I’ve always been frugal. In this guide, I explain how to travel on an ultra-low budget of less than $10 per day so you can travel longer, further, and see more with less money. You may find some of these methods a bit hardcore. Some may be unethical. Some may even be illegal in certain jurisdictions. Pick and choose the ones you’re comfortable with. Any traveler can greatly reduce their budget by employing a few of these helpful money saving techniques. This is my guide to ultra low budget travel.
When I first started traveling 12 years ago, I was on an extremely tight budget. I camped, hitchhiked, and scrimped everywhere I could to save money. In this guide, I’ll share how I travel on a tight budget.
How Low of Budget Are We Talking About?
This really depends on the region of the world you’re traveling in and your expectation of comfort. Whatever your current budget is, the following tips will help you reduce it.
For the purposes of this guide, we’ll set our travel budget goal to $10 per day. With that budget, you can enjoy many popular travel destinations around the world including Southeast Asia, Central and South America, India, and Eastern Europe if you’re frugal. Some hardcore budget travelers get by on as little as $5 per day.
It’s even possible to explore the developed world on this budget if you’re willing to use some of the more hardcore money-saving techniques. It all comes back to your comfort level.
Making a Travel Budget
If you don’t already have a travel budget, I recommend you make one first. To help you out, check out my guide: How to Make an Accurate Budget for Long Term Travel.
Once you have a rough idea of your travel budget, you can pinpoint the areas where you feel like you’re overspending and utilize this guide to help you cut costs.
Table of Contents
This is a long article. Use the links below to help navigate the page.
- Food and Drink
- Accommodation
- Transportation
- Activities
- Health
- Additional Ultra Low Budget Tips
- Final Thoughts on Ultra Low Budget Travel
How to Reduce your Food and Drink Budget While Traveling
This is where the bulk of your $10 per day budget will go. This is also a pretty easy place to cut costs. Most travelers choose to eat out for convenience. The drawback is the fact that restaurants food is expensive. I know because I used to manage one. Typical food cost of a restaurant is around 30%. That means you’re paying an additional 70% for the convenience of having the food cooked for you and served to you. Is it worth it? In our case, no. We’re on a tight budget.
While traveling, my goal is to spend less than $5 per day on food. That’s $150 per month. In some destinations, I can eat healthy for less than $100 per month if I’m careful. Here are some tips to help you cut your food budget while traveling:
Buy and Cook Your Own Meals
When choosing a hostel always make sure to book one with a kitchen so you can prepare your own meals. Even if the hostel with a kitchen costs a couple of dollars more per night, you’ll save money in the long run by preparing your own meals.
With a bit of practice, you can cook a healthy, filling meal for less than a dollar per serving. If you’re determined to save money, you can eat for practically nothing.
Make a trip to the grocery store and stock up on healthy, low-cost foods. For example, I like to buy:
- Pasta
- Eggs
- Rice
- Beans
- Bread
- Tortillas
- Chicken
- Sliced meats
- Canned tuna
- Peanut butter
- Cheese
- Yogurt
- Ramen
- Crackers
- Potatoes
- Oatmeal
- Other local favorites
I also like to make a stop by a roadside stand to stock up on fresh fruits and vegetables. What I buy depends on where in the world I’m traveling. Choose locally grown options. They’re cheaper. Produce at roadside generally costs much less than supermarkets. I like to buy:
- Broccoli
- Carrots
- Onions
- Tomatoes
- Mushrooms
- Cabbage
- Avocados
- Mango
- Pineapple
- Other local produce
I also buy a few additional items to add flavor to my foods such as:
- Salt
- Hot sauce
- Soy sauce
- Vegetable oil or olive oil
- Tomato sauce
- Bouillon cubes
- Local seasoning or sauce
Simply pick and choose ingredients that you like from the above items and craft simple meals out of them. All you need to do this is some basic cooking skills. Some low-cost meals that I make include:
- Pasta with tomato sauce- This is simple, filling, and easy to make. It’s also something that everyone enjoys. I usually jazz up the sauce a bit with some onion, pepper, tomato, or any other vegetable I have. Sometimes I dump in a can of tuna for some extra protein.
- Stir fry- This is my go-to dinner. I just fry up whatever vegetables I have in some kind spicy sauce and serve it over rice. I usually use soy sauce as a base and spice it up with peppers or hot sauce. Sometimes I’ll fry up some chicken to make the meal a bit more substantial.
