Cheapest cities in Asia for a first trip 💸
Every figure here is a mid-range daily budget per person — a room, food, local transport and sights, excluding flights. Cheapest first. How we work these out.
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The short answer
Across 44 city guides in Asia, a day costs between $18–40 in Pai (Thailand) and $80–160 in Seoul (South Korea). The median is about $57 a day, and 25 of the 44 come in at $60 a day or less.
Ranked by daily budget
| # | City | Daily budget | Cheap meal | Mid-range hotel | Transit | Avg. monthly salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 🇹🇭 Pai Thailand | $18–40 | $1–2.20 | $25–50 | $0.55–2 | ≈ $350 |
| 2 | 🇹🇭 Sukhothai Thailand | $18–40 | $1–2.20 | $20–46 | $0.30–1.10 | ≈ $380 |
| 3 | 🇹🇭 Ayutthaya Thailand | $20–45 | $1.20–2.50 | $25–55 | $0.30–1 | ≈ $400 |
| 4 | 🇹🇭 Koh Lanta Thailand | $22–55 | $1.20–3 | $34–74 | $1.50–4 | ≈ $400 |
| 5 | 🇨🇳 Kaifeng China | $25–45 | $1.20–3 | $30–55 | $0.30–0.45 | ≈ $780 |
| 6 | 🇻🇳 Hanoi Vietnam | $25–50 | $1–3 | $30–60 | $0.30 | ≈ $350 |
| 7 | 🇻🇳 Hoi An Vietnam | $25–55 | $1.50–4 | $30–65 | $0.30 | ≈ $320 |
| 8 | 🇹🇭 Chiang Mai Thailand | $25–55 | $1–2.50 | $30–70 | $0.30–1 | ≈ $450 |
| 9 | 🇹🇭 Krabi Thailand | $25–60 | $1.50–3 | $35–80 | $1–3 | ≈ $400 |
| 10 | 🇨🇳 Guilin China | $28–55 | $1.50–4 | $30–65 | $0.25–0.50 | ≈ $780 |
| 11 | 🇨🇳 Harbin China | $28–55 | $1.50–4 | $30–65 | $0.25–0.45 | ≈ $820 |
| 12 | 🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City Vietnam | $25–55 | $1.50–3.50 | $30–65 | $0.25 | ≈ $400 |
| 13 | 🇨🇳 Luoyang China | $30–55 | $1.50–3.50 | $35–65 | $0.25–0.50 | ≈ $850 |
| 14 | 🇹🇭 Hua Hin Thailand | $28–65 | $1.50–3 | $43–90 | $1–3 | ≈ $460 |
| 15 | 🇮🇩 Yogyakarta Indonesia | $30–60 | $1–2.50 | $25–55 | $0.25 | ≈ $180 |
| 16 | 🇻🇳 Da Nang Vietnam | $30–65 | $1.50–4 | $35–70 | $0.25 | ≈ $370 |
| 17 | 🇨🇳 Zhengzhou China | $35–60 | $1.50–4 | $40–75 | $0.30–0.70 | ≈ $980 |
| 18 | 🇹🇭 Pattaya Thailand | $30–75 | $1.50–3.50 | $35–90 | $0.30–1 | ≈ $450 |
| 19 | 🇨🇳 Xi'an China | $35–65 | $1.50–4 | $40–75 | $0.30–0.60 | ≈ $950 |
| 20 | 🇨🇳 Chengdu China | $35–65 | $2–4.50 | $40–80 | $0.30–0.60 | ≈ $1,080 |
| 21 | 🇨🇳 Qingdao China | $35–65 | $2–5 | $40–85 | $0.30–0.50 | ≈ $1,100 |
| 22 | 🇹🇭 Koh Samui Thailand | $30–75 | $1.50–3 | $50–115 | $1–4 | ≈ $480 |
| 23 | 🇨🇳 Guangzhou China | $40–75 | $2–5 | $45–90 | $0.30–0.65 | ≈ $1,250 |
| 24 | 🇹🇭 Bangkok Thailand | $40–80 | $1.50–3 | $50–100 | $0.50–1.80 | ≈ $800 |
| 25 | 🇹🇭 Phuket Thailand | $35–90 | $2–4 | $60–140 | $0.50–1 | ≈ $500 |
| 26 | 🇮🇩 Ubud Indonesia | $40–85 | $1.50–3 | $35–80 | $1.50 | ≈ $230 |
| 27 | 🇨🇳 Hangzhou China | $45–85 | $2–5 | $55–110 | $0.30–0.55 | ≈ $1,450 |
| 28 | 🇨🇳 Suzhou China | $45–90 | $2–5 | $55–115 | $0.30–0.55 | ≈ $1,350 |
| 29 | 🇨🇳 Beijing China | $50–95 | $2–5 | $55–110 | $0.40–0.85 | ≈ $1,400 |
| 30 | 🇮🇩 Bali Indonesia | $50–100 | $1.50–3 | $40–90 | $1.50 | ≈ $250 |
| 31 | 🇨🇳 Shanghai China | $55–105 | $2.50–5 | $60–130 | $0.40–0.85 | ≈ $1,550 |
| 32 | 🇯🇵 Nara Japan | $60–105 | $4–7 | $70–130 | $1.30–2 | ≈ $1,700 |
| 33 | 🇯🇵 Hiroshima Japan | $65–110 | $4–7 | $75–140 | $1.30–1.90 | ≈ $1,850 |
| 34 | 🇯🇵 Fukuoka Japan | $65–115 | $4–7 | $70–140 | $1.40–2 | ≈ $1,900 |
| 35 | 🇯🇵 Naha Japan | $70–125 | $5–8 | $80–160 | $1.50–2.50 | ≈ $1,600 |
| 36 | 🇯🇵 Sapporo Japan | $70–120 | $5–8 | $75–150 | $1.60–2.40 | ≈ $1,750 |
| 37 | 🇰🇷 Busan South Korea | $65–130 | $4.50–7.50 | $55–115 | $0.95–1.05 | ≈ $2,450 |
| 38 | 🇯🇵 Nagoya Japan | $75–130 | $5–8 | $90–170 | $1.50–2.20 | ≈ $2,050 |
| 39 | 🇯🇵 Osaka Japan | $80–135 | $4–7 | $85–170 | $1.30–2.20 | ≈ $2,000 |
| 40 | 🇯🇵 Kyoto Japan | $85–140 | $4–8 | $100–190 | $1.50 | ≈ $1,900 |
| 41 | 🇰🇷 Jeju South Korea | $75–150 | $5.50–9 | $60–130 | $0.90–1.40 | ≈ $2,300 |
| 42 | 🇯🇵 Yokohama Japan | $85–145 | $5–8 | $95–190 | $1.40–2.30 | ≈ $2,150 |
| 43 | 🇯🇵 Tokyo Japan | $90–150 | $4–8 | $100–200 | $1.20–2.20 | ≈ $2,200 |
| 44 | 🇰🇷 Seoul South Korea | $80–160 | $5–8 | $70–140 | $1.05–1.20 | ≈ $2,730 |