After seeing so many questions, from how much does it cost to travel in Southeast Asia to how much bug repellent costs, we tried to put together a pan-Southeast Asia budget resource for a regular traveler. Of course, your cost depend a lot on your destination, but we've tried to break it down for you as much as possible as well as discussing some of the things that you are going to need to pay for.

Before you Go to Southeast Asia

See our Southeast Asia Packing List before you go so you know what to take at the minimum.  If you need help finding cheap airfare to Southeast Asia, we've put together some resources as well to help you save some money from the get-go.  Also, we recommend you always carry at least $200 emergency cash at all times and a backup credit card. Keep these separate from the rest of your money, and don't even carry this all in the same place. Before you go, you probably need close to $200 in gear unless you already have a good backpack. Essential items to bring include things like extra glasses or contacts, long socks, a flashlight and some other essential items. Also, don't forget a passport. Laos, Vietnam, and Myanmar do not offer visas on arrival to many foreign nationals, so be sure that you also pay for your visas in advance. 

Southeast Asia Travel Budget

We will come out and say it—you can't live in Southeast Asia on $5 a day, and unless you can make a lot of sacrifices $20 a day isn't going to keep you on the road, either. It is less expensive, generally, to go fewer places and stay longer. If you come to Cambodia and just stay in Siem Reap for the entire month, you can get by on less than $20 per day and see Angkor Wat to boot. However, the more places you go the more likely you are to add additional costs to your trip. Plan your budget to include the cost of traveling between destinations, particularly if flights or ferries are required. But remember—you can't see Vietnam in a week. Traveling quickly is like looking at the outside of a beautifully ornamented treasure chest—it is nice to look at, but the real treasure is inside. In terms of traveling, that means taking time to find the key and unlock the treasure chest. 

Apsara Dancers at Bantaey Chmar

We've given estimated costs for travelers to help figure how much your specific itinerary will cost. It is possible, of course, to trim all of these costs in almost every way. Many a backpacker like to brag that they can eat on $4 a day, but then they are probably also having ramen noodles for every meal. The estimates below also don't factor in days you may be able to cook for yourself or sterilizing your own water (which is a great idea for your budget and the environment). Buses are cheaper than flights, and many regional flights on low cost carrier AirAsia can be booked for $75 or less if you book in advance (and it is a good airline, too). Washing your own clothes, taking local buses, eating more cheaply, and taking night buses to save on a night's accommodation can all reduce these estimated costs.

These estimated costs though are all ample enough to plan your trip by, but  the prices are not inflated. If you follow these figures, you will have enough to be safe and relatively comfortable for your journey. In our first chart, we've included some costs for that might not have crossed your mind before heading out but are critical and in part may impact your itinerary. Also, don't forget the cost of getting in certain destinations. The Islamic Arts Museum in Kuala Lumpur costs about $4 admission while a one day pass to Angkor Wat is $20 and three days is $40. Do some research and budget the admissions costs to must-see sites. Additionally, if there are certain activities you want to do, budget those as well. You can SCUBA dive for about $50 a day or less, but we'll probably shell out close to $200 or more to climb Kota Kinabalu. Again, do some research and see how much it costs to do what you want.

Travel in Southeast Asia: Hidden Costs

What?	Estimated Costs	How Often?
Intracity Bus Fare	Estimate $12 per ticket	One per city
Regional Airfare	Estimate $150 one way	Per flight
Visas	Estimate $25 per visa to have one arranged	One per country if required (usually per month)
Water	Estimate $2 per day	Per day
Food	Estimate $12 per day	Per Day
Innercity Transport	Estimate $5 per day	Per day
Laundry	Estimate $5 per week	Per week
Toiletries	Estimate $15 per month	Per Month
Admission Tickets	$1-$60	Per Destination

Bad Accommodation

The next biggest budget item is accommodation. We've put together some sample budgets per night for different major locations and taste. Our nice hotels aren't resorts, but they are ones where there is no smell from the bathroom, everything is clean, and it probably isn't a brother. These are rough estimates, but they should work for most major cities. I know someone will say that they know a great hostel in Penang that is just $2 a night or there is a magnificent hidden hotel in Hanoi that is just $20, but these are good estimates to go on. More off the beaten track you get usually your accommodation options are cheaper as well. All prices are in US $ and per night.