- Soup- This is a good way to use up all of your leftover ingredients before you move on to your next destination. Just boil up whatever you have including meat, beans, veggies, etc. Add a bouillon cube for a bit more flavor.
- Rice and beans- Another incredibly basic meal that everyone enjoys. Just cook up a pot of your favorite beans and serve over rice.
- Sandwiches or wraps- This is my standard lunch. I make simple sandwiches with peanut butter or meat and cheese and take them with me to eat while I’m sightseeing. I pack myself some chips, cookies, or crackers and a piece of fruit as a side. This makes for a simple lunch that you can enjoy on the go.
- Oatmeal- This is my go-to breakfast. It’s healthy, filling, and easy to make. Cut up some fruit to put on top to add a bit of flavor.
I recognize that all of the above meals are incredibly basic. You will get tired of these dishes after a while. It’s important to buy yourself a treat once in a while for a bit of variety. I buy myself a chocolate bar, cookies, or a soda.
Eat Street Food
While traveling, it’s important to enjoy the local cuisine. After all, that is one of the main reasons that we travel. Make it a point to try a few of the most popular local dishes in every country that you visit.
I have found that the best way to do this on a low travel budget is to eat street food. It’s usually the most authentic anyway. Many locals enjoy eating street food.
In some countries, like Thailand and India for example, eating street food costs less than cooking your own. You can enjoy a delicious hot meal for just a dollar or two.
While choosing a street food stand:
- Look for the busiest stand with the most locals- Chances are the food is fresh, affordable, and most important, tasty.
- Avoid eating in touristy or high-class areas- These stands generally charge more. They may also serve food that is target toward tourist.
- Avoid stands that look like they don’t get much business- Who knows how long the food has been sitting there. Food poisoning is a concern.
- Negotiate- Most stands don’t post the prices. Sometimes you can make a deal.
Travel with a Camp Stove and a Pot
While camping or staying somewhere where you don’t have access to a kitchen, you can still cook up your own meals if you carry a camp stove and pot. I have cooked in hotel rooms, on the side of the road, and even in parks. Your meals won’t be as elaborate most likely, but you can still cook.
When it comes to camp stoves, you have several options. I use an alcohol stove because it’s the cheapest option. You can easily make one yourself for free and you can find some type of alcohol to burn pretty much anywhere in the world.
If you prefer to buy a stove, I recommend you look for an international multifuel stove. These run on white gas, kerosene, or unleaded gasoline. You can easily find at least one of these fuels anywhere in the world.
Cooking Tip: Be very careful where you cook with your camp stove. There is an open flame. You don’t want to burn down your hotel or get a fine for cooking in a place where it’s forbidden. Also, make sure the area where you’re cooking is well ventilated. You don’t want to poison yourself with carbon monoxide.
For more info on cooking, check out my guide: How to Cook in a Hotel Room Without a Kitchen.
Take Advantage of Free Hostel and Hotel Breakfasts
When choosing a hostel or hotel, always try to choose one that includes breakfast with the price of a bed. Even if it’s just something simple like toast and coffee, the free breakfast saves you at least a dollar per day.
Unethical ultra low budget travel tip: Take some extra food for lunch and snacks. You may be able to make yourself a sandwich or grab a couple of pieces of fruit for lunch. This saves you even more money. I don’t really do this anymore because it is taking advantage of the business. It also causes prices to go up in the long run. If you don’t care about this kind of thing, you could cover 2 of your meals with the price of your hotel room.
Forage for Food
Harvesting wild plants is an excellent way to get food for free while traveling. There are a surprisingly large amount of edible plants growing freely all over the world.
Foraging can also be a fun way to learn about the natural environment where you are traveling. As an added bonus, it’s environmentally friendly.
Some examples of foods you can forage for include:
- Berries
- Nuts
- Mushrooms
- Wild greens
- Shellfish
Before heading into the forest to forage for food, be sure to do your research. You don’t want to accidentally harvest and eat something poisonous. You also don’t want to harvest anything illegally. Respect private property and don’t harvest anything endangered.
Every region and season has something different to offer. Some foods you can eat right out of the ground and some take a bit of processing to make edible. It’s all part of the fun.
I haven’t foraged myself but would like to give it a try at some point. Foraging for mushrooms, in particular, seems like a relaxing way to spend an afternoon.
