Backpacker Trip Budget by Days

Backpacking trip budget by days

To budget a longer backpacking trip you take an average daily cost and multiply it by how many days you'll be away. A few reference ranges to anchor on: Southeast Asia $30-50/day (Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Indonesia), Western Europe €60-100/day, United States $100-200/day in the big cities, and Brazil R$ 150-300/day if you stick to hostels. Most people end up splitting their money roughly as hostel 30%, food 30%, local transport 20%, activities 20%. Add another 10-15% on top for emergencies, visas and travel insurance. So 60 days across SE Asia at $40/day works out to $2,400 on the ground, and that doesn't count flights.

Applications

Plotting a route with Nomad List and Numbeo, working out the finances for a sabbatical or gap year, setting a savings target for a working-holiday visa (Australia, New Zealand, Canada), pricing out volunteer trips and exchange programmes, or just comparing destinations by what the whole trip would cost.

FAQ

Is the airfare included? No, this is just what you spend once you're there. Long-haul flights go in their own line because the price swings so much depending on the season and how early you book.

Hostel or guesthouse? A dorm bed runs $8-15/night in SE Asia, €20-35 in Europe, $30-50 in the US. A private guesthouse will roughly double that, though it's still well under what a hotel costs.

How much emergency reserve? Try to keep at least 15-20% of the total budget liquid on a second card or in a separate account, so you're covered if you get robbed, fall ill or have to rebook something.