The best cities for a trip on a budget
For travelers who count the day's spend. Roughly ordered by the per-person daily budget each itinerary states, hotel excluded, covering meals, tickets and local transport, with the cheap plates and the free sights that keep it there. The figures are from the itineraries and were checked when they were written, so treat them as a guide.
Shoulder seasons cut the room price more than anything on this list: June to October in Bangkok, November to March in Lisbon, and the hot months in Marrakech and Delhi if you can take them.
Checked October 10, 2026. Every city links to a day-by-day itinerary with the hours and prices looked up.
- Hanoi · Vietnam · 3 days
Hanoi
About ₫500,000 to ₫900,000 a day per person, roughly US$20 to US$35, for meals, tickets and Grab rides. Street meals are ₫40,000 to ₫90,000, museum tickets ₫40,000 to ₫70,000 and a bia hoi glass a few thousand dong; the Old Quarter and the lake are all within a kilometer on foot. The water puppets at ₫100,000 are the biggest ticket in three days.
See the itinerary: 3 days in Hanoi
- Ho Chi Minh City · Vietnam · 3 days
Ho Chi Minh City
About ₫500,000 to ₫1,000,000 a day: street meals ₫50,000 to ₫100,000, the War Remnants Museum ₫40,000, the palace ₫80,000, the new metro ₫7,000 to ₫20,000 a ride and a GrabBike ₫15,000 to ₫30,000. The famous banh mi at Huynh Hoa is ₫70,000 and a whole lunch. Day 3 is the expensive one: Cu Chi, Landmark 81 and a rooftop push it toward ₫1,500,000.
See the itinerary: 3 days in Ho Chi Minh City
- Bangkok · Thailand · 3 days
Bangkok
About 1,500 to 2,500 baht a day: street food 50 to 100 baht a plate, the Grand Palace 500 baht, BTS rides 17 to 62 baht and the river boat 16 baht. The temples and the markets are the plan and the river boat is the sightseeing. June to October rains for an hour most afternoons and the city is greener and cheaper.
See the itinerary: 3 days in Bangkok
- Delhi · India · 4 days
Delhi and Agra
About ₹3,000 to ₹5,000 a day in Delhi for meals, monuments and the Metro, . Foreigner tickets at ₹600 a monument are the biggest cost and the Metro is ₹10 to ₹60 a ride. The Agra day costs ₹5,000 to ₹7,000 with the Gatimaan Express and the ₹1,300 Taj ticket. Karim's in Gali Kababian and the gurdwara kitchen at Bangla Sahib are the cheap, good meals.
See the itinerary: 4 days in Delhi and Agra
- Kuala Lumpur · Malaysia · 3 days
Kuala Lumpur
About RM 150 to RM 250 a day: hawker meals RM 10 to RM 25, trains RM 1 to RM 5 a ride on a Touch 'n Go card, Grab RM 10 to RM 20 a hop. Batu Caves, Merdeka Square, Kampung Baru and the KLCC fountains are free; the Petronas ticket at RM 127 is most of the top end on day 2. Jalan Alor's stalls are dinner on the first night.
See the itinerary: 3 days in Kuala Lumpur
- Marrakech · Morocco · 3 days
Marrakech
About 600 to 1,000 MAD a day: a plate on Jemaa el-Fna under 100 MAD, a riad dinner 250 to 400, a petit taxi across town under 30 MAD by day. Day 2's four monuments add up to 330 MAD and the Majorelle combined ticket is about 300, so a cheap day follows an expensive one. The souks and the square cost nothing.
See the itinerary: 3 days in Marrakech
- Mexico City · Mexico · 4 days
Mexico City
About MX$900 to MX$1,500 a day, roughly US$50 to US$80: tacos MX$20 to MX$40 each, museums MX$90 to MX$100, the metro 5 pesos and ride-hails MX$80 to MX$150 across town. Roma and Condesa are walked and the Centro is on the Metrobús. Teotihuacán by bus from Autobuses del Norte is the cheap version of day 4.
See the itinerary: 4 days in Mexico City
- Buenos Aires · Argentina · 3 days
Buenos Aires
About AR$60,000 to AR$110,000 a day, roughly US$40 to US$75, for two meals, a ticket and transport: a parrilla dinner with wine is AR$35,000 to AR$60,000 and a Subte ride under AR$1,000. Prices move with inflation every few months, so check the dollar figure on the day. Recoleta Cemetery, El Ateneo, the Rosedal and Caminito are free.
See the itinerary: 3 days in Buenos Aires
- Taipei · Taiwan · 3 days
Taipei
About NT$1,500 to NT$2,500 a day: night market dinners NT$200 to NT$400, a beef noodle a few hundred, the MRT NT$20 to NT$65 a ride and YouBike free for the first 30 minutes. Longshan Temple, Elephant Mountain, Dihua Street and the creative parks are free; the museum is NT$350 and Taipei 101 NT$600. No tipping anywhere.
See the itinerary: 3 days in Taipei
- Lisbon · Portugal · 3 days
Lisbon
About €60 to €90 a day, among the cheapest in Europe, with Porto a little lower: lunch menus €12 to €15, a pastel de nata about €1.50, trams and metros €1.80 with a Viva Viagem card. The miradouros, the Alfama lanes and the Belém riverfront are free; Jerónimos and Pena Palace are the tickets. Sintra by train from Rossio is a cheap, easy day trip.
See the itinerary: 3 days in Lisbon
Questions
Which city is cheapest per day?
Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City at ₫500,000 to ₫1,000,000, roughly US$20 to US$40, then Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur. Lisbon is among the cheapest in Europe at €60 to €90, with Porto a little lower.
What about Prague and Budapest?
Both have itineraries here at about €70 to €115 a day, with cheap beer and free walking but expensive tickets: Prague Castle is 450 Kč and Budapest's Parliament, basilica and synagogue together about 28,000 Ft. They are good value, not cheap.
Do the budgets include the hotel?
No. Every figure is meals, tickets and local transport per person per day. A room in Hanoi or Bangkok can come in under US$40 a night; Lisbon and Taipei usually cost more.
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