I just hit 50 nights in hostels and my total cost was under $2,000

I kept every receipt from my trip through Southeast Asia, mostly in Thailand and Vietnam. When I added them all up last night, I was shocked. For 50 separate nights, I only spent $1,950, which is under $40 a night on average. This included some places with free breakfast and good Wi-Fi. I thought I'd be spending way more for that much time. How do your long-term hostel costs usually stack up?

3 comments

3 Comments

derek_ross20d ago

That "under $40 a night on average" is really solid. I was reading this travel blog last week where the person broke down their costs in Central America, and they were hitting like $25 a night but that was in way more basic places, shared bathrooms down the hall kind of thing. Your price seems right for getting good wifi and breakfast included. Makes me wonder if Vietnam is still that much cheaper than other spots, I heard prices have gone up a lot in places like Croatia or Portugal for even a dorm bed.

the_oscar19d ago

Vietnam is definitely still a great value, but that average can be a bit misleading. You can find amazing private rooms with breakfast for $25 in many cities, not just hostels. Places like Portugal have gotten crazy expensive for what you get, it's not even close. Southeast Asia still wins for comfort per dollar, hands down.

rose_perry1219d ago

You're right about Portugal getting crazy. My friend Sarah went to Lisbon last fall and she told me a story that really shows it. She booked a room that looked nice online for about $80 a night. When she got there, it was basically a tiny attic with a slanted ceiling you had to duck under, and the "breakfast" was just a prepackaged muffin left on a table in the hall. She said it felt like a total rip-off for the price. It made her trip to Vietnam a few years back, with those big clean rooms and real cooked breakfasts, seem like a dream.