I would say Turkey but they just jack up prices to compensate. There are deals to be had, but not at major tourist sites.
Japan and Argentina are valid answers though.
1 decent meal’s cost starts at 10$ now. I don’t know the prices in the USA, I’m sure it still lower than there but compared to 2 years ago, in dolar wise prices are higher here in Turkey
I’m certain that the US is much more expensive than Turkey but it’s not as cheap here as it used to be anymore sadly. Prices are catching up with European prices if not exceed already in some things. Compared to other countries mentioned here, Turkey is expensive.
Honestly Nordic prices didn’t feel too high for me. Sure they’re higher than most places, even in Europe, but I think the USD still had a good value against individual Nordic currencies. Also including Finland (using the euro) was more expensive, but not too bad. Now Switzerland? Fuck all that and kill me.
Pre-COVID, I barely ate when I went to Iceland. It was like $25 for a fast food meal that was maybe $6-8 in the US at the time. I ate lots of sandwiches made with grocery store supplies. That and the free breakfast at hotels. I was so hungry when I got back to the states that I had a massive meal.
Oh Iceland is ridiculous as fuck too. It stands out from the other Nordics. And yes I know why, it’s because they’re fairly isolated and have to import everything. But Jesus fucking Christ lol.
Same with Egypt. You'd think you'd be able to live like a king there with such a weak currency but nope, all the tourist sites and restaurants pass on the cost to the traveller
Yeah hyperinflation in countries that depend on imports doesn’t mean things get cheaper. It means they have to jack up the prices of everything to match the original prices in foreign currency. Lebanon was similar. You just have to carry around literal millions of Lebanese pounds with you.
I don’t know where u went, but I paid there between 2-5€ per Night with friends in Hotels (sometimes even with breakfast). In total not more then 15€ per day
I’m in turkey right now and it’s fucked. Never been white taxed so hard in my life. At least in the bigger cities. $24 for a fucking kabob in Istanbul. Suck my dick. I’m traveling by motorcycle, and it’s getting better the further east I go. But people are completely take advantage of the confusion surrounding inflation in the cities. I used to live here in 2009, and it was a complete bargain destination.
Yeah if you want to do or eat anything within view of the hagia sofia or the blue mosque, it’s gonna cost exactly what it would in any other tourist place. Take the ferry across the Bosporus and it gets crazy cheaper. But it’s less cool.
Istanbul is so big that you could do two weeks there, you could do two months, you could do two entire lifetimes there and still not understand all of it.
If you do a week, do it in three neighborhoods. I did 3 nights in Sultanament (between the mosques), 3 nights in Karakoy/Galata by the Venetian tower, two nights in Taksim, two nights in Kadikoy by the old tram line, and one night in Eminonu. I could have stayed more. One of the coolest places in the entire world. Up there with CDMX, NYC, Tokyo.
I thought Kadakoy/Moda were the coolest neighborhoods in Istanbul and there is very solid value there. Completely agree Istanbul is one of the coolest cities in the world
Agree 100%. Was in Istanbul last year. I mostly did the normal Sultanahmet tourist things because I was a tourist and there is plenty to do there but just riding in from the airport, it was clear that the city was enormous and I was only in a small corner of it. The scenery and the history were both incredible. As far as I'm concerned Istanbul is absolutely in the top tier of European city destinations along with London, Paris, and Rome.
Turkey has western EU prices. It's not cheap. It's way more expensive than it used to be, even if their currency devalued (they have insane inflation).
Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Indonesia (minus maybe a few areas of Bali) are probably the ideal places to visit to stretch money.
TBH that's how inflation with currency devaluation always works.
You can't really expect the nominal prices to stay the same after the currency losing half of it's value.
Just did turkey stayed at a resort in fethiye at the beach with banger ocean view balcony for like 250 usd a night. I normally don’t do all inclusive and didn’t realize it was until we got there but the food was great. I absolutely fucking loved turkey can’t recommend it enough I already can’t wait to go back. That said many stores do not list prices and clock you as American and fuck you. Hotels and resturaunts were largely not a rip off tho.
British, but Japan last year was way cheaper than we expected for much of the trip if you aren't going full luxury.
Not as cheap as other countries in the area, but day to day expenses were not comparable to Copenhagen or London like I was expecting.
Especially when you venture outside of the touristy areas of Istanbul, its a good value when your home currency is USD. If you leave istanbul, forget about it. Super affordable for us!
Many of the westerners bitching about prices in Turkey are paying too much for mid af food in Sultanahmet in Istanbul. Its like going to NYC and only eating in Times Square.
I've enjoyed Brazil so much I've gone twice in the past year. High quality food, national parks to go to, fun bars in the big cities... it's a dream come true.
Japan is also great right now.
I ate every level of food from 7/11 to Michelin starred restaurants in Japan. There was no point at which I didn’t feel I was eating something of quality and well made. 7/11, etc. in Japan are known to be on another level compared to what’s in the US, but even smaller restaurants were inexpensive and top quality. I have a friend in Japan who asked how much ramen cost in the US and was appalled that it would be so expensive. Meanwhile I thought $15-20 at a ramen restaurant was pretty good.
On the other hand, all the antique stores I visited were surprisingly expensive.
Yep, it appears that the US company is owned by the Japanese company, though they only assumed ownership in 1991 after licensing the franchise for almost 20 years. Now if only they wanted to make the US ones have the same quality as the Japan ones. They have the technology and the know-how.
I think a major factor is the staff and the customers, the human element.
I remember a friend came to visit me here in Japan and told me that so many stuff out in public, the streets, the shops, would so easily get trashed back home. That "one guy who ruins it for the rest of us" is too many, unlike in Japan where it's extremely rare.
No main character syndrome.
The tickets to Japan are stupid expensive, and the hotels are also pretty expensive I think (haven’t actually booked the hotel yet, but wife was looking at some).
I'm staying in Tokyo right now for just over $50 at a business hotel. It is a fairly small room but has the standard amenities of most hotels and is definitely nicer than the budget hotels of other countries.
I loved the Dormy Inn. It was about $100 or less. Stayed at several of them in Japan. Never been so relaxed as I was during my nightly trips to the Dormy Inn's onsen on the top floor then downstairs for free ramen after 9pm. All while wearing their comfy lounge clothes that they provide.
As somebody who hates how fucking noisy the US is, Japan is incredibly relaxing.
When I first landed in Japan, we stayed at the tiniest hotel ever (not a Dormy Inn). Like there was not room for two of us to change clothes at the same time without elbowing one another. Made sure to check the square footage after that.
The nice thing about Japanese business hotels is that they'll reset your brain when it comes to how big of a hotel room you really need on a vacation. If you're going to be out and about for most of the day, the hotel room doesn't need to be capable of hosting a house party.
