5 Destinations Where $50/Day Feels Like $200
Stretch Your Travel Budget Further Than You Thought Possible
There is a persistent myth in travel that you need to be wealthy to live well on the road. The truth is far more interesting: the right destination can multiply the value of every dollar you spend. We are not talking about roughing it in hostels and eating street food exclusively (though both are great). We are talking about comfortable hotels, sit-down restaurants, guided tours, and genuine luxury -- all for around $50 a day.
After analyzing cost data from over 1,000 destinations in the TripVS comparison tool, these five cities consistently deliver the most value per dollar spent in 2026.
1. Tbilisi, Georgia -- The Best Deal in Europe (Sort Of)
Georgia sits at the crossroads of Europe and Asia, and its capital Tbilisi is arguably the best-value city on the continent. A private room in a boutique guesthouse in the Old Town runs $18-25 per night. A full Georgian feast -- khinkali dumplings, khachapuri cheese bread, grilled meats, salads, and a bottle of excellent local wine -- will set you back $8-12 per person at a quality restaurant.
Daily budget breakdown:
- Accommodation: $22 (boutique guesthouse, private room)
- Food: $15 (breakfast at the guesthouse, lunch at a local cafe, full dinner with wine)
- Transport: $3 (metro rides and occasional taxi via Bolt)
- Activities: $8 (sulfur baths, museum entry, cable car to Narikala Fortress)
- Total: $48/day
Pro tip: The sulfur baths in the Abanotubani district cost just $5-15 for a private room. That is an experience that would run you $80+ at any European spa.
2. Hoi An, Vietnam -- Tailor-Made Luxury on a Shoestring
Vietnam has been a backpacker favorite for decades, but Hoi An takes the value proposition to another level. This UNESCO World Heritage town delivers charm, history, world-class food, and custom tailoring at prices that seem like a mistake on the receipt.
A well-reviewed hotel with a pool starts at $15 per night. The legendary banh mi from Madam Khanh costs under $2 and is regularly cited as the best sandwich on earth. A custom-tailored suit from one of the town's hundreds of tailors runs $80-120 -- the same quality would cost $800+ in London or New York.
Daily budget breakdown:
- Accommodation: $18 (pool hotel, breakfast included)
- Food: $12 (street food lunch, riverside restaurant dinner, fresh beer at 25 cents a glass)
- Transport: $5 (bicycle rental for the day plus a Grab ride)
- Activities: $10 (Old Town ticket, cooking class amortized over the trip)
- Total: $45/day
Pro tip: Visit during shoulder season (March or September) when prices drop further and the crowds thin out. Avoid the October-November rainy season when flooding can affect the Old Town.
3. Oaxaca, Mexico -- A Food Capital at Taco Prices
Oaxaca has quietly become one of the world's great food destinations, mentioned in the same breath as Lyon and Tokyo by serious food writers. The difference is that a tasting menu at a top Oaxacan restaurant costs what an appetizer costs in those cities.
Mole negro, tlayudas the size of a bicycle wheel, mezcal tastings at family-run palenques, and vibrant indigenous markets create a sensory experience that rivals destinations five times the price. A beautiful Airbnb in the centro historico runs $25-35 per night.
Daily budget breakdown:
- Accommodation: $28 (central Airbnb or boutique hostel private room)
- Food: $14 (market breakfast, street food lunch, restaurant dinner with mezcal)
- Transport: $2 (colectivos and walking)
- Activities: $6 (market visits, mezcal tasting, Monte Alban entry fee)
- Total: $50/day
Pro tip: The Mercado 20 de Noviembre has a dedicated aisle of open-flame grills where you choose your meat, they grill it in front of you, and you eat at communal tables. A massive plate with sides runs about $5. Do this on day one.
4. Plovdiv, Bulgaria -- Europe's Hidden Cultural Capital
While everyone fights for space in Dubrovnik and Santorini, Plovdiv quietly delivers ancient Roman ruins, a thriving arts scene, and genuinely warm hospitality at a fraction of the cost. This is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in Europe, and it was a European Capital of Culture -- yet most travelers have never heard of it.
A centrally located hotel averages $20-30 per night. A three-course meal with local wine at a well-reviewed restaurant costs $10-15. The Old Town, with its Revival-era houses and Roman amphitheater, is free to wander.
Daily budget breakdown:
- Accommodation: $25 (central hotel, breakfast included)
- Food: $13 (bakery breakfast, tavern lunch, restaurant dinner with wine)
- Transport: $2 (buses and walking -- the city is very walkable)
- Activities: $7 (Roman theater, ethnographic museum, Kapana arts district galleries)
- Total: $47/day
Pro tip: The Kapana creative district has dozens of small galleries, design shops, and cafes in a maze of pedestrian streets. It feels like a mini Berlin but costs like a small Bulgarian town.
5. Luang Prabang, Laos -- Spiritual Luxury in Southeast Asia
Luang Prabang is a UNESCO-listed town at the confluence of the Mekong and Nam Khan rivers, filled with gilded temples, French colonial architecture, and a pace of life that makes you physically feel your shoulders drop. The famous morning alms-giving ceremony, where saffron-robed monks walk silently through town collecting rice, is one of the most moving experiences in Southeast Asian travel -- and it costs nothing to respectfully observe.
Daily budget breakdown:
- Accommodation: $20 (charming guesthouse on a quiet soi)
- Food: $10 (morning market breakfast, noodle soup lunch, night market buffet dinner)
- Transport: $5 (shared songthaew to Kuang Si Falls, tuk-tuk around town)
- Activities: $8 (temple donations, Kuang Si Falls entry, textile center visit)
- Total: $43/day
Pro tip: The night market buffet is legendary. For about $2, you fill a plate (one trip, pile it high) with a rotating selection of Lao dishes. It is one of the best food experiences in Asia at any price.
How to Find Your Own Budget-Luxury Destination
The pattern across all five destinations is consistent: strong local currency relative to USD, a well-developed tourism infrastructure that hasn't yet hit mass-market pricing, and a culture that values food and hospitality.
To explore more destinations like these, try the TripVS comparison tool -- you can stack any two cities side by side and see exactly how costs compare across accommodation, food, transport, and activities. It takes the guesswork out of the "where should I go" question and replaces it with real data.
The world is full of places where your money goes further than you expect. You just need to know where to look.