Asia has some of the most expensive places like Japan and Singapore, but you will also find some of the cheapest holiday destinations here in Asia. With so much to see and do, Asia is full of incredible places and cultures. You could be trekking in high-altitude mountains like the Tien Shan or scuba diving to the depths of the blue seas in Indonesia. But do so within your budget. So if you are wondering which are the budget countries you should visit on your next trip to the Asian continent, then here is a list of the cheapest places to visit in Asia that are worth checking out:

India

In India, the daily travel budget will not go past $35. Here you will find the cheapest guesthouses and hotels at under $10 per night, and if you dine in local restaurants, then you will only have to pay $20 or even less for a meal of two. Traveling between cities is also not that expensive and you can expect to pay $10 or even less for a day of travel in Indian cities. The entrance fee in most famous historical landmarks is also free and cheap in most places. Taj Mahal, Hawa Mahal, Red Fort, Humayun’s Tomb are only some places that you can visit in India.

Laos

Laos is one of the most spectacular and also one of the budget-friendly places to visit in Asia. You can keep aside a daily budget of $25 per day if you are visiting Laos. You will find cheap budget hotels with decent rooms at $10 – $20. Tuk-tuks at $5, and bus service between major cities like Vientiane to Luang Prabang will cost around $10. A three-course meal for two at a luxury restaurant will cost $20. Luang Prabang is a cultural hotspot of Laos, with its ancient temples, and there are spectacular caves, prehistoric sites, Buddhist stupas, mountainous regions, tropical forests, and cultivated rice fields to visit here. A cruise down the Mekong River is one of the best things to do in Laos.

Cambodia

Cambodia is cheap and how much? Well, stay at a cheap hotel will cost $5 per night. But you will find more luxury hotels at $20 or less. In most eateries, you can pay $5 for street food, and you can enjoy meals at restaurants at $15 – $20. You will find a tuk-tuk for all your travel needs, and traveling between major cities and tourist spots will cost anything between $15-$20. Angkor Wat is the number 1 tourist attraction here. But there are others like the Koh Rong Samloem Island. Temples abound everywhere in Cambodia, and watching an Apsara Dance, or hiring a bike to explore the quaint villages, exploring caves, diving, snorkeling, and swimming are the best things to do in Cambodia.

Vietnam

You get dirt cheap beer here in Vietnam, and it will only cost you some cents. Expect no more than $30 – $50 per day to travel and see the best of what this southeast Asian country has to offer. Vietnamese street food will also cost you less than $10 per day, and you could gorge on the most mouth-watering pancakes, noodles, spring rolls, and fish at less than $20 for two. Cities like Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh are also cheaper, and you can always find good hotels here at less than $15. Ha Long Bay, with its tiny islands jutting out of the sea is the best tourist site, and beaches like Da Nang or Hoi An, are also spectacular.

The Philippines

The archipelago of the Philippines is just a fantastic place to be if you love beaches and water sports. And if you are wondering whether the Philippines is expensive, then you may be wrong. A day of travel and touring may just cost you around $35 – $50. Traveling by buses or Jeepneys will cost you not more than $5, or you can take coach buses and taxis. But ferries are the best and cheapest mode of transport and cheap. You get the best street food within a budget of $10 per day, and if you want to spend more, then also food costs won’t cost you more than $20 per day, and budget hotels charge $10-$20 per night. Scuba diving, swimming, beach walks, exploring rice terraces, indulging in nightlife, are some things you can do in the Philippines.

Nepal

Backpackers love Nepal, and if you are traveling to Nepal on a budget, then the average cost will come around $30 or even less. You will find budget guesthouses or hotels within a budget of $20 per night. Food is cheap too, and a full meal will only cost $10-$20 for two people. Since much of Nepal is Himalayan mountains, trekking and hiking are the best things to do here, and it may cost around $30 for trekking costs. But there are other things to do besides trekking like wildlife safaris in Chitwan National Park, river rafting, boating, and a helicopter ride over the icy mountain peaks. Pokhara, Kathmandu Valley, Patan, Buddhist stupas, Bhaktapur, Annapurna Mountain are the best places to visit in Nepal.

Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka is one of the least expensive countries and places to visit in Asia. This pearl-shaped island is full of impressive heritage sites, from the ancient rock of Sigiriya to the Dambulla Cave Temple. The central highlands are best for picturesque vistas and there are spectacular beaches like Bentota Beach, Unawatuna Beach, and others. A night stay at a budget hotel or cottages will cost you under $20. Food is incredibly cheap and a meal for two at a local restaurant will be just under $20. You can travel in trains and buses within a budget of $10 – $15 per day and will be able to explore all the best touristy places. Nuwara Eliya, ancient ruins of Polonnaruwa, Adams Peak, Yala National Park, Sinharaja Forest Reserve are some best places to visit in Sri Lanka.

Thailand

If you can plan your Thailand travel itinerary with care and research, you may well spend just under an average of $30 per day and still see the most scenic and memorable landmarks of Thailand. You don’t have to stay in luxury hotels, and still, you can find decent cottages, homestays, hotels, resorts, that charge $10 – $20 per night. You will find tuk-tuks everywhere in Bangkok, and even in small towns. Buses and trains also are not that expensive even if you go, first class. There are many free things you can do in Thailand and places like Bangkok, Buddhist temples at Chiang Mai, Ayutthaya, beaches of Koh Samui, Phuket, Krabi, are must-see places in Thailand. Do not forget to slurp on pad thai noodles, coconut curry, beef salad, seafood in Thai restaurants.

