In 2022, I quit my job to pursue my long-time dream of traveling the world Full time for one and a half years. My trip through 12 countries in Asia and six countries in South America cost exactly $34,563.38.
I He remained meticulous about one thing From start to finish: I tracked every penny I spent, from a $600 trip to a 50-cent trip to the bathroom.
I spent an average of about $1,920 per month, which is about my typical monthly budget to live well Sparingly in Los Angeles and previously in New York City. To make ends meet and save money for my trip, I rented uncomfortable places in the city and lived with my roommates in small spaces for five years. I would eat out a few times a week and only make coffee at home, unless I worked out of a café.
Here's everything I spent during my 18 months in South America and Asia, broken down by category.
Pre-trip supplies: $531, or about 1.5% of budget
This category includes survival essentials that you stocked up before the trip, such as a travel bag, packing cubes, cargo pants, hiking boots, and water shoes.
In the past, I should have focused on packing items that couldn't easily be found elsewhere, like my favorite brand of mosquito repellent, rather than items I could easily buy from abroad. I have regretted, for example, being burdened by so many clothes that I have had to lug onto cars and planes all over the world.
Siem Reap, Cambodia
Helen Chow
Housing: $10,635.06, or about 31% of budget
I could have spent $5-$15 for a bed in a hostel, but I craved the comfort of my own space at the end of a long day of exploring. On average, I spent $20-$25 per night in my own room at a comfortable mid-range hotel, usually with breakfast included.
Stays that I considered to be great value at this price are included Shandy Hotel in Bali, Indonesia; Huanyan Central Villa in Hoi An, Vietnam; and S2 housing In Krabi, Thailand.
There were outliers too. For example, I only paid $9 per night for a hotel Same quality hotel just a block from the beachin Da Nang, Vietnam.
Hotels of similar quality cost approximately $50 to $100 per night in major hubs in Brazil, China, Korea, Japan, and Singapore. Fortunately, my mother or husband joined me in all of these places except Brazil, and we split the bill.
Transportation: $8,074.67, or about 23% of budget
Flights: $4,885.14
Land transportation: $3,189.53
I took 40 flights during my trip, in economy class with my checked baggage. There were many opportunities to catch a night bus for a quarter to half the price. But I hated the idea of sleeping on the bus, or using the bus toilets, or driving the narrow, winding roads in the dark.
The cost of flights within countries usually ranges from $50 to $100, and twice that for travel through very large countries such as China or Brazil. Flights between neighboring countries cost me $100-$200. Flights between non-neighboring countries cost me $100 to $300. The furthest I traveled was from Osaka, Japan, to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and it cost me $140.28.
I also used about 200,000 credit card miles to cover some of my travel.
When I wasn't traveling by plane, I was taking buses, vans or express trains. Three- to seven-hour bus and truck trips cost me $10-$20. A bullet train that covered about 860 miles from Xi'an to Shanghai in China cost me $94. A two-week unlimited bullet train ticket in Japan cost me $224.
I've used a lot of ride-sharing services, which often only cost $1 or $2 for a two- or three-mile ride on a motorcycle.
With her mother in the Vietnamese countryside.
Courtesy of Helen Chow
Food and beverage: $7,078.36, or about 20.5% of budget
coffee: $411.05
Alcohol: $557.95
Everything else: $6,109.36
Except for a few salads I made in Japan, I've never prepared my own food. Half the time, breakfast was included at my hotel. Other than that, I usually ate at charming or trendy mid-range restaurants as well as lively night markets.
My favorite places are included Temple coffee In Phnom Penh, Cambodia, and Melo by Nook In Bali. I usually pay $7-10 for a main course and a non-alcoholic drink. Meals at no-frills places or night markets where many locals eat usually cost me between $2.50 and $6. Night market treats cost about $1 per serving.
I tried Good food A few times, you pay just $12 for lunch and $22 for dinner for amazing multi-course meals in Bolivia.
I often ordered fancy lattes at trendy coffee shops for about $2. I was surprised to learn that my iced latte habit only added up to $411 in 18 months.