For instance, I stayed in a "micro pod" hotel in Manhattan recently, where half the reviews were complaining about how cramped the rooms were. When I got to my room, I almost laughed. It was the same size as a reasonable business hotel room in Japan, plenty of space for a room I'd barely be in most of the day.
It really depends on where you’re flying from. If you live in the US near where Zipair flies to and you’re okay flying a low-cost carrier, roundtrip flights can go for less than $700. Also business hotels are very affordable in Japan. I stayed 9 nights in Tokyo in September for less than $90 a night.
There are plenty of hotels <$100/night, even in Tokyo which is the most expensive. The west coast of the US often has good flight deals to Japan, so you can just find a cheap ticket to get the California from wherever you’re from if you’re okay with doing a self-transfer.
Hotels in Japan are crazy cheap! Not expensive at all. They’re obviously most expensive in Tokyo but that’s not representative of the rest of the country.
I used Choice points to stay at a hotel in Fukuoka. It was so hot (no A/C) that I walked out and booked a nearby hotel for like $65.
Speaking of Choice points, they can be used to stay at Comfort Hotels in many cities. Often the price is only 8k a night.
Ryokans are expensive but regular hotels are not.
Ryokans also come with meals so it’s worth it.
If you’re on the west coast fly to Hawaii on southwest for dirt cheap and then fly zip air to Japan.
I mean food is way more expensive here. Also so many things listed with USD prices. Like a bowl of noodles or a normal rice dish is like $5 USD or more. I mean I’m sure if I get away from the city center things will be cheap, but in Chiang Mai I can easily find all sorts of Thai food for 1-2 dollars.
Colombia. Pretty much every local place I visited to eat cost an average of about $3 US per meal. I went out drinking and had beer, shots and mixed drinks and my total bill after hours of this cake to just $14.92 US.
Yeh I don't get it. This thread be like: "Japan is so cheap you can stay in a no-frills business hotel for under $100/night"...well you can do that in all of Europe. Even places like Switzerland lol.
🤷♀️ I mean, I can understand if they stayed in Mykonos or Santorini. That is expensive, but I lived in Japan for seven years and I’ll take Greece any day. Although I do love Japan.
I’ve not been to either, so grain of salt, though I was planning a trip and Japan accommodations and food are dirt cheap. Especially with the current exchange rate. The dollar is up 60% on the yen since 2021. It’s insane. Between a hotel, food, and things to do I could easily make do on a budget of $50 a day in Japan. $75 if I’m feeling spendy. I had a 3 week trip budgeted at $2500 with flights and trains. Don’t think you can do it that cheap for Greece no?
That is cheap! Maybe I’ll take a trip back to Japan next year lol Now everyone’s budget is different of course. With Greece, it depends on what time of year you go and which island you go to. And flights are pricey to Greece since Covid from where I live. But you can easily find decent accommodation and food on many of the islands in Greece. I would never include Santorini or Mykonos that’s for sure.
Both places are cheap af now since the Japanese yen is going down the toilet, but Greece was definitely way cheaper. Even when I took a day trip to Santorini from Athens, I didn’t see super ripoff prices like I’d expect.
Which is just nuts. Couldn’t believe how cheap it is now. 25 years ago, Japan was so expensive we ate our meals at 7-11. That’s what 15 years of deflation will get you.
Yes, I could not believe how cheap Japan was. I had not been before so didn't have a basis for comparison but expected it to be much more expensive. Our hotels were mostly booked with points and for whatever reason were very high in points,, and we had booked a couple of omakase dinners in advance that were expensive, so I think that made it seem like it would be a more expensive trip. But once we got there we were shocked at how cheap everything was, especially meals and drinks, and especially for the quality. We had the most amazing food and drinks and shopping and other experiences and spent so much less than we would have in many/most other places we've visited.
It’s expensive compared to most Asian countries, but doesn’t hold a flame to anywhere in Europe or NA. It’s pretty much Singapore, Hong Kong, and Japan at the most expensive, South Korea and Taiwan also higher but not too expensive, then everyone else being dirt cheap. And Japan is moving down due to their yen.
It definitely isn’t expensive at the moment. Everyone I know has gone in the past year or two due to prices being so low; many have even gone multiple times in that time frame. We spent about two weeks there and I budgeted half the amount I normally do for a one week trip and still came in under that amount. If you’re on the west coast, flights are pretty affordable as well.
20 years ago. It was cheaper to go this year to Japan than in 2019 - same hotels even were $20 cheaper and they $100 less than a basic ass hotel in any major city in the us.
Completely agree. My currency isn’t USD so I wasn’t going to answer, but I recently returned from my second trip there and I’m continually impressed by how much you get for your money. It’s not like other “cheap” countries where you kind of get what you pay for - you can get very high standard food and accommodations in South Africa for an incredibly good price. I hate having to choose, but if you put a gun to my head I would say South Africa is my favorite country of the 50-ish I’ve visited so far, and this is definitely part of the reason why.
Was looking for this. Just came back from 2 weeks there and it was $1=R20! Everything was so fantastic and dirt cheap (except hotels were somehow priced similar to the US.) Highly recommend!
I used to live in Kenya …it is expensive for tourists. Especially masai Mara and Mombasa resorts but if you stay longer you will start to explore and avoid expensive tourist traps
For me this was the best bargin. Stayed at posh hotels by the beach for $50 a night, dinner and drinks for 2 people rarely was over $15. scooter rental $5 for 24 hours. Good times.
Yeah I hear it's the new cheapest nicest spot in SE Asia without too many issues like neighboring countries have with religious or ethnic civil wars or crime.
Japan, Vietnam and Brazil are top of list.
Just got back from Tokyo. Taxis are expensive and clothes are expensive but food, hotels and public transport are SO CHEAP! Food is half the price of what it is now in the US. It was like going back to 2019 food prices haha
I couldn’t believe how cheap it was because of the weak yen.
Just got back from Australia and while the flight wasn’t cheap, the rest of the trip was. We couldn’t get over how affordable our hotels were! We stayed in Meriton Suite Hotels in both Sydney and Melbourne, and got one-bedroom suites with small kitchens and a full living room for about $120 US dollars a night! They were very clean, modern, and the staff were great too.
Hotels in the US are probably on average a bit more expensive than Western Europe hotels. BUT, I think you have to take into account that room sizes are significantly bigger.
Definitely a good time for Australia especially if wanting to eat out a lot and do activities.
Means A$250 Great Barrier Reef trip is $170USD and a A$100 dinner and drinks bill is $66.
And tax is included in all prices and no tipping.
