I Spent $34,563.38 on Travel Over 18 Months: My Budget Breakdown

This category includes the survival essentials I stocked up on before the trip, such as a suitcase, packing cubes, cargo pants, hiking boots, and water shoes.

In retrospect, I should have focused on packing items that can’t be easily found elsewhere, like my favorite brand of mosquito repellent, instead of items that I could easily buy overseas. I regretted, for example, that I was weighed down by the dead weight of too many clothes that I had to lug into cars and planes around the world.

Flights: $4,885.14

Ground transport: $3,189.53

During my trip, I took 40 flights in economy class with checked baggage. There were plenty of options to get a night bus for a quarter to half the price. But I hated the idea of ​​sleeping on a bus, using the bus toilets, or driving on narrow winding roads in the dark.

Flights within countries usually cost between US$50 and US$100, and twice as much for flights within very large countries such as China or Brazil. Flights between neighboring countries cost me $100 to $200. Flights between non-neighboring countries cost me from $100 to $300. The furthest distance 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 flights.

When I wasn’t flying, I was driving buses, vans or bullet trains. A three- to seven-hour bus and van ride cost me $10 to $20. The bullet train the roughly 860 miles from Xi’an to Shanghai in China cost me $94. A two-week unlimited bullet train pass in Japan cost me $224.

I used a lot of ride sharing services that often cost only $1 or $2 for a two or three mile ride on a motorcycle.

Clothes: $1048.24

Souvenirs: $216.86

gifts: $661.91

I shopped mostly at hole-in-the-wall boutiques or street vendors where there are no price tags and it’s all about haggling. To avoid overpaying, I stopped buying right away and kept in mind that the competition is often on my side.

I inquired about prices with multiple suppliers. This process helped me figure out the lowest acceptable price or the last price I was offered before the sellers let me go.

That’s how I found out I was getting a good deal on custom made Vietnamese silk dresses in Hoi An. After asking around, I ended up paying $34 per dress and left Vietnam with $14.

Sometimes I bought things on the spot when I thought the price seemed very reasonable. I didn’t mind if the seller made a few extra bucks because I still felt like it was a great deal and the money would mean more to them than to me.

For the most part, as a US citizen, I didn’t need a visa or pay for visas on arrival. They usually cost around $30 to $40.

However, there were deviations. 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 reached the border from Peru and rushed to collect the necessary documents prior to arrival.

I occasionally indulged in luxuries that I almost never spent money on in the US, where I often feel like I can’t justify the expense. I have a gel manicure for about $15 and a massage for $5 to $10. I took yoga and meditation classes at beautiful facilities in Bali that cost $10 each. Haircuts cost about $8. I also regularly stocked up on toiletries, sunscreen, and mosquito repellent.

This includes fun escapist activities that are not considered sightseeing or cultural experiences. This included entrance fees to the few nightclubs I visited, arcade games, a Spotify music subscription, and hookah with friends.

I’m surprised how little I actually spent on escapism. You can party hard very affordably with other tourists in Southeast Asia and South America, especially when staying in hostels. In my early to mid 20s I would have jumped at the chance, but in my early 30s I didn’t feel drawn to it.