I drank alcohol about once a week, paying about $5 at mid-range restaurants and bars, and $10-$12 at upscale places.
Sightseeing: $2,567.24, or about 7.5% of budget
Patagonia
Courtesy of Helen Chow
Health care: $1,988.54, or about 6% of the budget
I spent $1,263.72 for it Traveler's health insurancewhich would cover up to $100,000 in expenses in the event of an accident or illness. This insurance came in handy when I had a case of food poisoning and a really bad case of Covid.
She paid $563 for travel vaccines, including vaccines for yellow fever, typhoid, hepatitis A, and Japanese encephalitis. The latter option would have cost $400-$500 in the US, according to my research, but I only paid $58 in Bangkok.
After being lost to service in Vietnam, I had it rebuilt in Korea for about $150.
Estimated shopping: $1,927.01, or about 5.5% of budget
clothes: $1,048.24
Souvenirs: $216.86
Gifts: $661.91
I mostly shopped at small shops or street vendors, where there are no price tags and it's all about bargaining. To avoid overpaying, I stopped buying immediately and kept in mind that the competition was often on my side.
I have inquired about prices with several sellers. This process helped me figure out the lowest acceptable price, or the last price I was offered before the sellers let me go.
And so I knew I would get a good deal on custom-made Vietnamese silk dresses in Hoi An. After inquiring, I ended up paying $34 per dress and left Vietnam with $14.
Sometimes I would buy things on the spot when I felt like the price seemed very reasonable. I didn't mind if the seller made a few extra dollars, because I still felt like it was great and the money would mean more to him than it does to me.
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Helen Chow
Visas: $847.54, or about 2.5% of the budget
For the most part, as a US citizen, I did not need a visa or pay for visas on arrival. These usually cost around $30 to $40.
However, there were outliers. The China visa cost me $205 in application and printing fees, and the Bolivia visa cost $160. I was surprised to learn of this requirement two hours before we arrived at the border from Peru and rushed to gather the necessary documents before arrival.
Personal care: $745.57, or about 2% of budget
I've sometimes indulged in luxuries that I spend almost no money on in the US, often feeling like I can't justify the cost. I got gel manicures for about $15 and massages for $5-10. I took yoga and meditation classes at beautiful facilities in Bali, at a cost of $10 each. Haircuts cost about $8. I also regularly stock up on toiletries, sunscreen and mosquito repellent.
Tokyo
Courtesy of Helen Chow
Entertainment: $168.40, or about 0.5% of budget
This includes recreational activities for escape that are not considered tourist or cultural experiences. This includes entrance fees to the few nightclubs I visited, arcade games, a Spotify music subscription, and shisha with friends.
I'm surprised at how little money I actually spent on escaping. You can party hard at a very reasonable cost with other tourists in Southeast Asia and South America, especially when staying in hostels. In my early to mid-twenties, I would have jumped at the chance, but in my early thirties, I didn't feel drawn to it.
The first thing she got for $35,000: “It reminded me how rich I am.”
Abroad, I was living very comfortably on about $1,920 a month, which is more than any average traveler I meet. I never cooked for myself, ordered fancy iced lattes on a regular basis, and spent 14 custom-made silk dresses in one week.
I had become so exhausted from living in expensive coastal American cities, I felt like I could never make it Carrying a house Or kids and I constantly compare myself to people who have more than me. I felt poor, like I never got enough and never did enough.
Track my spending Show me that I have tremendous purchasing power in most parts of the world. I am not a helpless victim of inflation and the high cost of living in the United States. In fact, I am very lucky and lucky.
The experience helped me shift from a scarcity and deficit mindset to a scarcity and deficit mindset One of abundance and gratitude. He reminded me how rich I am and how thankful I have to be. It helped me realize that I had – and am – more than enough.
Helen Chow He is a video producer and former writer for CNBC. Before joining CNBC as a news assistant, she covered residential real estate for the LA Business Journal. She is a California native and proud USC Trojan and UCLA Bruin.
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