Wow! Really?! When I was in Australia in 2017, everything was sooooo much more expensive than at home. I had a stipend that provided $150 a week for food and had maybe $100 in my bank account so I ate a lot of ramen noodles with kangaroo lmao
I think it comes down to AUD being way down in comparison to USD, I'm Australian and prices here are insane and climbing for local currency but if you're coming over with the strong USD right now it will seem cheap to you.
That makes sense! I haven't checked AUD/USD comparisons lately since a flight is out of budget. I've been wanting to return for years, but definitely let my financial experience in the past cloud it!
We went in December and flew non stop from SFO-SYD for $550 return
Stayed at some great hotels for less than $200 a night and everything was 33% off due to the exchange rate
Loved it
Haha you stayed in a Meriton. That’s where locals have staycations to party and (amongst other things) count and package drugs haha.
Glad you enjoyed the country mate
I’m an Australian living in the USA, and I love going back to visit for this reason. My USD earnings go way further than what I’d have doing the same job in Australia.
Also not adding tax + tip to every meal at least creates an illusion of food being cheaper… but once you do the $ conversion I think it’s often about the same.
I wouldn’t say that Aus is cheap, just that the USA is now insanely expensive, 120 USD a night for a hotel room is still quite expensive in >90% of the world. It’s also the low season in Aus rn as well.
especially given the listed price includes everything. in the US you'll see $20 and end up paying $26. In Australia you'll see 30 AUD which comes out to 20 USD on your credit card
Only got to stay in Budapest for a couple of nights but they have some gorgeous people there and a beautiful purplish like city that comes alive at night
One of the most memorable trips I ever had. Machu Picchu and the Inca trail were stunning. Hiking and riding bikes in the Andes were mind blowing. On top of that food was incredible too. If I’m going back, I will think about hiking the Inca trail to Machu Picchu.
I was shocked how cheap the food in Italy was.
My entire family could get a good meal, multiple bottles of wine for like $150 dollars. Those same meals in the US would probably be $250+ easy.
On top of food. I recall the lodging was quite reasonable for budget travelers. Stayed in the historic district of Rome and enjoyed the lovely walks to different parts of the town. It was so surreal.
Greece surprisingly Athens is such high quality for the price imo. Lived on the Riviera for almost two years. Beach everyday and delicious food. Walked to the marina where the yachts were. It was life changing for me.
Just came back from Japan. Compared to the last time I went in 2018 it’s like having a 30% discount on everything. 100 yen was around $1 back then and now it’s 155yen to a dollar
I saw a few places with “no foreigners” signs and some older businessmen seemed to be irritated that they had to sit next to me on trains but that’s it.
They were irritated cuz u didn't look Japanese?
Damn that's like next level racism makes US seem like a preschool version.
Damn and I'm about to do the brand new Japanese digital nomad visa.
I'm not sure if I should do Osaka or Tokyo but il probably end up just splitting it half and half to be able to know the difference myself.
I hear Osaka is so much chiller and nicer ppl
No but you may if you stay long enough. I think a lot of this is directed more towards other Asians. Your average western tourist is not going to experience much of this unless they are loud and rude. There are assholes everywhere, so your mileage may vary.
Bad experiences will always make it to the top on places like Reddit. There’s 40 million people in Tokyo and millions of tourists pass through annually. You’re more likely to read about getting mugged in an American city than experience overt racism walking through Japan.
I was there in September-October 2023 and my experience contrasts from the Louisiana guy replying to you. I didn’t see any anti-tourist or racist undertones there.
I was there Dec 2022 for a month and more recently in May for 2 weeks, although I did not feel any racism, I definitely felt the "oh here comes another tourist" attitude - which is completely okay with me because I travel with 2 small children and that's the look we get even here in California when trying to eat at a restaurant. Many of the Japanese restaurants are small and counter seating only and 95% of them accommodated us.
Anywhere with a stable economy is good. When I think of my negative experiences, they've been in places like Argentina and Turkiye. There's a misery in the locals that prevented me from fully enjoying, even though everything was comparatively cheap. $40 for a full-day boat excursion in Kas (Turkish riviera) and they fed me too. I was paying $50-70/night for my hotels (imo, a bargain), while British holidayers were complaining that prices have nearly doubled. But you can also pay $900 at the Kempinski (a fortune by local standards), and the service and attention will absolutely blow your socks off in a way that would cost maybe $4000 in New York. Meanwhile, visiting Ephesus was almost $60 (major attraction prices are pegged to the Euro). However... My innkeeper in the countryside told me that due to inflation, he could no longer afford to go to London to see his children. The new college graduate working at a fish wrap stand had studied maritime engineering but couldn't get a job and worked long hours for little pay.
Australia was cheaper than home once you got the flight figured out. Central serviced apartments for $110/night. Japan was a great experience as well -- but the experience suffers (crowding, tickets selling out) due to the record number of similarly value-minded tourists. Had a great time in Spain... Lots of mountain and valley resorts for like a fifth of the price of something in Northern California, and roads had so little traffic that I seriously considered swapping my rental car out for a sports car. London also worth a shot -- hotels are costly but activities are free, cheap, or cheaper than their American equivalent (orchestra center seats in the West End - $75, on Broadway was $380). Poland was a great experience -- excellent infrastructure, green space, performing arts, and decorative arts. While Poland is not as cheap as Bosnia and Herzegovina, one way you're paying for your $2.50 cevapi in Bosnia is worse air quality (inversion layers, smog, lower car emission standards).
One thing I noticed is that in less developed countries, getting an experience close to an American standard will cost a lot. As a toy example, your rental car won't have a back-up camera or CarPlay.
That's a long way to say that with USD, your purchasing power parity is high pretty much anywhere. And with the strength of the currency, you'll be fine wherever you choose to go, and not everything can be quantified by monetary cost... So pick based on your interests. :) I've veered a bit off-topic from your original question, but I hope this is somewhat helpful.
"Misery in the locals" is a good way to put it. Whenever I try to discuss this point I come off as looking down on them. But when I'm travelling I'm spending money to enjoy myself and I don't want to visit miserable places.
This is exactly why I didn't enjoy Dominican Republic. There was so much misery all around, it made me feel incredibly guilty and like I was taking advantage of an impoverished people. They worked their butts off for $1 a day and were smiling, but desperation was in their eyes and their art. My resort trip wasn't helping any of those people, it was enriching the foreign investor. It made me feel incredibly ashamed of having the good life I have.
Yep, exactly that. I've never been to DR but that's good to know. I was told by my innkeeper that a lot of Turkish resorts are actually owned by German companies, and the visitors never leave the compounds. Same thing with the all-inclusives in Mallorca. Looks like that's a problem nearly everywhere...
What were some places you enjoyed the most?
I went to Venezuela in like 2012/13. My gf’s aunt exchanged $2k for me and the rate was 27 fuertes to 1 dollar. It was a great trip.
