We built this list not on "gut feeling" but on the daily budget data in our guides: per-person food + local transport + mid-range accommodation + activities + small expenses. Flights excluded.
Ranking (per person / day, mid-range)
- 1. Adana, Turkey — ~$63: In the kebab capital, eating to your heart's content is the sweetest line in your budget. Superb value/experience for city tourism in the winter-spring months.
- 2. Sofia, Bulgaria — ~$75: The EU's cheapest capital; Vitosha Mountain is a free view and public transport is dirt cheap.
- 3. Belgrade, Serbia — ~$84: Generous portions, cheap rakija, a free Kalemegdan sunset.
- 4. Cebu, Philippines — ~$90: This figure even includes waterfall + island tours; a lechon feast is a few dollars.
- 5. Cairo, Egypt — ~$93: Koshari is a dollar or two; most of the budget goes to pyramid and museum tickets — worth it.
- 6. Manila, Philippines — ~$95: With the silog breakfast + jeepney + carinderia trio, daily living costs are very low.
- 7. Bangkok, Thailand — ~$90-95: The world's best street food is still a dollar or two; the BTS makes transport cheap and fast.
- 8. Bali, Indonesia — ~$90: Warung meals and $10 massages; the budget grows fast once you move to villa comfort, so watch out.
- 9. Phuket, Thailand — ~$98: A bit pricier than Bangkok but still economical by island standards.
- 10. Marrakech, Morocco — ~$104: A riad stay is half the budget; food and market life are very cheap.
How should these figures be read?
The figures are for a mid-range traveller: a clean private room, one sit-down meal a day, a few paid activities. Switch to hostel + street-food mode and you'll travel most cities on 40-50% of these figures — pick "Budget" mode in the budget calculator on each city page to see your own number.
A cheap destination doesn't mean a cheap flight: always add the ticket price when calculating total cost, and where possible extend your stay in far-off destinations — the flight cost melts away as it's divided across the days.