How much does one year of travel in Asia cost? Here’s how much I spent during one year of backpacking in Asia (Eurasia, to be precise), plus some tips on how you, too, can travel long-term on a budget.
Holy sh*t, I’ve been on the road for more than a year.
It seems like a crazy long time… but it doesn’t feel like it. The only indicators I have of my time on the road are my deteriorating English skills, woefully stained clothes, and of course, depleted bank account.
… BUT. My bank account is far less painful to look at than I thought it might be.
I expected to spend about €10,000 each in one year of travel, and I’d saved around €12,000 before leaving. However, I ended up spending about €8,000 after 12 months of travel in Eurasia.
Chill, right?
Table of contents
- How much does one year of travel in Eurasia cost?
- My backpacker spending habits
- Backpacking isn’t as expensive as you think
- Tips for backpacking on a budget
- Resources for saving and funding travel
2020 note: When I wrote this post back in 2017, I was traveling with my then-boyfriend. We since split up—oops!—so read this knowing we were sharing costs. Traveling solo is slightly more expensive, though traveling solo on the same budget is absolutely possible. I do it now!
How much does one year of backpacking in Eurasia cost?
I spent exactly €8,026 ($8,909) after 12 months of traveling in Eurasia. On average, I spent €22 ($24.50) per day.
In that time, I traveled to 10 countries:
- Georgia
- Armenia
- Iran
- Pakistan
- China
- Kazakhstan
- Kyrgyzstan
- Uzbekistan
- Afghanistan
- India
These countries were chosen primarily because they’re awesome, but also because they’re relatively affordable since I hold strong currencies. A month of backpacking in Armenia is going to be a lot cheaper than a month in Argentina. Just sayin’
To get an idea of just how budget-friendly these places are, here’s how much I spent in each country:
A monk walking into the mountains in Kazbegi
Georgia
- Time: 21 days (3 weeks)
- Total spent: €413 / $438
- Average daily costs: €20 / $22 per day
- Full breakdown: Georgia budget report
The epic spires of Goris, Armenia
Armenia
- Time: 19 days
- Total spent: €440 / $488
- Average daily costs: €23 / $26 per day
- Full breakdown: Armenia budget report
River next to the epic Dorud-Andimeshk train line in Iran
Iran
- Time: 55 days (~2 months)
- Amount spent: €1,376 / $1,528
- Average daily costs: €25 / $28 per day
- Full breakdown: Iran budget report
A sunny afternoon on the beaches of Karachi
Pakistan
- Days spent in Pakistan: 44 days (1.5 months)
- Total spent: €813 / $903
- Average daily costs: €19 / $21 per day
- Full breakdown: Pakistan budget report
Karakul Lake in Xinjiang, Western China
China (Xinjiang province)
- Time: 22 days
- Total spent: €393 / $436
- Average daily costs: €18 / $20 per day
- Full breakdown: Xinjiang, China budget report
The pristine Kolsai lakes near Almaty
Kazakhstan (Almaty region)
- Time: 14 days
- Total spent: €377 / $419
- Average daily costs: €27 / $30 per day
- Full breakdown: Kazakhstan budget report
Typical Kyrgyz scenery on the way to Song Kul lake
Kyrgyzstan
- Time: 26 days
- Total spent: €716 / $795 per person
- Average daily costs: €28 / $31 per person
- Full breakdown: Kyrgyzstan budget report
Sunrise in Samarkand
Uzbekistan
- Time: 19 days
- Total spent: €450 / $500
- Average daily costs: €24 / $26 per day
- Full breakdown: Uzbekistan budget report
Dara-e-Azdahar, the Dragon Valley, near Bamiyan
Afghanistan
- Time: 20 days
- Total spent: €1071 / $1,189
- Average daily costs: €54 / $60 per day
- Full breakdown: Afghanistan budget report
Celebrating Diwali in Chennai
(South) India
- Time: 125 days (4 months… at the time of writing)
- Total spent: €1,975 / $2,193
- Average daily costs: €15 / $17 per day
- Full report: South India budget report
Pitching a tent to save on accommodation for the night in Kazakhstan
A little bit on my backpacker spending habits
As you can see, I tried to stick to a budget of €25 per day. Less in India.
For some travelers that’s a lot… but for many travelers from wealthy countries it’s definitely not.
I’m budget-oriented—hello, backpacker—but there were times when I spent more than I intended to on things like clothing and electronics. These expenses bumped up averages for some countries, but if you’re planning on long-term travel, they’re inevitable.
(Unless you’re a magician who never breaks anything nor destroys clothes, which, alas, I am not.)
Since I’ve been on the road for a while, I’m also more willing to skip out on sights I find too expensive. Many a traditional house in Iran was skipped, and I’ve walked away from plenty of sights in India out of frustration at the not-always-logical dual pricing system.
If you’re on a short holiday these sights are worth the extra buck, but I’d rather have a few more days in India than see seven traditional houses.
The traditional houses of Kashan, Iran were costly for me… but I did cough up to see the bath house!
Finally, I have my vices. Every long-term traveler has their little comforts they’re willing to splurge on. Personally, I’m an antisocial cave troll who can only sporadically handle the socializing necessary for Couchsurfing.
If you’re willing to use Couchsurfing more often, you could spend a hell of a lot less money than I have. Do consider it if you’re on a tight budget… or just like meeting local travelers!
Roaming around in Palangan, Iran
The point: backpacking isn’t as expensive as you’d think
Long-term backpacking really doesn’t have to cost you an arm and a leg, especially compared to your cost of living. While living in the Netherlands, I was spending almost €2,000 a month. That’s four months of travel in India!