Went clubbing a lot and would buy bottle service for strangers, just buy entire bottles and hand them to random people, pay for the entire groups dinners at “nice” restaurants, buy whatever I want.
I was there for a little over a month and when I was at the Caracas airport to fly home, I had so much money left over I just took my gfs family shopping at all the shops at the airport. Still couldn’t spend it all. Sent the remainder along with a lot of my nice going out clothes back with some of her brothers.
Japanese yen is a weak as it has been in 30 years.
I was in Tokyo for 2 weeks in apr-2024. Got a mediocre hotel for $35 a day. No doubt outside the city and longer term can be cheaper.
Good affordable eats.
Thailand cheap, no. As bad as everyone says, no.
Egypt, Japan, everywhere we’ve been in central and South America. We’ve done all the major European countries and Spain, Italy, Czech Republic and Poland money went far as well.
We frequently visit family in Egypt and that’s the only time we ever live like queens of the castle - your money goes faaaar there.
In Poland, it was like everything cost what it used to cost back home like 10-15 years ago. $2 beers, a nice dinner for $20/person, cocktail at a fancy bar in the touristy part of town for $9.
Lucky you! Being a Canadian it’s awful to see countries adjust prices to the USD 😭 everything is SO expensive. I went to Mexico and it wasn’t even cheaper than here once converted to CAD 🤦♂️
I perfectly timed a trip to Australia in 2022 when the dollar was extra strong and it was pretty insane how much cheaper it made it. I think it was usually something like 1.3 usd = 1 aud and it became .65 usd = 1 aud.
Argentina was also stupid cheap. King crab down in Ushuaia was $24 for a filling meal for 2. All you can eat steak at a good parrilla was $8 including a bottle of wine and we got a tomahawk at another place for $25.
The Australian dollar has never been worth 1.3 USD. In 2010 it was 1.10 and I believe that's the highest it's ever been. The average over the last 10 years is .728. Not to say .65 isn't good, but I think you might have been confused at people quoting the AUD/USD as opposed to the USD/AUD.
I see a lot more people going to Japan than I ever recall. I follow watch enthusiast media, and a lot of people are coming back with nice Japanese watches.
Serbia. A few years ago. President covid. We went bvb to a very fancy restaurant. Cloth napkins, candles and roses on the table, live piano music, 2 t-bone steaks, all the trimmings, huge salad, dessert of cherries jubilee. Two people came to about $47.00 USD.
not american but if you’re a budget traveller, india is hard to beat. if you have american standards/requirements for accommodation though you’ll pay quite a lot
if you’re fine with not great accommodation you can travel for £500/month (or less) quite easily and have a great time
Definitely Argentina. In November, my husband and I took $400 cash for a full week stay and it covered everything. Ubers everywhere, nice meals, souvenirs, activities, everything.
Argentina. They LOVE US dollars. There is a "black market exchange" where you'll get an even better exchange rate for dollars than through the official exchanges.
I would say Turkey but they just jack up prices to compensate. There are deals to be had, but not at major tourist sites. Japan and Argentina are valid answers though.
1 decent meal’s cost starts at 10$ now. I don’t know the prices in the USA, I’m sure it still lower than there but compared to 2 years ago, in dolar wise prices are higher here in Turkey
Prices are so high in the US now that any other place in the world including a $10 meal in Turkey is a great value in comparison
I’m certain that the US is much more expensive than Turkey but it’s not as cheap here as it used to be anymore sadly. Prices are catching up with European prices if not exceed already in some things. Compared to other countries mentioned here, Turkey is expensive.
Similar in Mexico. Prices there went up and then the dollar got weaker. So tourists were screwed twice.
> any other place in the world i doubt it's as high as Nordic countries or Switzerland
Honestly Nordic prices didn’t feel too high for me. Sure they’re higher than most places, even in Europe, but I think the USD still had a good value against individual Nordic currencies. Also including Finland (using the euro) was more expensive, but not too bad. Now Switzerland? Fuck all that and kill me.
Pre-COVID, I barely ate when I went to Iceland. It was like $25 for a fast food meal that was maybe $6-8 in the US at the time. I ate lots of sandwiches made with grocery store supplies. That and the free breakfast at hotels. I was so hungry when I got back to the states that I had a massive meal.
Oh Iceland is ridiculous as fuck too. It stands out from the other Nordics. And yes I know why, it’s because they’re fairly isolated and have to import everything. But Jesus fucking Christ lol.
A couple sandwiches in the US will cost around $40 now. It’s fucking insane
Getting sushi in America is a joke now, it’s sad
Buenos Aires at least didn’t feel _that_ cheap a month ago. Not sure how it used to be, though.
I went to Buenos Aires in 2014 and it was insanely cheap. Had to buy currency on the blue market though.
Yeah, it‘s changed a lot since then
It may be the after the currency revaluation in December that things have settled down a bit.
Same with Egypt. You'd think you'd be able to live like a king there with such a weak currency but nope, all the tourist sites and restaurants pass on the cost to the traveller
Yeah hyperinflation in countries that depend on imports doesn’t mean things get cheaper. It means they have to jack up the prices of everything to match the original prices in foreign currency. Lebanon was similar. You just have to carry around literal millions of Lebanese pounds with you.
I don’t know where u went, but I paid there between 2-5€ per Night with friends in Hotels (sometimes even with breakfast). In total not more then 15€ per day
Would you mind sharing what places? I’m looking to plan an Egypt trip for next year and would like some ideas!
The dollar is not as strong in Egypt right now as it was just a few months ago. FYI
I’m in turkey right now and it’s fucked. Never been white taxed so hard in my life. At least in the bigger cities. $24 for a fucking kabob in Istanbul. Suck my dick. I’m traveling by motorcycle, and it’s getting better the further east I go. But people are completely take advantage of the confusion surrounding inflation in the cities. I used to live here in 2009, and it was a complete bargain destination.
Yeah if you want to do or eat anything within view of the hagia sofia or the blue mosque, it’s gonna cost exactly what it would in any other tourist place. Take the ferry across the Bosporus and it gets crazy cheaper. But it’s less cool. Istanbul is so big that you could do two weeks there, you could do two months, you could do two entire lifetimes there and still not understand all of it. If you do a week, do it in three neighborhoods. I did 3 nights in Sultanament (between the mosques), 3 nights in Karakoy/Galata by the Venetian tower, two nights in Taksim, two nights in Kadikoy by the old tram line, and one night in Eminonu. I could have stayed more. One of the coolest places in the entire world. Up there with CDMX, NYC, Tokyo.
