Travel budgets… Everyone talks about them, but what do you really know?
Before we left on our trip, I read dozens of articles on how much it costs solo travelers as well as couples. While trying to compare budgets between different travel itineraries and travel styles is difficult, it at least gave us a rough approximation of what to expect.
But, seriously. There were so many questions that I could not find detailed answers for!
How much money per day should I expect to spend in X country as a couple? Where is the best place to splurge on activities/meals and where should I lay low since everything is too touristy anyways?
Now that we have completed our one year of travel while keeping track of almost every expense for 365 straight days, we have a ton of data to share. The benefit of all of this data is that a lot of surprising results are beginning to emerge. I already wrote about how we were shocked that 5 months in Europe was cheaper than 3 months in South America.
Since I am at a bit of a loss at where to begin, I am going to ask you… What kind of travel budget info would you like to read about? Check out the options below and then answer the super short survey right below the options.
Can’t wait to hear your thoughts!
Some options I could write about:
- An analysis of money spent on breakfast, lunch , and dinner while traveling and what we learned about how to cut some corners while still eating healthy.
- A breakdown of the cheapest country we visited (expenses per day) compared to the most expensive. What was the most expensive country and was it worth the cost? Would we visit the cheapest country again or was there a reason it is a cheap travel destination?
- A comparison of transportation expenses and what the best options are in each region of the world (bus, car, taxi, train, plane, boat).
Quit his job to try actually following his dreams for once... and is currently loving it. He is working hard to to make this life-style permanent by writing about his adventures and brainstorming money making opportunities with his partner-in-crime, Meg.
I’d love to read about all three options! I’m interested in how you managed eating healthy while on the road and I’d also like to read about budget toward accomodation…did you stay in private rooms most of the time ? Love your blog, can’t wait to read more!
Thanks, Cayley!
I think I will definitely cover all three options (plus more), but maybe I’ll do the eating healthy option and the accommodation ones first.
Thanks for the great feedback!
Especially number 2 and 3. Food is tough as everyone has different ideas of a meal. I recall being in Mexico and just loving a fresh pineapple and bananas from the local market for my lunch, but others would need a sit down meal. Transportation is really good to know and the country comparison is great. I have been looking for something like that. We are currently in Spain and looking to be more mobile for the summer in Europe. I am scouring the web trying to figure out an itinerary on a tight budget for family of 4 and comparing countries… then hopefully the following year we can do SE Asia or S. America. So write up your post soon. Thanks!
Transportation was something I was definitely interested with before we left for our trip. The easiest way to travel changes the a ton between countries and different regions of the world!
I will definitely get a transportation expense breakdown out pretty soon and I will try to get some good tips about Europe for you!
Thanks for reading and thanks for the response!
Hi Guys,
I can’t seem to see the link for the quiz ??
Oops survey not quiz
Thanks for the heads up Mellisa! The form was broken, but it should be fixed now!
covering all three would be very helpful! i plan on going to europe for the first time and would also love to read about your suggestions on where to go, given a tight budget.
So many different travel options in Europe! The train system is pretty is good though. If you’re staying awhile, looking into a eurorail pass might be a good option. Although you really need to do a lot of travel to make it worth it… I think!
I will definitely do my best to get some good budget articles out asap. Thanks for the feedback, Lisa!
You are so right about there not being enough detailed budget data out there. I like to see it broken down by accommodations, travel, food, and activities. I also like to know the person’s travel style, so I can compare to my own and know if I’m likely to be over or under.
I put all my budget and actuals out on my site because I find this information to be so useful.
We kind of had to wing it for our trip! Kept things exciting though and we stayed pretty close to our budget which surprised both of us at the end
I will definitely do some breakdowns of all the different aspects of travel. Good idea to explain our travel style too. There is a big difference in costs depending on people travel and like to enjoy the road.
Thanks, Stephanie!
I placed my vote! I would like to know about expenses per week with accommodation, food, travel, phone, going out (for a coffee or a beer, etc.)
Thanks, Izy. I will try to do a massive breakdown shortly. So much good stuff to share!
I think you have to break it down almost to a commodity basis. so taking Izy’s suggestion a little further… what does a coffee, beer, etc cost in each location (split between city versus town). If you’re going to do it by meal I think it should be split between average cost of eating in versus eating out for each one. That way you can make a more accurate comparison between places.
I know you guys stayed in different types of accommodations everywhere so that could really change the overall budget. I’m not sure how you’d account for that.
We could easily breakdown accomodation, but unfortunately… our food consumption wasn’t that detailed. I have breakfast, lunch, and dinner split up, but I averaged grocery purchases along with dining out.
But having a place with a kitchen where you can buy groceries definitely saves a ton while you are on the road!
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