Accommodation Costs in Southeast Asia

Country	Hostel/Dorm	Cheap Hotel	Nice Hotel
Singapore	$10.00	$30.00	$50.00
Malaysia	$10.00	$20.00	$40.00
Thailand	$5.00	$20.00	$40.00
Cambodia	$5.00	$12.00	$20.00
Laos	$5.00	$12.00	$20.00
Myanmar	$5.00	$10.00	$20.00
Vietnam	$5.00	$20.00	$30.00
Philippines	$5.00	$10.00	$30.00
Indonesia	$5.00	$10.00	$30.00

How Much Does Insect Repellant Cost in Southeast Asia (and other questions)

For Western items, including OFF, the prices are about the same. Crest Toothpaste costs about $3 in Phnom Pehn or in Guardian Pharmacy in Kuala Lumpur. Nivia deodorant costs $2.50 in Siem Reap and $3.00 in Bangkok. Less common items tend to be priced up just a bit. A can of insect repellant like OFF costs $4.50 and a dozen mosquito coils may cost $0.75 or a dollar. For other items, like groceries, Singapore tends to be close to Western prices on many items outside fresh produce. Everywhere imported produce items like strawberries and apples will be more expensive that in the west. Preparing your own food can save you costs, but only if you will be somewhere long enough to use your ingredients. Usually, cooking one's own food is mostly boiling ramen in the hostel kitchen or having cold cereal with milk. Anyway, we suggest for real budget travelers to estimate an additional $30 per week for splurges (a better hotel room for a couple nights), purchases (like a Khmer silk scarf and a couple for your friends), and the occasional treat (like a $7 beer in a Malaysian bar or a $10 massage in Cambodia).

So How Much Does a Southeast Asia Trip Cost?

Southeast Asia Rice Paddy

Using the above figures, and not including what you have packed or your plane ticket, here are some budgets for certain itineraries. These aren't exactly customized itinerary, but the purpose is to give you some sense of the cost of such a trip. Comfortable budgets assume you have your laundry done for you and always stay in comfortable hotels. The tight budget assumes no laundry service and you stay in hostels or dorms. The supertight budget assumes you use local transportation services, do your own laundry, only use local transportation every other day (meaning you walk a lot), and that you don't drink alcohol (which just lowered your food costs an average of $2 per day). Also, these total budgets all don't include $200 emergency cash, but it should be considered a must-have expense. 

Malaysia, Thailand, and Cambodia in Six Weeks

Kuala Lumpur – Penang – Kota Bharu – Hatyai – Bangkok – Chang Rai – Siem Reap – Phnom Pehn -Sihanoukville – Phnom Pehn – Kuala Lumpur (fly back to depart) 

IN COMFORT:

$833 Visa for Cambodia, Food, Water, Laundry, Toiletries, Daily Transportation Costs

$120 Bus Fares

$728 Accommodation

$70 Admissions Expenses

$180 Miscellaneous Expenses

$150 Airfare (PP to KL)

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$2081 Total (without trip insurance) in comfort or $49.54 Per Day

+$200 Emergency Money (that hopefully you get to take back home with you)

BUDGET:

$803 Visa for Cambodia, Food, Water, Toiletries, Daily Transportation Costs

$120 Bus Fares

$350 Accommodation

$70 Admissions Expenses

$180 Miscellaneous Expenses

$100 Airfare (PP to KL—you booked ahead!)

----

$1623 Total (without trip insurance) or $39.59 a day

+$200 Emergency Money (that hopefully you get to take back home with you)

TIGHT BUDGET:

$616 Visa for Cambodia, Food, Water, Laundry, Toiletries, Daily Transportation Costs

$100 Bus Fares

$350 Accommodation

$70 Admissions Expenses

$130 Miscellaneous Expenses

$100 Airfare (PP to KL—you booked ahead!)

----

$1366 Total (without trip insurance) or $33.32 per day

+$200 Emergency Money (that hopefully you get to take back home with you)

Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam in three weeks

Bangkok – Siem Reap – Phnom Pehn – Ho Chi Mihn

IN COMFORT:

$494 Visas for Vietnamese and Cambodia, Food, Water, Laundry, Toiletries, Daily Transportation Costs

$48 Bus Fare

$364 Accommodation

$70 Admissions

$90 Miscellaneous Expenses

----

$1066 Total (without trip insurance) or $50.76 per day

+$200 Emergency Money (that hopefully you get to take back home with you)

BUDGET:

$479 Visas for Vietnamese and Cambodia, Food, Water, Toiletries, Daily Transportation Costs

$48 Bus Fare

$105 Accommodation

$70 Admissions

$90 Miscellaneous Expenses

----

$792 Total (without trip insurance) or $37.71

+$200 Emergency Money (that hopefully you get to take back home with you)

TIGHT BUDGET:

$387 Visas for Vietnamese and Cambodia, Food, Water, Toiletries, Daily Transportation Costs

$40 Bus Fare

$105 Accommodation

$70 Admissions

$45 Miscellaneous Expenses

----

$647 Total (without trip insurance) or $30.81 per day

+$200 Emergency Money (that hopefully you get to take back home with you)

Southeast Asia is an amazing place, and even if it does cost a bit more than what you were expecting, it is still completely worth the time and savings to explore it in a comfortable way that  also helps support the local economy.  We hope that these figures and budgets offer some help in planning your stay in Southeast Asia.