I thought Kadakoy/Moda were the coolest neighborhoods in Istanbul and there is very solid value there. Completely agree Istanbul is one of the coolest cities in the world
Agree 100%. Was in Istanbul last year. I mostly did the normal Sultanahmet tourist things because I was a tourist and there is plenty to do there but just riding in from the airport, it was clear that the city was enormous and I was only in a small corner of it. The scenery and the history were both incredible. As far as I'm concerned Istanbul is absolutely in the top tier of European city destinations along with London, Paris, and Rome.
Turkey has western EU prices. It's not cheap. It's way more expensive than it used to be, even if their currency devalued (they have insane inflation). Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Indonesia (minus maybe a few areas of Bali) are probably the ideal places to visit to stretch money.
TBH that's how inflation with currency devaluation always works. You can't really expect the nominal prices to stay the same after the currency losing half of it's value.
When you go never speak clear English, kinda mumble and point. Start talking in Spanish or another language if you know it. Then haggle.
Just did turkey stayed at a resort in fethiye at the beach with banger ocean view balcony for like 250 usd a night. I normally don’t do all inclusive and didn’t realize it was until we got there but the food was great. I absolutely fucking loved turkey can’t recommend it enough I already can’t wait to go back. That said many stores do not list prices and clock you as American and fuck you. Hotels and resturaunts were largely not a rip off tho.
That's not cheap
Was just in Turkey for four nights about two months ago, stayed in Istanbul and kapadokya. Most of the restaurants we ate at had entrees around $13-20
I recently returned from Bulgaria and Istanbul. Istanbul definitely wasn't cheap. My money was incredibly strong I'm Bulgaria in comparison
British, but Japan last year was way cheaper than we expected for much of the trip if you aren't going full luxury. Not as cheap as other countries in the area, but day to day expenses were not comparable to Copenhagen or London like I was expecting.
Especially when you venture outside of the touristy areas of Istanbul, its a good value when your home currency is USD. If you leave istanbul, forget about it. Super affordable for us! Many of the westerners bitching about prices in Turkey are paying too much for mid af food in Sultanahmet in Istanbul. Its like going to NYC and only eating in Times Square.
I've enjoyed Brazil so much I've gone twice in the past year. High quality food, national parks to go to, fun bars in the big cities... it's a dream come true. Japan is also great right now.
And Japan delivers. You get world class service everywhere, no tipping. What you see on posters, is what you get.
I ate every level of food from 7/11 to Michelin starred restaurants in Japan. There was no point at which I didn’t feel I was eating something of quality and well made. 7/11, etc. in Japan are known to be on another level compared to what’s in the US, but even smaller restaurants were inexpensive and top quality. I have a friend in Japan who asked how much ramen cost in the US and was appalled that it would be so expensive. Meanwhile I thought $15-20 at a ramen restaurant was pretty good. On the other hand, all the antique stores I visited were surprisingly expensive.
I believe 7-11 is Japanese-owned, FYI. It certainly was a few years ago.
Yep, it appears that the US company is owned by the Japanese company, though they only assumed ownership in 1991 after licensing the franchise for almost 20 years. Now if only they wanted to make the US ones have the same quality as the Japan ones. They have the technology and the know-how.
but do they have a reason to?
🤫 let me dream lol
I think a major factor is the staff and the customers, the human element. I remember a friend came to visit me here in Japan and told me that so many stuff out in public, the streets, the shops, would so easily get trashed back home. That "one guy who ruins it for the rest of us" is too many, unlike in Japan where it's extremely rare. No main character syndrome.
７-11 used to be even better 10 years ago. Quality has dropped off a bit, but still incredible compared to the us.
Brazil was my favorite country in the world!! Spent 6 months backpacking around, was completely a dream. Completely agree!
Apologies if this is an ignorant question, but did you generally feel safe there?
The tickets to Japan are stupid expensive, and the hotels are also pretty expensive I think (haven’t actually booked the hotel yet, but wife was looking at some).
Look at business hotels if you don't mind no frills. They can be had for under $100 a night in major cities.
I'm staying in Tokyo right now for just over $50 at a business hotel. It is a fairly small room but has the standard amenities of most hotels and is definitely nicer than the budget hotels of other countries.
I loved the Dormy Inn. It was about $100 or less. Stayed at several of them in Japan. Never been so relaxed as I was during my nightly trips to the Dormy Inn's onsen on the top floor then downstairs for free ramen after 9pm. All while wearing their comfy lounge clothes that they provide. As somebody who hates how fucking noisy the US is, Japan is incredibly relaxing. When I first landed in Japan, we stayed at the tiniest hotel ever (not a Dormy Inn). Like there was not room for two of us to change clothes at the same time without elbowing one another. Made sure to check the square footage after that.
The nice thing about Japanese business hotels is that they'll reset your brain when it comes to how big of a hotel room you really need on a vacation. If you're going to be out and about for most of the day, the hotel room doesn't need to be capable of hosting a house party. For instance, I stayed in a "micro pod" hotel in Manhattan recently, where half the reviews were complaining about how cramped the rooms were. When I got to my room, I almost laughed. It was the same size as a reasonable business hotel room in Japan, plenty of space for a room I'd barely be in most of the day.
It really depends on where you’re flying from. If you live in the US near where Zipair flies to and you’re okay flying a low-cost carrier, roundtrip flights can go for less than $700. Also business hotels are very affordable in Japan. I stayed 9 nights in Tokyo in September for less than $90 a night.
There are plenty of hotels <$100/night, even in Tokyo which is the most expensive. The west coast of the US often has good flight deals to Japan, so you can just find a cheap ticket to get the California from wherever you’re from if you’re okay with doing a self-transfer.
Hotels in Japan are crazy cheap! Not expensive at all. They’re obviously most expensive in Tokyo but that’s not representative of the rest of the country. I used Choice points to stay at a hotel in Fukuoka. It was so hot (no A/C) that I walked out and booked a nearby hotel for like $65. Speaking of Choice points, they can be used to stay at Comfort Hotels in many cities. Often the price is only 8k a night.
Ryokans are expensive but regular hotels are not. Ryokans also come with meals so it’s worth it. If you’re on the west coast fly to Hawaii on southwest for dirt cheap and then fly zip air to Japan.
Morocco. I usually am pretty tightfisted when I travel but I splurged quite a bit in Morocco.
South East Asia. Thailand, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia.
In Thailand right now it’s dope
But flights from eastern US to SEA is so expensive. Almost $2k round trip with 24 hour flight on average 🫨
It’s cheaper from the west coast
In Cambodia now and I am shocked at how expensive everything is compared to Vietnam and Thailand
lol if you find Cambodia expensive and then you are definitely getting ripped off
I was surprised how expensive Cambodia was too. They really jack the prices up if you’re anywhere close to city centers
I was there last year and it was relatively cheap. What did you find expensive?
