10 Places Where Your Dollar Goes Furthest in 2025
Exchange rates in 2025 have created a window for budget travelers. The US dollar is strong against most Asian and Eastern European currencies, and several countries have reduced visa fees to attract visitors. The result: destinations that were already affordable are now absurdly cheap.
These ten places offer real travel experiences — not cut-rate versions of expensive ones — at prices that make week-long trips possible on a tight budget.
1. Laos — $15-25/day
The best value in Southeast Asia right now. A guesthouse runs $5-12/night. Local restaurant meals cost $2-5. Scooter rental or local buses for $8-15/day. Temple visits and waterfall hikes for pocket change.
Nong Khiaw and Hin Boun offer stunning scenery at rock-bottom prices. The new Laos-China railway makes long-distance travel cheap and comfortable. Kuang Si Waterfall near Luang Prabang — turquoise pools you can swim in — costs a small entrance fee.
2. Vietnam — $25-40/day
A bowl of pho costs $1-2. A hostel bed is $6-12/night. Budget hotels with private rooms run $10-20. The Reunification Express train from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City is an experience in itself and costs less than a nice dinner back home.
Skip Ha Long Bay’s tourist boats and go to Ninh Binh province instead — similar limestone karsts, a fraction of the price. Da Lat in the central highlands is cooler, cheaper, and less crowded than the coast.
3. India — $20-35/day
The rupee is at historic lows against the dollar. Indian Railways covers the entire country for almost nothing — a 12-hour train ride can cost $5-10 in sleeper class. Dhabas (roadside restaurants) serve filling meals for $1-2. Government-run tourist accommodations offer clean rooms at prices that would be unthinkable in the West.
The Taj Mahal entrance fee of $15 is steep by Indian standards but still a bargain for one of the world’s most iconic buildings.
4. Cambodia — $30-45/day
Cambodia recently dropped tourist visa fees to $30. Siem Reap guesthouses run $8-18/night. The 3-day Angkor Wat pass ($62) is better value than the single day ($37) — the complex is too vast to absorb in one visit. Rent a bicycle for $2-3/day to explore at your own pace.
Battambang offers authentic Cambodian life at lower prices than Siem Reap, with its own temples, a circus school, and the famous bamboo train.
5. Nepal — $25-40/day
The Ghorepani Poon Hill trek offers Himalayan panoramas for under $200 total — permits, teahouse accommodation, and meals included. Dal bhat (rice, lentils, and sides) costs under $3 and is the most filling meal in South Asia.
Local buses are cheap if uncomfortable. Domestic flights connect Kathmandu to trekking hubs for $50-80 when the alternative is a 12-hour mountain road.
6. Mongolia — $35-50/day
Vast steppe landscapes, nomadic culture, and experiences you can’t get anywhere else. Traditional ger camps cost $10-25/night and include meals. Horseback riding across open grassland costs less than a cab ride in Manhattan.
Join group tours to split the cost of reaching remote areas. Eagle hunting in the Altai Mountains is one of the most singular travel experiences on earth — at a fraction of what you’d pay for an African safari.
7. Albania — $40-60/day
Mediterranean beaches, mountain hiking, and European culture at prices that feel like a pricing error. Guesthouses run $15-30/night. Family-run restaurants serve massive plates for under $8. The Albanian Riviera has beaches that rival Croatia and Greece at a tenth of the price.
The Albanian Alps — specifically the Valbona-Theth trek — offer world-class hiking that nobody seems to know about yet.
8. North Macedonia — $35-55/day
Lake Ohrid is one of Europe’s oldest and deepest lakes, surrounded by Byzantine churches and Ottoman bazaars. Hostels and boutique hotels cost $12-25/night. Traditional Macedonian tavernas serve hearty food for $4-12.
The country’s compact size means you can visit Ohrid, Skopje, and Bitola in a single week without rushing.
9. Egypt — $30-50/day
The Egyptian pound has fallen significantly, making ancient wonders genuinely affordable. The Pyramids of Giza cost $13 to enter. Cairo’s metro system is one of the cheapest in the world. Local restaurants serve kushari (Egypt’s national street food) for $1-2.
Book Nile cruises through local operators for dramatic savings over international agencies. Visit during November-March for bearable temperatures and off-peak pricing.
10. Georgia — $30-45/day
Georgian hospitality is legendary and the food is remarkable — khachapuri (cheese bread), khinkali (dumplings), and wine from the oldest wine-producing region on earth. Wine tastings cost under $20 including transport to multiple vineyards.
Family-run guesthouses ($8-20/night) often include home-cooked breakfast. Marshrutkas (shared minibuses) connect cities for a few dollars. Tbilisi’s sulfur baths and old town are free or nearly free to explore.
Making Budget Travel Actually Work
Choosing a cheap destination is step one. Staying on budget once you’re there is the harder part. Low prices create a false sense of “everything’s so cheap, I don’t need to track spending” — and then you overspend precisely because nothing felt expensive in the moment.
Three things that keep budget trips on budget:
Track daily, not weekly. A daily spending check tells you if today was a $20 day or a $50 day. Weekly reviews only tell you after the damage is done.
Set a daily cash limit. Withdraw your budget in local currency each morning. When the wallet’s empty, you’re done.
Convert everything to your home currency immediately. The psychological distance of foreign denominations is real — 250,000 Vietnamese dong sounds like a fortune but it’s $10. See the numbers in your own currency and you’ll make better decisions.
How Spentrip Helps in Budget Destinations
Spentrip handles the multi-currency math automatically — log expenses in Laotian kip, Vietnamese dong, or Georgian lari and see everything in your home currency. The category breakdowns show whether your money is going to food, transport, or activities, so you can adjust before the budget slips.
For receipts in languages you can’t read — and you’ll get plenty in Laos, Vietnam, and Georgia — the premium AI scanning extracts the details from a photograph. Voice input works when you’re walking through a market and don’t want to stop.
These exchange rate windows don’t last forever. The destinations on this list are affordable now because of specific economic conditions — currency weakness, post-pandemic recovery incentives, new visa policies. If the Albanian Riviera or Georgian wine country is on your list, 2025 is the year to go.