Urban Foraging
Another way to cut your food budget is to forage in the city. In other words, dumpster dive. Many grocery stores and restaurants throw out perfectly good food at the end of the day. Many times they throw out foods that have been sitting around too long even though they are still perfectly good to eat.
I recognize that this method definitely isn’t for everyone. Eating food out of a garbage can isn’t too appealing. Digging through a dumpster makes you look and feel homeless. If you aren’t bothered by this, go ahead and give dumpster diving a try.
Never Pay for Drinking Water
In many countries, you can’t drink water straight from the tap. Sometimes it hasn’t been properly treated. Sometimes it’s contaminated with bacteria, minerals, and other contaminants from the water pipes in the city.
If you’re traveling on an ultra low budget, the cost of buying bottled water every day adds up. For example, if you drink 2 liters of water per day, you’ll end up spending upwards of a dollar per day on water alone. That’s a big chunk of our budget that we could better spend elsewhere.
To get away from paying for water, I recommend you carry a water filter while traveling. I bought the Sawyer Mini on Amazon and have been really happy with it. It allows you to filter tap water and water from lakes, rivers, and streams to make it safe to drink. I’ve used it to drink tap water in Africa, Southeast Asia, and Latin America and have never gotten sick. Check out my full review of the Sawyer Mini here.
You can almost always find filterable water for free. Fill a bottle in the bathroom of your hotel, a restaurant, or a store. Find a clean looking river or stream if you’re camping. You can even just ask someone if you can use their tap. Most people would be happy to give you a liter of tap water.
If you’re traveling in a region where the tap water is safe to drink, go ahead and drink it. There is no reason to waste money on expensive bottled water.
Cut Down Your Alcohol Consumption
This is one of the easiest ways to cut your travel budget significantly. While traveling on an ultra low budget, it’s best to cut out alcohol completely. It’s just too expensive. This one simple change will save the average traveler $100-$200 per month depending on how heavy of drinker they are.
I do realize that most travelers don’t want to quit drinking entirely. Having a couple of drinks at a local bar is part of the travel experience, after all. If you still want to enjoy a few drinks like I do, there are a few ways to keep your alcohol budget low:
- Don’t drink at bars or restaurants- Just buy drinks at the liquor store and drink at the hostel, hotel, a park, etc. The average bar has an alcohol cost of around 20%. That means you’re paying 5 times the actual cost of the drink for the convenience of having someone serve it to you and the atmosphere of the bar. You can save a lot by mixing your own.
- Pick and choose the nights that you go out- Rather than going out whenever the opportunity presents itself, just choose nights when you feel like it. If the vibe isn’t right, go to bed.
- Don’t get too drunk- You don’t care about money as much when you’re drunk. It’s shockingly easy to drink $100 worth of booze in a night without even noticing. If you limit yourself to two or three drinks, you can still have a nice evening without overspending.
In the past, I’m embarrassed to say, I have spent up to a quarter of my travel budget on alcohol. I don’t drink nearly as much as other travelers I’ve met. I can’t imagine what some people spend on booze over the course of a trip. I’ve even seen travelers have their trips cut short because they couldn’t control their drinking.
Ultra Low Budget Accommodation While Traveling
Paying for a place to sleep each night is the biggest cost of most trips. The goal here is to cut that cost to as close to zero as possible. Unfortunately, hotel and hostel prices seem to just keep going up. One thing I have noticed in the past few years is that many hostels have begun trying to appeal to a higher-end clientele. They brand themselves as ‘boutique’ and jack up the rates. At the same time, they don’t really offer any better facilities or additional service. $10 per day doesn’t go very far when it comes to accommodation. Luckily, there is one budget-friendly accommodation option left. That is camping.
Why Camp?
Basically, camping is the cheapest accommodation option available. In fact, you can usually camp for free. If you’re traveling on an ultra low budget, camping is your best accommodation option.
When I first started camping, I just did it to save money. Now, I have grown to love it. There is just something natural about sleeping outside under the stars. It’s a thrilling experience.
For more reasons to camp, check out my article Travel with a Tent: Why Every Backpacker Should Check Out of the Hostel and Camp.
How to Cut Costs by Camping While Traveling
First, you have to get some camping gear. You need:
- Shelter- You need something to protect you from the weather. Choose from a tent, bivy sack, hammock, or tarp. I prefer a tent or bivy sack depending on where I am traveling and how often I plan to camp. To help you decide on which shelter is right for you, check out my guides which compare tents to bivy sacks, hammocks, and tarps. A basic shelter starts around $50. Expect to pay around $100-$200 for a nice mid-range tent.