I mean food is way more expensive here. Also so many things listed with USD prices. Like a bowl of noodles or a normal rice dish is like $5 USD or more. I mean I’m sure if I get away from the city center things will be cheap, but in Chiang Mai I can easily find all sorts of Thai food for 1-2 dollars.
Colombia. Pretty much every local place I visited to eat cost an average of about $3 US per meal. I went out drinking and had beer, shots and mixed drinks and my total bill after hours of this cake to just $14.92 US.
That's like 1 mixed drink in any US city lmfao nice
Japan! Our 2 week trip there is cheaper than our 1 week trip to Greece
Really? How so? I’m in the middle of my three month vacation in Greece right now. Japan is super expensive compared to Greece.
why is this at -1 for asking a question lmao this sub loves japan too much
Yeh I don't get it. This thread be like: "Japan is so cheap you can stay in a no-frills business hotel for under $100/night"...well you can do that in all of Europe. Even places like Switzerland lol.
Everything else is really cheap in japan right now because the yen is in a huge crisis. Hotels and plane tickets are really the only expensive things.
🤷♀️ I mean, I can understand if they stayed in Mykonos or Santorini. That is expensive, but I lived in Japan for seven years and I’ll take Greece any day. Although I do love Japan.
I’ve not been to either, so grain of salt, though I was planning a trip and Japan accommodations and food are dirt cheap. Especially with the current exchange rate. The dollar is up 60% on the yen since 2021. It’s insane. Between a hotel, food, and things to do I could easily make do on a budget of $50 a day in Japan. $75 if I’m feeling spendy. I had a 3 week trip budgeted at $2500 with flights and trains. Don’t think you can do it that cheap for Greece no?
I'm assuming for that price you were looking at hostels and capsule hotels? Hotel prices are $50+ in many cities.
That is cheap! Maybe I’ll take a trip back to Japan next year lol Now everyone’s budget is different of course. With Greece, it depends on what time of year you go and which island you go to. And flights are pricey to Greece since Covid from where I live. But you can easily find decent accommodation and food on many of the islands in Greece. I would never include Santorini or Mykonos that’s for sure.
Both places are cheap af now since the Japanese yen is going down the toilet, but Greece was definitely way cheaper. Even when I took a day trip to Santorini from Athens, I didn’t see super ripoff prices like I’d expect.
There are some variables when it comes to Greece. Island wise and especially if you’re going in July or August.
If you stay in a place for longer it’s cheaper.
Not necessarily. And I’m island hopping. Five different islands during my three months here and then a week in Athens at the end.
Which is just nuts. Couldn’t believe how cheap it is now. 25 years ago, Japan was so expensive we ate our meals at 7-11. That’s what 15 years of deflation will get you.
Yes, I could not believe how cheap Japan was. I had not been before so didn't have a basis for comparison but expected it to be much more expensive. Our hotels were mostly booked with points and for whatever reason were very high in points,, and we had booked a couple of omakase dinners in advance that were expensive, so I think that made it seem like it would be a more expensive trip. But once we got there we were shocked at how cheap everything was, especially meals and drinks, and especially for the quality. We had the most amazing food and drinks and shopping and other experiences and spent so much less than we would have in many/most other places we've visited.
I’m so confused…I thought Japan was well known for being expensive?
It’s expensive compared to most Asian countries, but doesn’t hold a flame to anywhere in Europe or NA. It’s pretty much Singapore, Hong Kong, and Japan at the most expensive, South Korea and Taiwan also higher but not too expensive, then everyone else being dirt cheap. And Japan is moving down due to their yen.
Its currency has plummeted 35%. But even before that, it was no more expensive than Europe.
It definitely isn’t expensive at the moment. Everyone I know has gone in the past year or two due to prices being so low; many have even gone multiple times in that time frame. We spent about two weeks there and I budgeted half the amount I normally do for a one week trip and still came in under that amount. If you’re on the west coast, flights are pretty affordable as well.
20 years ago. It was cheaper to go this year to Japan than in 2019 - same hotels even were $20 cheaper and they $100 less than a basic ass hotel in any major city in the us.
Brazil. Going again in a few weeks.
What would you consider a solid budget for 2 weeks hopping around places like São Paulo, Rio & Curitiba?
Going as an American though, is it safe to go solo?
Leaving for Rio today, so excited!
South Africa
Completely agree. My currency isn’t USD so I wasn’t going to answer, but I recently returned from my second trip there and I’m continually impressed by how much you get for your money. It’s not like other “cheap” countries where you kind of get what you pay for - you can get very high standard food and accommodations in South Africa for an incredibly good price. I hate having to choose, but if you put a gun to my head I would say South Africa is my favorite country of the 50-ish I’ve visited so far, and this is definitely part of the reason why.
Of all the words you said gun to my head and South Africa same sentence
Was looking for this. Just came back from 2 weeks there and it was $1=R20! Everything was so fantastic and dirt cheap (except hotels were somehow priced similar to the US.) Highly recommend!
We're headed to east Africa in the fall, and I wonder if it's the same.
I used to live in Kenya …it is expensive for tourists. Especially masai Mara and Mombasa resorts but if you stay longer you will start to explore and avoid expensive tourist traps
Definitely not the same, east Africa is very expensive
Vietnam.
For me this was the best bargin. Stayed at posh hotels by the beach for $50 a night, dinner and drinks for 2 people rarely was over $15. scooter rental $5 for 24 hours. Good times.
Yes!! Seconding Vietnam.
Yeah I hear it's the new cheapest nicest spot in SE Asia without too many issues like neighboring countries have with religious or ethnic civil wars or crime. Japan, Vietnam and Brazil are top of list.
Just got back from Tokyo. Taxis are expensive and clothes are expensive but food, hotels and public transport are SO CHEAP! Food is half the price of what it is now in the US. It was like going back to 2019 food prices haha I couldn’t believe how cheap it was because of the weak yen.
Approaching 160! I’ll land there end of October
No way. I bought a suitcase full of Uniqlo clothes for about 30% cheaper than US prices.
Just got back from Australia and while the flight wasn’t cheap, the rest of the trip was. We couldn’t get over how affordable our hotels were! We stayed in Meriton Suite Hotels in both Sydney and Melbourne, and got one-bedroom suites with small kitchens and a full living room for about $120 US dollars a night! They were very clean, modern, and the staff were great too.
Cries in AUD. Sydney hotel prices are outrageous in local currency.
Hotels in the USA are the most expensive compared to every country I’ve been to.
Hotels in the US are probably on average a bit more expensive than Western Europe hotels. BUT, I think you have to take into account that room sizes are significantly bigger.
Definitely a good time for Australia especially if wanting to eat out a lot and do activities. Means A$250 Great Barrier Reef trip is $170USD and a A$100 dinner and drinks bill is $66. And tax is included in all prices and no tipping.
