and you can get street food (like plates of sticky rice) for about $1. Find out more about average travel costs here.

5. Thailand

Masterlu / Getty Images

Even though Thailand has gotten pretty touristy and it's not AS cheap as the other Southeast Asian countries, it's still a super affordable place to max out your dollars. Here's how much everything typically costs. Should probably mention: Rooms (known as guesthouses) in the countryside will set you back, oh, you know, only about $4 (135 Thai bhat).

6. India

Intek1 / Getty Images

It's a beautiful, majestic country. And, if you know how to navigate your way around, you will be able to stretch your dollar to the max. A plate of hot dhal and rice, for example, can cost around 40 Indian rupees — that's about 60 cents! And you can also get on a train and travel around for a few days at a time for just a couple bucks. Find out roughly how much other things cost here.

7. Nepal

Goikmitl / Getty Images

Yes, there was a big earthquake in Nepal back in April 2015. But the country is still very much open to tourism — in fact, much of their economy depends on tourism, so they would be very happy to have you. (Wait until September to go, though — it's monsoon season until then.) Nepal is practically heaven for budget travelers, too. A cheap meal costs around 150 Nepalese rupees (about $1), and a more expensive, three-course dining affair costs about $8. Find out more Nepalese prices here.

8. China

Lavendertime / Getty Images

The cool part about China is that it's a huge country, yes, but it's also pretty easy to get from one place to another, so it isn't ever too overwhelming in that way. And, on top of that, the transit itself is especially cheap — taxis start at around $1. Here's how much you can expect to pay for everything else.

9. Bulgaria (or, really, anywhere in Eastern Europe)

Flickr: archer10

You may think that Europe is generally more expensive than, say, Southeast Asia and Central America. And, generally speaking, you'd be right — except that Eastern Europe is actually much cheaper than its western cousins. In Bulgaria, for example, you can get an entire liter of beer (32 ounces) for $1.50. Find out what else your dollars can get you here.

10. Nicaragua

Mikeblue / Getty Images

Many people say Nicaragua is the new Costa Rica, which basically means that it's getting to be an increasingly popular Central American destination. So get there while it's still on the rise! Bonus: You won't have to pay much once you arrive. The country is known for all of its high-adventure outdoor activities, particularly surfing — so do it up on the cheap. And you can get a dorm bed for as little as $5.

11. Guatemala

Soft_light / Getty Images

Those waterfalls are as beautiful as they look. This country is known for its gorgeous outdoor landscapes, as well as its cool arts-and-crafts handiwork. You can find tons of cool wooden sculptures and knickknacks in the weekend markets. It's all affordable, too: A good meal, for instance, is roughly $3, and everything else is similarly budget-friendly.

12. Honduras

Jansirons / Getty Images

Most people think of Costa Rica and even Nicaragua when they think of Central America. But Honduras is quickly becoming one of the rising hot spots for budget travelers looking to backpack on their own path. Fortunately, it's very affordable — here's what everything typically costs. Our favorite: A good local meal costs about 65 Honduran lempira, which is $3. Sold.

13. Peru

Stockphoto24 / Getty Images

Whatever you do, please, please put Machu Picchu on your travel bucket list. It is one of the coolest and most magical structures in the world. And the other parts of Peru are equally stunning — not to mention affordable. A taxi all around Lima, for instance, is about $7 (25 Peruvian nuevo). *Dances around apartment in joy*

So go go go and book that ticket! The world is waiting for you...

Fuse / Getty Images

Aug. 04, 2015, at 20:32 PM

The photo of Bulgaria has been updated. A previous version of this post used an incorrect image.

Don't forget to check out Bring Me for all of BuzzFeed's best travel tips and hacks, vacation inspiration, and more!

Jay Fleckenstein / BuzzFeed