- Sleeping bag- You need to stay warm while you sleep. Make sure the bag you choose has a warmth rating suitable for the climate in which you plan to camp. There is nothing worse than spending a night curled in a ball trying to survive a freezing cold all night. Your sleeping bag will probably be the most expensive part of your camping setup. Decent 3 season down sleeping bags cost around $120-$200.
- Sleeping pad- You need to have some comfort to get a decent night of sleep. The mat also plays a major role in keeping you warm. I recommend a simple foam mat. They are cheap, durable, and easy to use. You can pick up a foam mat for around $14-$50 depending on thickness and quality.
Admittedly, there is a pretty high initial cost to buying camping gear. If you shop around a bit or don’t mind buying used, you can buy yourself a nice mid-range camping setup for around $250-$300. I recommend you avoid low-end gear. While it lasts just as long, it’s just too heavy and bulky to carry around while traveling. If you spend enough nights of your trip camping, even high-end gear pays for itself.
Another thing to remember when buying camping gear is that it needs to be comfortable and easy to use. When I first started traveling with camping gear, I packed a cheap non-freestanding tent and lightweight sleeping bag. I dreaded camping because the tent was a hassle to set up and my sleeping bag was too cold. You’ll camp far more often if you have quality gear that keeps you warm, dry, and comfortable while you sleep.
Where to Camp While Traveling?
Finding a suitable campsite while traveling can be a challenge. Particularly in urban areas. If you search long enough, you can usually find a free place to camp. Some campsite ideas include:
- Wild Camping- This is my favorite way to camp. Basically, you find a hidden spot away from any people or business and pitch your tent. The goal is to camp without being caught or found by anyone. This is easiest in rural or forested areas where you can easily hide. I recommend using Google Maps to scope out the area. The legality of wild camping varies by region. In most places around the world, it’s illegal. Wild camping is also known as rough camping or stealth camping.
- Ask permission to camp- Simply find a friendly looking person and ask if you can camp on their property. You can do this with individuals and businesses. If you do this, it’s good practice to return the favor in some way. Maybe buy your host some food or a beer. If you’re camping at a business, you’ll be expected to buy something from them.
- Ask the police or a fireman- Whether or not this will work depends on the country you’re traveling in. In many regions, police and firemen are incredibly friendly and helpful. I wouldn’t try this in my country but it is a good option in much of the world. As an added bonus, camping outside of the local police station is incredibly safe.
- Churches, mosques, or temples- Religious people are often charitable and welcoming to travelers. It’s part of their beliefs. Often times, you can camp on the grounds for free. Just be sure to be respectful of the building and any worshipers you encounter.
- Camp at a hotel or hostel- Many hotels and hostels allow you to camp on their property for a reduced rate. You still have access to all of the facilities. You’re just staying in your tent instead of a room or dorm. Most places don’t have camping posted on the price list. You just have to ask. Expect to pay about half the rate of a dorm bed.
- Campgrounds- Many cities have campgrounds conveniently located within city limits. These are particularly common in Europe. Of course, there is a cost to camp in a campground. The price is almost always lower than a hostel. Oftentimes you can access urban campgrounds by public transport. For example, while traveling to Amsterdam, I realized that the hostels were all way overpriced. I found a beautiful campground that I could easily access by tram. I ended up camping for less than half the cost of a bed in a hostel.
As you can see, finding a suitable campsite is doable pretty much anywhere, though it can take a bit of work and asking around. If you’re traveling on an ultra-low budget, it’s worth the effort as you can cut your accommodation budget to almost nothing if you can camp for free every night.
Couchsurfing/Warmshowers
Occasionally, you’ll want to sleep indoors and enjoy a warm shower. A great free accommodation option is to use the popular website Couchsurfing. Warmshowers is a similar website which caters to bicycle tourists. Both of these sites allow you to make a profile and connect with people all over the world who are willing to host travelers for free.
This sounds great at first because you get to save the $10-$20 per night that most hostels charge. While the service and room are free, you do have to be careful.
You can end up spending more money than if you’d just payed for bed in a hostel. Here’s how:
- Transportation- If your host lives outside of the city center, you may need to take the bus or metro into town to sightsee. This adds up if you’re making multiple trips per day. You don’t really know your host’s exact location unless they tell you in their profile.