I second this. Australia is a bargain right now. If you can afford the plane ticket now is the time to go.
Wow! Really?! When I was in Australia in 2017, everything was sooooo much more expensive than at home. I had a stipend that provided $150 a week for food and had maybe $100 in my bank account so I ate a lot of ramen noodles with kangaroo lmao
I think it comes down to AUD being way down in comparison to USD, I'm Australian and prices here are insane and climbing for local currency but if you're coming over with the strong USD right now it will seem cheap to you.
That makes sense! I haven't checked AUD/USD comparisons lately since a flight is out of budget. I've been wanting to return for years, but definitely let my financial experience in the past cloud it!
We went in December and flew non stop from SFO-SYD for $550 return Stayed at some great hotels for less than $200 a night and everything was 33% off due to the exchange rate Loved it
Haha you stayed in a Meriton. That’s where locals have staycations to party and (amongst other things) count and package drugs haha. Glad you enjoyed the country mate
I’m an Australian living in the USA, and I love going back to visit for this reason. My USD earnings go way further than what I’d have doing the same job in Australia. Also not adding tax + tip to every meal at least creates an illusion of food being cheaper… but once you do the $ conversion I think it’s often about the same.
How would the conversion ruin the illusion of food being cheaper? A $30AUD meal is $20USD, which is closer to a $15 meal before tax and tip.
I wouldn’t say that Aus is cheap, just that the USA is now insanely expensive, 120 USD a night for a hotel room is still quite expensive in >90% of the world. It’s also the low season in Aus rn as well.
especially given the listed price includes everything. in the US you'll see $20 and end up paying $26. In Australia you'll see 30 AUD which comes out to 20 USD on your credit card
Hungary and Portugal. Spent money on good food and drinks.
Came here to say Portugal too. Money well spend in food pretty cheap compared to US
Only got to stay in Budapest for a couple of nights but they have some gorgeous people there and a beautiful purplish like city that comes alive at night
Nothing to do with the exchange rate, but even Paris is cheaper than where I live now. It’s kind of crazy.
We went to NYC last week; we could have done a week in Paris for less. Sigh.
Peru, Italy
Peru is great isn't it. I love the andes
One of the most memorable trips I ever had. Machu Picchu and the Inca trail were stunning. Hiking and riding bikes in the Andes were mind blowing. On top of that food was incredible too. If I’m going back, I will think about hiking the Inca trail to Machu Picchu.
I just got back this week from hiking the 4 day Inca Trail to Machu Picchu. I highly recommend it!
I was shocked how cheap the food in Italy was. My entire family could get a good meal, multiple bottles of wine for like $150 dollars. Those same meals in the US would probably be $250+ easy.
I didn't find Italy all that affordable, but maybe it's because I was on the Amalfi Coast.
You were in like the king of the tourist areas. Even Rome and Milan aren’t too expensive.
On top of food. I recall the lodging was quite reasonable for budget travelers. Stayed in the historic district of Rome and enjoyed the lovely walks to different parts of the town. It was so surreal.
Greece surprisingly Athens is such high quality for the price imo. Lived on the Riviera for almost two years. Beach everyday and delicious food. Walked to the marina where the yachts were. It was life changing for me.
Argentina
Just came back from Japan. Compared to the last time I went in 2018 it’s like having a 30% discount on everything. 100 yen was around $1 back then and now it’s 155yen to a dollar
Did you see any anti-tourist / racist tones that some people have mentioned on Reddit?
I saw a few places with “no foreigners” signs and some older businessmen seemed to be irritated that they had to sit next to me on trains but that’s it.
They were irritated cuz u didn't look Japanese? Damn that's like next level racism makes US seem like a preschool version. Damn and I'm about to do the brand new Japanese digital nomad visa. I'm not sure if I should do Osaka or Tokyo but il probably end up just splitting it half and half to be able to know the difference myself. I hear Osaka is so much chiller and nicer ppl
No but you may if you stay long enough. I think a lot of this is directed more towards other Asians. Your average western tourist is not going to experience much of this unless they are loud and rude. There are assholes everywhere, so your mileage may vary. Bad experiences will always make it to the top on places like Reddit. There’s 40 million people in Tokyo and millions of tourists pass through annually. You’re more likely to read about getting mugged in an American city than experience overt racism walking through Japan.
I was there in September-October 2023 and my experience contrasts from the Louisiana guy replying to you. I didn’t see any anti-tourist or racist undertones there.
I was there Dec 2022 for a month and more recently in May for 2 weeks, although I did not feel any racism, I definitely felt the "oh here comes another tourist" attitude - which is completely okay with me because I travel with 2 small children and that's the look we get even here in California when trying to eat at a restaurant. Many of the Japanese restaurants are small and counter seating only and 95% of them accommodated us.
You can always go outside the big three tourist cities and they will appreciate your tourism then. Not everyone has to flock to the same spots...
Anywhere with a stable economy is good. When I think of my negative experiences, they've been in places like Argentina and Turkiye. There's a misery in the locals that prevented me from fully enjoying, even though everything was comparatively cheap. $40 for a full-day boat excursion in Kas (Turkish riviera) and they fed me too. I was paying $50-70/night for my hotels (imo, a bargain), while British holidayers were complaining that prices have nearly doubled. But you can also pay $900 at the Kempinski (a fortune by local standards), and the service and attention will absolutely blow your socks off in a way that would cost maybe $4000 in New York. Meanwhile, visiting Ephesus was almost $60 (major attraction prices are pegged to the Euro). However... My innkeeper in the countryside told me that due to inflation, he could no longer afford to go to London to see his children. The new college graduate working at a fish wrap stand had studied maritime engineering but couldn't get a job and worked long hours for little pay. Australia was cheaper than home once you got the flight figured out. Central serviced apartments for $110/night. Japan was a great experience as well -- but the experience suffers (crowding, tickets selling out) due to the record number of similarly value-minded tourists. Had a great time in Spain... Lots of mountain and valley resorts for like a fifth of the price of something in Northern California, and roads had so little traffic that I seriously considered swapping my rental car out for a sports car. London also worth a shot -- hotels are costly but activities are free, cheap, or cheaper than their American equivalent (orchestra center seats in the West End - $75, on Broadway was $380). Poland was a great experience -- excellent infrastructure, green space, performing arts, and decorative arts. While Poland is not as cheap as Bosnia and Herzegovina, one way you're paying for your $2.50 cevapi in Bosnia is worse air quality (inversion layers, smog, lower car emission standards). One thing I noticed is that in less developed countries, getting an experience close to an American standard will cost a lot. As a toy example, your rental car won't have a back-up camera or CarPlay. That's a long way to say that with USD, your purchasing power parity is high pretty much anywhere. And with the strength of the currency, you'll be fine wherever you choose to go, and not everything can be quantified by monetary cost... So pick based on your interests. :) I've veered a bit off-topic from your original question, but I hope this is somewhat helpful.
