How to Travel on a Budget Anywhere

Want to live abroad as a digital nomad or travel with minimal savings? Learn how to travel on a budget without sacrificing convenience or comfort.

I’ve been traveling for about two years now and one of those years was with a work travel program, Remote Year. While it was an amazing experience, it was not exactly cost effective. I’ve since learned how to travel on a budget effectively.

Everyone I knew prior to entering the digital nomad community had done most of their traveling as a backpacker. They would take a month or two off of work and travel around to as many destinations as possible; usually staying at hostels (backpackers) where they partied with and met fellow backpackers. 

While this lifestyle is incredibly fun, it definitely has an expiration date. It’s catered toward young twenty-somethings, and is only meant to be temporary as you are not working and would eventually run out of money.

For those of us who are a bit older, who prefer slow and authentic travel, and/or will be working while traveling indefinitely, this isn’t exactly the lifestyle we are drawn to. While Remote year and similar work travel programs are an amazing way to get into the digital nomad life, they are not a very affordable way to travel.

Thankfully- there are other ways to travel on a budget that don’t involve living in an extremely cheap hostel where the random guy in the bunk bed above you pisses all over himself, or by paying over $2k a month to do a work-travel program. 

So whether you just want to travel for a month or two, or you’re trying to live that digital nomad life, here are some trusty tips on how to do so- while on a very tight budget or small salary. 

Track Your Flight Prices 

This should be the first thing you do before traveling. During any given time (that is not a global pandemic) I have no less than ten flight trackers set. Whenever I have an idea to go somewhere, I save a flight tracker via Google Flights and Skyscanner. These are my top two suggestions. 

Skyscanner should be used to plan the most affordable ways to get somewhere. Since you can use the handy dandy “everywhere” tool, you can see what places are the cheapest from each country you’re visiting. This will help you plan the shortest and most affordable route around the world. 

I would suggest not using skyscanner to actually purchase your flights. The routes they prioritize are usually through third parties or extremely long flight paths. Use skyscanner to research and then move to google flights to cross check and actually purchase your flight. 

Google flights will give you the absolute best options. I’ve compared so many sites and Google still gives me the shortest trips with the best deals. Once I know a flight path I want to take, I plug it into google to find the actual best flight and travel date. Using their calendar option, you can see the average flight price for every day of each month so you know when to fly for the best value. Most flights shown can be purchased through the airline directly, so you don’t end up going through third parties.

Third Parties:

You should generally avoid them. Third parties often have these great deals because you are purchasing the cheapest fare type. This means you often can’t add luggage in advance, or at all. Some budget airlines will charge you to even check in or you won’t have the online feature to do so. 

You won’t be able to change your ticket if you have to and if you have to cancel, you’re not getting a refund. If the flight itself is cancelled, they often won’t assist you in rebooking with the airline. The price difference between buying from the airline directly and the third party is usually less than $30 bucks. It’s worth the security and peace of mind to pay a little more to buy direct.

Hotels vs. Airbnb: Compare Your Savings

I’m obsessed with hotels yet I rarely stay in them now. Hotels are convenient because you can check in 24/7, they have luggage storage and common areas to hang out while you’re waiting and some offer airport transport. That’s where the benefits usually stop.

For anything three days or more, I can promise you that Airbnb will be a cheaper and better option. Even for trips shorter than that, I usually use Airbnb unless self check in is not an option at all and my flights arrival time would make this difficult. Even then, only if the cost difference is minimal would I choose a hotel instead. This does happen sometimes, but it’s rare, which is why you should always do your research. 

With Airbnb, not only will you have a lot more space, but you’ll also get a kitchen which will cut your costs substantially. If you’re living somewhere longer term, this is obviously a requirement but even for the one-two week trips, you will reap the benefits and save quite a bit of money by cooking.

If you stay for a month, you will get a substantial discount as well, depending on the property. Sometimes it’s such a great discount that it’s cheaper to book the place for a month, than two weeks, even if you’re not going to be there for that long. Not to mention, it’s pretty cool to get the local experience by staying in someone’s home, in a real neighborhood.  

Budget With the Local Housing Market

I used to only use Airbnb’s when traveling. As stated above, the monthly discounts are great. After spending some time in Vietnam however, and realizing that I could get a furnished short term rental apartment for ¼ of the cost on Airbnb, I started thinking differently. 

