Backpacking Southeast Asia: 8 Cities Under €50/Day
If you're heading to Southeast Asia for 3-6 weeks and don't want to break the bank, these eight cities offer unbeatable value. You can eat well, sleep in a clean private room and get around for under €50/day — often half that. This guide gives concrete prices, common pitfalls and the cheapest way to chain the stops together.
What does a day in Southeast Asia really cost?
The trap is confusing on-the-ground prices with total cost. With a round-trip flight from Paris starting at €550 and a possible visa at €25-40, you're looking at €30-40/day of fixed cost on a 30-day trip. After that, life on the ground is shockingly cheap.
Budget €20-30/day on a mid-range local hotel + street food + public transit in Chiang Mai, Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh. Bangkok and Bali climb to €30-40/day for the same comfort. Kuala Lumpur, Manila and Jakarta fall in between. With €50/day you live comfortably anywhere except Singapore and Hong Kong (which we excluded for that reason).
The 8 cities, cheapest to priciest
- Chiang Mai (Thailand) — ~€21/day: the digital-nomad hub. Co-working from €5/day, street food €1-2, scooter rental €5/day. Mild climate, international community, gateway to northern Thailand.
- Hanoi (Vietnam) — ~€24/day: pho at €1.50, clean private guesthouse at €12, coffee at €1. Dense old quarter, street markets. Start your Vietnam trip here before heading south.
- Ho Chi Minh (Vietnam) — ~€26/day: more modern and faster than Hanoi. Vietnamese coffee at €1, banh mi at €1.50. District 1 concentrates everything a traveler needs.
- Bali (Indonesia) — ~€31/day: Ubud or Canggu are the ideal bases. Private bungalow at €15, warung meals at €2, scooter at €4/day. Beaches, rice terraces, yoga — everything that made its reputation still holds outside the over-touristed zones.
- Jakarta (Indonesia) — ~€32/day: a practical stopover or first Indonesian experience. Meals at a warteg for €1.50, Grab cab €2-4 across the city. Less touristy than Bali.
- Bangkok (Thailand) — ~€34/day: the air hub of Southeast Asia. For this price you get a hotel at €25-30, meals at €2, the metro/BTS at €0.50-1. Stay 2-3 days on the way in and out, that's plenty.
- Manila (Philippines) — ~€36/day: the gateway to the islands. Manila itself is divisive (urban chaos) but it's the required departure point for Palawan, Cebu, Siargao. Meals €3-4, Grab €5 across town.
- Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia) — ~€40/day: the priciest of the top 8 but also the most comfortable. English spoken everywhere, clean metro, food courts at €4-6. Decent hotel at €25. Good last stop before flying out.
How to chain these cities
A classic 6-week loop: Bangkok (3d) → Chiang Mai (5d) → flight → Hanoi (4d) → overnight bus or flight → Ho Chi Minh (4d) → flight → Bali (8d) → flight to Jakarta (2d) → Singapore / Kuala Lumpur (3d) → home. You hit 6 of the 8 cities in 30 days.
Intra-regional flights are very cheap: AirAsia, Cebu Pacific, VietJet regularly run Bangkok-Hanoi at €30-50, Bali-KL at €60-80. The Hanoi-Ho Chi Minh overnight bus costs €25-40 and saves a hotel night.
When to go for the best prices
The dry season from November to March is the most pleasant (25-30°C, low humidity) — but also the priciest, especially December-January. May-June and September-October offer the best deals: it rains, but usually only in late afternoon, and hotels drop 20-30%. Avoid April (extreme heat, Songkran) unless you want to join the local festivities.
What to avoid to stay under €50/day
- Last-minute bookings: 20-40% more expensive than booking 1 week ahead.
- White taxis at the airport — always prefer Grab, Bolt or Gojek (local uber-likes).
- All-inclusive island tours: you often pay 3x what an independent combo costs.
- Daily Western alcohol in Bali or Bangkok — destroys the budget. Stick to local drinks (Bintang, Singha, iced Vietnamese coffee).
- International hotel chains: for €50/night you get a charming local three-star.
Planning your Southeast Asia trip on Pively
Build your itinerary by adding the cities above to the Pively planner: you get flights between stops, total budget and optimal ordering. Each city has its own detailed guide on Pively with neighborhoods, attractions and budget tips.