Myanmar

One of the cheapest places to visit in Asia, Myanmar may be off the tourist radar, but it is also one of the best places to visit in Southeast Asia. If you are a budget traveler, then the maximum daily Myanmar travel budget may not cross 50 USD. Hotels, guesthouses, cottage stays charge anything in the range of $10 – $20 per night. Travel in buses and a train is also around $10-$15 per day budget. You must visit the heritage temples of Bagan by taking a hot air balloon ride, and Yangon is full of mesmerizing pagodas. You can do boating at Inle Lake, and there are beaches like Ngapali Beach, which is famous for water sports. Top tourist places are Shwedagon Pagoda, Mahamuni Buddha Temple, Mandalay, Mergui Archipelago.

Mongolia

Traveling to Mongolia can be the most unique experience of your life, and you have to just have to keep aside a daily budget of $30 if you are visiting Mongolia on a budget. In fact, Mongolia is one of the cheapest countries to tour in Asia, and you will find budget accommodation in Ulaanbaatar ($20). Food is way cheap than in most Asian countries ($10), and traveling also does not cost much ($5). Travel in July and you can watch Mongol tribes take part in festivals and practice archery, horse racing, wrestling. Mongolia is the land of the Gobi Desert, and there are surreal rock-cut landscapes, flat open grasslands, rugged peaks of the Altai Mountains in Mongolia. The best places to visit in Mongolia are Orkhon Valley, Terelj National Park, Khustain Nuruu National Park, Gobi Gurvansaikhan National Park.

Uzbekistan

If you wonder what the daily travel would expense in Uzbekistan, then you might be surprised to know that you only have to set aside 30 – 35 USD per day. Being one of the top tourist destinations in Asia, Uzbekistan is definitely cheap. You will find shared accommodation at under $25, and if you want a more luxurious stay then it might go up to 50 USD per night. Food will cost only under 20 USD per day, and here also you will get the best Uzbek dishes like Pilav, Shaslik, Lagman, and other traditional dishes in many local restaurants. Islamic architecture, traditional market places, mosques, and places of the old Silk Route are things to watch out for in Uzbekistan. Tashkent, Bukhara, Khiva, Samarkand, are the best places to visit in Uzbekistan.

Kazakhstan

You only have to set aside $20 -$25 per day, if you are traveling in Kazakhstan. This central Asian country is also one of the most scenic and budget travel destinations in the whole of Asia. Traveling, accommodation costs, food, everything is cheap here in Kazakhstan. A typical hotel will charge under 30 USD per night stay, and you can eat the most delicious dishes at local restaurants for less than $15. Almaty region with its lofty mountains, Turgen Gorge, Lake Balkhash, Aktau, Taraz, are some spectacular touristy places in Kazakhstan.

Azerbaijan

You can expect a daily budget of $35 – $40 when you are traveling in Azerbaijan. A budget hotel may charge you around $10, and $50 per day in luxury hotels. Food is cheap at $20 per person, per day. Azerbaijan is full of such gorgeous places as the Palace of the Shirvanshahs, the Caucasus Mountains, the medieval town of Baku, Shirvan National Park, Astara, Sheki are some of the top sites in Azerbaijan. You can travel via bus and trains. The Caspian Sea, Lake Goygol, Agh Gol National Park, are other places in Azerbaijan.

Indonesia

You will find the most exotic places to visit in Indonesia. There are such fabulous islands like Bali, Lombok, Sumatra, and rain forests, active volcanoes, spectacular terraced rice fields, and vibrant Jakarta with its spectacular nightlife and cultural places like Yogyakarta. But Indonesia is also a budget travel destination in Asia, that is if you stay at the right place and do the right things. A budget stay will not be more than $10-$15 per night, and you will find food costs cheaper too at $10 per person. Traveling between islands may cost you, but it is still very little. Gili Islands, Komodo National Park, Borobudur Temple, Raja Ampat Islands, Ubud, Seminyak, Jakarta are most famous places here in Indonesia.

Malaysia

Malaysia is also so cheap if you choose the right hotel for your stay or travel in local transport. You can find decent dorm rooms, guesthouses, the house stays at under $10 per night. You can get delicious meals for under 20 USD. Traveling in metro rails, minivans, bus or long-distance taxis is the best way to commute in Malaysia. The rainforests of Malaysian Borneo, the picturesque Perhentian Islands, glitzy Kuala Lumpur, cultural city of Malacca, the wilderness of Taman Negara, Cameron Highlands, Langkawi, Selangor are some of the best places to visit in Malaysia, Asia.

Kyrgyzstan

Probably, one of the cheapest countries in Asia, Kyrgyzstan is way cheap than most other Asian countries. The average daily travel budget rarely exceeds $20 and you will find budget dorms and guest houses at under $10. You will find traveling around cheap too and at under $10 you will be able to catch a shared taxi or Marshrutka. This central Asian country is best known for its mighty Tien Shan Mountains, ancient stops on the Silk Route like Tash Rabat and Burana Tower caravanserais. Issyk Kul Lake, Ala Archa National Park, Bishkek, Song Kol Lake, Jyrgalan Valley are some noteworthy tourist places in Kyrgyzstan.

What’s next waiting for you?

Now you know the entire list of budget-friendly places to visit in Asia, you can go ahead and plan your travel accordingly. If you are looking for some of the best places to visit near Asia then check out our other travel guides on Asia.