- Food and drinks- Most hosts want to get to know their guest. That is the whole reason they participate in Couchsurfing. This usually involves going out to enjoy a meal or a few drinks together. As the guest, you are expected to treat your host or buy them a drink or two. If you’re not careful, you could easily go over budget.
- Hosts asking for money- I only encountered this on one occasion while Couchsurfing in Uganda. My host asked for a few dollars to cover water and electricity cost. They even had the nerve to ask while drinking the beer that I had bought them. In this case, I just paid to keep myself and the host on good terms for the night but I got out of there the following morning.
Keeping the above points in mind, you can still cut your travel budget considerably by Couchsurfing. Here are some tips:
- Stay at least 3 nights- You’re saving $30-$60 that you’d otherwise spend on a hostel if you stay 3 nights. You won’t spend anywhere near that much on your host. Even if you spend a third of your savings on food and drinks for your host, you still end up saving money.
- Write on your profile that you are on a tight budget- Just explain that you can’t afford to go out to a fancy restaurant or bar. Most hosts understand this. People couchsurf to save money, after all. You can always find an inexpensive way to spend time with your host.
- Offer to do some chores around the house- It could be anything from taking out the trash to fixing a leaky faucet. This could be an alternative to treating your host to dinner or drinks.
- Cook for your host- This is an inexpensive way to show your host your appreciation. Cook a meal from your home country.
As you can see you can save a significant amount of money by Couchsurfing but you do have to put in a bit of effort to realize those savings. The host needs to get something out of the interaction. You don’t want to be a bad guest. On average, Couchsurfing is cheaper than staying in a hostel.
Hostels
For ultra low budget travel, hostels aren’t ideal but sometimes it’s the only option. The average hostel dorm bed costs about $10-20 per night these days. In lower cost countries beds go for around $5 per night. In expensive parts of the world, expect to pay $30 plus per night. As you can see, they aren’t that cheap. Here are a few ways to save money at hostels:
- Look for a hostel that includes breakfast- This is worth at least $1-$2 to you. Free breakfast reduces your food budget.
- Look for a hostel near the city center or main sites- You can save a good chunk of money by walking to all of the city’s sites instead of taking a bus or metro. Some cities are more walkable than others. Take into consideration the location of the sites that you’d like to visit as well.
- Ask for a discount- Sometimes you can negotiate a deal. Particularly if you are staying longer than a week or so. This is more likely to work at small mom and pop type hostels than corporate run businesses. It also works better during the offseason when business is slow.
- Book directly with the hostel rather than through a booking site- Hostels can charge less because they don’t have to pay the booking company commission. For example, Hostelworld charges a 15% fee to all hostels who use the service. They pass some of the savings onto you if you book directly.
- Shop around- Some cities have dozens of hostels located within just a few miles of each other. Spend a bit of time checking prices and negotiating. Sometimes you can save a nice chunk of money by walking a few blocks and shopping for the best rate.
While staying in a hostel every night isn’t ideal for ultra low budget travel, there are ways to reduce the cost. For more hostel booking tips, check out my guide: How to Choose the Best Hostel.
Airbnb
If you plan to stay in a city for more than a week, check the prices on Airbnb. Often times hosts offer discounts of 20%-50% or more for long term guests. In some cases, you can score a private room for less than the cost of a bed in a hostel.
When I visited Mexico City last year, I found a room in an Airbnb for $100 for a whole month. It included access to a full kitchen, washer and dryer, wifi, and all utilities. That’s a steal. It was too good of a deal to pass up. I ended up staying for the month and fell in love with the city.
Hotels
Surprisingly, you can oftentimes find a room in a budget hotel for less than a hostel dorm bed. I find this to be particularly true in smaller towns or cities that don’t see too many tourists. These types of places only have a couple of hostels but lots of hotels. The hotels need to stay competitive so they offer low rates. The hostels have less competition and market to a different demographic so they can charge more.
To find cheap, basic hotels, you really just have to take a walk around. In my experience, the cheapest hotels don’t advertise online. Having said that, I always look online and compare hostel and hotel prices anyway just to get the lay of the land. Use the same tips listed above for hostels to save more money. Most importantly, negotiate the rate.
For example, when I first arrived in Nairobi, I found a decent hotel room with wifi, a private bathroom, hot water, and a tv for only $12 per night. That’s a deal. The best price I could find at a hostel was about $13 per night. All else being equal, I prefer hotels to hostels. It’s just nice to have a bit of privacy. Private rooms offer a bit better security as well.