For me, a privileged traveler coming from the West, traveling is much cheaper than living in one place. Of course, that’s not true for everyone, especially those from developing countries with lower wages.
However, regardless of where you’re from, if you’re willing to put in some effort traveling can still be relatively cheap. Many people from countries all over the world can afford travel IF they prioritize and plan accordingly.
If you’re trying to up your backpacking game and travel on a budget more in the future, here’s my advice to you:
Bazaars of bread in Andijan, Uzbekistan
Tips for backpacking on a budget
Visit cheap countries. Your dreams of wining and dining in Paris will have to wait until you’re old and rich. Hopefully.
Set a daily budget… and stick to it. Like I said, I stuck to €25/day, less in India. Once you have the number in your mind, it’s easier to make sure you stay under.
Plentiful cheap pastries in Tbilisi, Georgia made it exceptionally easy to stick to our budget
Track your expenses. Try writing down ever. single. cent. you spend. It can be eye opening (and slightly disturbing at times). Being careful with spending is easier when you can see exactly where your money is going.
Travel domestically. All around the world, I meet people who say they can’t travel because they can’t get visas… except yo. FYI dudes and dudettes: your home countries are awesome. Why not explore them, first?
Hitchhike and use Couchsurfing. They’re the greatest ways to save money and meet people at the same time.
My friend Ismat, whom I met in Kabul, Afghanistan via Couchsurfing
Take photos, not souvenirs. We don’t buy stuff. It weighs us down. Photos on the other hand…
Use public transport. Forget taxis and drivers. Public transport is more interesting, anyway! Make an effort to buy the tickets yourself at stations rather than through travel agents to save more money… and have more adventures as a result.
Don’t fly. Flying is the same everywhere, and it’s costly, and bad for the environmentit’s . That’s no fun.
Use sites like Trusted Housesitters. If you’re on the road for a while, it’s a great way to find yourself a “luxurious” home base in which you can save money and lie low for a bit.
Get a tent. Once you have one, you can sleep for free virtually anywhere!
Camping for free at Fairy Meadows in Pakistan
Be nice to people. You never know when you’ll meet a friendly soul willing to host your sorry backpacker ass.
Eat (too much) bread. It’s filling and cheap. Don’t blame me when you get scurvy, though.
The inside of a marshrutka minibus in Kyrgyzstan. One ride costs less than $0.25!
More on saving, spending, and funding long-term travel
- How the f**k do I pay for all this long-term travel?
- 5 steps to save money for travel
- How to make extra cash and save money for travel
Want to know more about my epic journey? Here’s what Lost With Purpose is all about.
Wow thanks! Your posts are really inspiring! Love the photos. Definitely gonna see more of Central Asia.
I’m going to Iran in a couple of days from now!
Hi Reyhan, thanks for letting us know. Iran is great, we’re sure you’ll love it. Let us know if you have any questions. Cheers!
Hey Sebastiaan, dam good man, One year in Asia for less than $10,000!! its unbelievable. I had gone through your blog and saw that you have also gone to Iran, well that’s my place. What a superb description you have given on your spending for each place, really amazing. Really other people can get good information about planning their next trip. Well best of luck to you too for your next trip.
Hi there, great to hear you liked the article. One of the things that annoyed me when researching this trip was the lack of info on costs. Hope this an help other people with their budget planning.
P.S. I have deleted the second part of your comment, as we don’t allow advertisement like that in the comment section.
Nice post and great picks. Here in South Asia $10000 is too big amount actually.
Thanks a lot!
Can I just say it is all amazing and i encourage all that.. HOWEVER when you are on your own, and a lonely female ie. safety matters too, these costs may double – a room for a couple often costs the same as for one person.. so sadly when you – like me – have no choice but to go to these places on my own (or not to go) then costs are a bit different :/
Update to my comment – sorry not managed to look through your amazing blog in full just yet! – you say Iran prices are per room! Yes at least Iran has some single vs coupled equality.. 😀
Hi Alex, I’ve just “found” you. Thank you for all the tips. Am thinking of travelling with 2 other friends once allowed to (due to the COVID-19 madness). Am the eldest of the 3 (60 yrs old come June 2021). Am saving up and planning to visit Beijing again (went in 2010 but didn’t have enough of it) and from there, thinking of taking the train to Inner Mongolia, Russia (St. Petersburg) and probably to Italy (Rome). I guess I can probably be thrifty when in Beijing and Inner Mongolia..but I suppose not so in Russia and Italy… I wonder. Any tips?
Hi Neti, I’m glad you found the tips useful! Sounds like quite the trip you have planned 🙂 How thrifty you can be kind of depends on how comfortable you want to be. China can be (relatively) costly when it comes to trains and hotels, and in my experience it was comparable to Russia in terms of cost. St. Petersburg might be a different story – I haven’t been there in quite some time. But certainly more “remote” (as in… not Moscow and St. Petersburg!) parts of Russia should be on par with parts of China. I would actually expect remote parts of Inner Mongolia to be more expensive than Russia as it will cost more to get around (my speculation, I don’t know for sure as I’ve never visited Inner Mongolia itself, only Mongolia and southern Sibera).
You can save a lot of money by buying train tickets yourself or buying them once in the country already – many of the sites used to book tickets from abroad charge higher prices or large commissions. You should also make an effort to take overnight trains if you’re comfortable with that – saves on accommodation for a night! One more general tip I would recommend is making sure your priorities are clear, both with yourself and your friends, as to what is worth money to you in each place. Is it accommodation? Unique tours? Comfortable transport? Fancier food? Once you know what is and isn’t worth it, it’s easier to manage your budget… as opposed to spending on everything and everything without concern at the start because you’re in holiday mode.