Southeast Asia is one of the most budget-friendly regions on earth, but it's easy to overspend if you're not paying attention. The good news? $30 a day is genuinely doable — and you won't feel like you're missing out.
Start with accommodation. A clean dorm bed in Thailand, Vietnam, or Cambodia runs $5 to $8 a night; a private room in a guesthouse is $10 to $15. Skip the party hostels if you want to sleep, but do use them if you want to meet people — the social value is worth the few extra dollars.
Eat where the locals eat. Street food is not only cheap (a bowl of pho or pad thai is $1.50 to $3), it's often the best food in the country. Look for stalls with a queue of locals and a high turnover of dishes. Avoid restaurants with English menus and touts out front — they charge double for half the flavor.
Transport adds up fast. Overnight buses and trains save you a night's accommodation and cover long distances cheaply. In Vietnam, a sleeper bus from Hanoi to Da Nang (14 hours) is about $15. Use Grab or local ride apps instead of airport taxis, and rent scooters only if you're confident and insured.
Track every expense. This is where Wander Wallet earns its keep — log each spend as you go, and the daily budget bar tells you instantly whether tonight's beer fits the plan. Most travelers who blow their budget do it in the gaps: the snacks, the souvenirs, the extra beer. Awareness is the cheapest travel hack there is.
With $30 a day — $8 for a bed, $10 for food, $5 for transport, and $7 for activities and the occasional treat — you can travel Southeast Asia for weeks, see the highlights, and still come home with money left over.