For trips under a month, Airbnb is still my go-to. But for anything a month or longer, I’m definitely looking at renting locally. Renting an apartment is less complicated in most international cities than it is in the U.S. You will most likely still need to do a deposit and often pay for electricity and/or water, so you should factor that into the total cost when comparing.

Even with those additions, it’s often still significantly cheaper to get an apartment over an Airbnb. The easiest way to apartment hunt is by finding local Facebook groups, but some cities also have great rental websites and it only takes a quick google search to start researching. You can also join local expat groups and post your needs there. Many people are looking for sublets or know someone who is and can help you get a great deal. 

Save By Traveling During Off Season

I know, I know- who wants to go to Europe anytime but the summer?! Well, me, actually. Traveling during peak season is the easiest way to spend 2-5 times as much as you would normally. You’ll also be going at a time when the city is absolutely packed. It will be crowded, hotter than hell, and you’ll spend so much more time trying to do anything than you would during off season. You’re paying more to do less.

Traveling during off season doesn’t mean you need to go everywhere when it’s freezing cold or in the middle of a monsoon. Peak seasons are only a few months. The best way to travel on a budget is to go places right before or after peak season. You’ll still have great weather, everything will be open, but it’s not packed and over-priced yet.

During Remote Year, we essentially spent a year chasing winter. While there were months when that kind of sucked (No one needs to go to Chiang Mai in March), I felt so lucky to be in a lot of these locations with mostly just locals.

This year I’ve been chasing summer but that is not the same as chasing peak season. Choose places in hotter climates that are a little less known and you will have an amazing time. My favorite locations have been the cities and countries that are just gaining international attention because they aren’t overrun with expats and tourists yet and their culture has still been preserved. Save the really popular destinations for the spring or winter months. Rome in January was absolutely magical and I had the Vatican almost to myself.

Ask the Locals

Most well known spots are more expensive. Period. The tourist destinations will always cost you more, but they don’t have to cost you as much as you think. Sometimes they also aren’t even worth going.

The locals are your biggest resource for everything- don’t just rely on gimmicky tour guides and ticket offices (or don’t rely on them at all). Do your research and you won’t regret it. 

Ask your airbnb host for their recommendations for just about everything. They may know a cheaper driver than the ones you find online, they definitely have some favorite restaurants and they know the places you absolutely have to see.

Getting the local tips is even more important when you want to check out big tourist sites because they will probably be able to tell you where you’re being overcharged, how to do something cheaper and avoid long lines.

If you don’t have much time to chat up locals, spending a little time researching local blogs or reading the google reviews can be just as useful. Whatever you do- don’t just throw your money at the first tourist stand you see. 

Budget Tours:

If you’re going to do a tour, I recommend Airbnb Experiences or through Get Your Guide. These experiences are typically more unique and curated by actual locals, with a specific passion or expertise for what they are showing you. For walking tours, check to see if your city offers a free tour. These guides are usually the best as they are volunteering their time because they love their city, and they’ll have more energy since they are working for your tips.

On many Airbnb experiences I’ve bonded with our guide and they’ve been extremely willing to give me additional recommendations or tips. Our food and archeology tour guide in Rome actually created an additional three page food guide for us and let me text her for recs throughout our trip. I ate so well on that trip and discovered several places that didn’t come up in my own research.

Budget Your Meals By Planning

Not planning my meals has been one of the biggest hurdles to traveling on a budget. When I started traveling, I ate out for literally every meal, which I have since stopped doing. Eating is one of the best parts about traveling, but you need to do a little research and planning. Every meal you choose to spend money on should be worth it.

While at the airport or upon arriving, I usually spend some time reading blogs and scouring Google Maps to pin all the places that I want to check out. I also immediately ask our host or any locals I know for their favorites, as those are often the best.

Once I’ve narrowed down my top choices, I can plan accordingly. Almost everywhere has their menu posted online. I always look for this beforehand so I can check the prices with the reviews and see if this meal is worth the expense. 

If you know that you’ll be exploring different parts of the city, having pins all over that you’ve vetted will come in handy once you’re there and hangry. Taking the time to research will save you from stumbling into the first place you see or a tourist trap where you’ll spend 5x your budget on an average meal.

You can eat out and enjoy your life and still travel on a budget. A little research goes a long way. I’ve rarely had a bad meal and found some super cool local spots by examining reviews and pictures before going inside.

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