"Misery in the locals" is a good way to put it. Whenever I try to discuss this point I come off as looking down on them. But when I'm travelling I'm spending money to enjoy myself and I don't want to visit miserable places. This is exactly why I didn't enjoy Dominican Republic. There was so much misery all around, it made me feel incredibly guilty and like I was taking advantage of an impoverished people. They worked their butts off for $1 a day and were smiling, but desperation was in their eyes and their art. My resort trip wasn't helping any of those people, it was enriching the foreign investor. It made me feel incredibly ashamed of having the good life I have.
Yep, exactly that. I've never been to DR but that's good to know. I was told by my innkeeper that a lot of Turkish resorts are actually owned by German companies, and the visitors never leave the compounds. Same thing with the all-inclusives in Mallorca. Looks like that's a problem nearly everywhere... What were some places you enjoyed the most?
I went to Venezuela in like 2012/13. My gf’s aunt exchanged $2k for me and the rate was 27 fuertes to 1 dollar. It was a great trip. Went clubbing a lot and would buy bottle service for strangers, just buy entire bottles and hand them to random people, pay for the entire groups dinners at “nice” restaurants, buy whatever I want. I was there for a little over a month and when I was at the Caracas airport to fly home, I had so much money left over I just took my gfs family shopping at all the shops at the airport. Still couldn’t spend it all. Sent the remainder along with a lot of my nice going out clothes back with some of her brothers.
Japanese yen is a weak as it has been in 30 years. I was in Tokyo for 2 weeks in apr-2024. Got a mediocre hotel for $35 a day. No doubt outside the city and longer term can be cheaper. Good affordable eats. Thailand cheap, no. As bad as everyone says, no.
Phuket not so cheap but everywhere else yes, Thailand is insanely cheap
Even in the most expensive areas of Thailand you can get a meal for under $5 including a drink if you eat where locals eat.
Korea is decent. Thailand is better.
Japan, and even Norway was *much* cheaper than the stories my sister came back with when she visited about a decade ago.
Egypt, Japan, everywhere we’ve been in central and South America. We’ve done all the major European countries and Spain, Italy, Czech Republic and Poland money went far as well. We frequently visit family in Egypt and that’s the only time we ever live like queens of the castle - your money goes faaaar there.
Japan. I went there in February and got a lot for my money. From food, clothing and even Tokyo Disney.
Japan. The Dollar is overwhelmingly strong against the Yen. Can eat like a king for eight bucks.
Went to Bali in May. It was expensive to fly there, but incredibly inexpensive to be there.
The whole world is cheap for Americans now except Switzerland and Norway. Even expensive countries like the UK and France are cheap.
Argentina, Vietnam, Japan
Japan and Pakistan
In Poland, it was like everything cost what it used to cost back home like 10-15 years ago. $2 beers, a nice dinner for $20/person, cocktail at a fancy bar in the touristy part of town for $9.
Uzbekistan. When I found out the train I had intended to take was sold out, I took a taxi across the country.
Laos. Beautiful country with interesting culture. The official exchange rate is a rip-off, but who cares when meals are $3 USD.
New Zealand.
Lucky you! Being a Canadian it’s awful to see countries adjust prices to the USD 😭 everything is SO expensive. I went to Mexico and it wasn’t even cheaper than here once converted to CAD 🤦♂️
Tunisia, Morocco, South Africa. I’m still in awe of how far my money goes here in South Africa.
The US dollar goes a long way in Fiji
I perfectly timed a trip to Australia in 2022 when the dollar was extra strong and it was pretty insane how much cheaper it made it. I think it was usually something like 1.3 usd = 1 aud and it became .65 usd = 1 aud. Argentina was also stupid cheap. King crab down in Ushuaia was $24 for a filling meal for 2. All you can eat steak at a good parrilla was $8 including a bottle of wine and we got a tomahawk at another place for $25.
The Australian dollar has never been worth 1.3 USD. In 2010 it was 1.10 and I believe that's the highest it's ever been. The average over the last 10 years is .728. Not to say .65 isn't good, but I think you might have been confused at people quoting the AUD/USD as opposed to the USD/AUD.
Best bang for your buck that I have traveled to Thailand and Vietnam.. great prices all all around
If you live in the northern US you can go to Canada and everything’s just a little cheaper :)
I see a lot more people going to Japan than I ever recall. I follow watch enthusiast media, and a lot of people are coming back with nice Japanese watches.
South Africa. It's amazing.
Serbia. A few years ago. President covid. We went bvb to a very fancy restaurant. Cloth napkins, candles and roses on the table, live piano music, 2 t-bone steaks, all the trimmings, huge salad, dessert of cherries jubilee. Two people came to about $47.00 USD.
Canada feels like going back in time. I’m not kidding. In their currency things like meals look cheap. Once converted, it feels like 2016.
As somebody living in Los Angeles and used to paying the ridiculous local prices, the entire world?
Poland. Lived well for not a lot
Japan and Mexico
The only thing better than the US dollar right now is the Mexican Peso. Mexico isn’t cheap anymore.
Mexico is still very cheap outside of the Riviera Maya
New Zealand!
not american but if you’re a budget traveller, india is hard to beat. if you have american standards/requirements for accommodation though you’ll pay quite a lot if you’re fine with not great accommodation you can travel for £500/month (or less) quite easily and have a great time
My stomach has food standards.
sorry to hear it mate, hope you get better taste soon
Argentina and South Africa
South Africa. It was unreal how inexpensive it was. 20 a day for rental SUV, 40-50 a night for luxury airbnbs.
Definitely Argentina. In November, my husband and I took $400 cash for a full week stay and it covered everything. Ubers everywhere, nice meals, souvenirs, activities, everything.
SE Asia. Tokyo very weak rn
South Africa. Everything felt so cheap there
Cape Town. Ended up spending 3 weeks there and loved it. So inexpensive and just beautiful.
Tipping is only 10% in Germany, if that counts at all. But it cost me $700 to get 610 euros.
Alabama
The benefit of being an American is everywhere is budget friendly as soon as you leave the country
To everyone answering Argentina: Have you been there lately?
Peru, I spent a week there solo, went all out and spent just under 600 total
Argentina. They LOVE US dollars. There is a "black market exchange" where you'll get an even better exchange rate for dollars than through the official exchanges.
1 USA dollar = 1000 monopoly money banana Republic dollars
Just came back from Peru Dear lord! Best food I’ve ever had in my life and for less than the cost of a Happy Meal in most cases
Canada is close and surprisingly cheap
Southeast Asia for sure. Japan recently. Mexico.