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Budapest, Hungary
Lodging: There are many hostels in and around the city, which would definitely be the cheapest option for lodging. There are also plenty of budget hotels that run between $25-60. Also, rental apartments are slightly more expensive, but fairly affordable at around $85.
Food: If you're staying in a hostel (in Budapest or anywhere on this list), many offer free simple breakfasts, so definitely take advantage of that. Otherwise, you can grab a pastry for around $1 from a local café. Budapest has inexpensive self-serve restaurants where you can get lunch for around $3.75. You can also grab an authentic meal from a restaurant for about $7 and a pint of beer for a little over $1.
Attractions: Budapest offers free walking tours to get you acquainted with the city (don't forget to tip your tour guide). Additionally, pamper yourself with a traditional thermal bath that'll cost you only around $20.
Transportation: There are ample forms of transportation like trams, buses, and subway trains around the city. You can grab an unlimited day pass for $6.29.
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Drakensberg, South Africa
Lodging: This area is perfect for camping enthusiasts. You can book a campground site for less than $10. If you'd rather stay in a lodge, you can have your own private room from under $80.
Food: Grab some breakfast at the Valley Bakery for under $5. For lunch or dinner, grab some trout, kudu fillet, or springbok carpaccio for around $10.
Attractions: Visit Cathedral Peak, Gudu Falls, and Amphitheatre Rim, each of which will cost you less than $10 for admission.
Transportation: To get from park to park, you'll probably have to book a caravan. The conversion rate between the rand and USD is very favorable right now ($1 = 0.08 rand), so it's very affordable to get around.
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Vientiane, Laos
Lodging: You can book a hostel bed for yourself for well under $10. You can also stay at a three-star hotel for $20-50.
Food: You can grab local rice and noddles on the street for under $4. You can also enjoy an outdoor meal by the Mekong River for around $6. Don't forget to buy a bottle of rice whiskey for only $1 while you enjoy the views.
Attractions: Attractions in the city are very inexpensive and often only cost a couple of dollars. Be sure to visit the Wat Si Saket, the oldest temple in Vientiane. You can also visit Lao National Museum, the oldest and largest museum in the country.
Transportation: Tuk-tuks, a three-wheel taxi, are very popular in the city and you can use them to get around anwhere for under $3.50.
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Prague, Czech Republic
Lodging: You can stay in a shared room in a hostel for around $12-18 or get a private room for $40-70. Additionally, hotels and rental apartments can be found for as low as $50.
Food: For about $5 you can get a café breakfast of bread, jam, honey, bacon, cheese, yogurt, and fruit. Other options include traditional goulash for around $5 or a street sausage for about $2.75. A pint of beer should only cost you around $1-2.
Attractions: Prague offers free walking tours. The city itself has beautiful Gothic architecture, which makes it super easy to snap an Insta-worthy shot. Don't forget to visit Prague Castle. If you're a student, don't forget to show them your student ID for a discount.
Transportation: There are many trains, subways, and buses in the city, making getting around very easy. A 24-hour public transportation pass around the city is only $5.15.
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Lisbon, Portugal
Lodging: You can rent a bunk for under $35 or private room in a hostel for around $100. Even cheaper, you can rent a room in an apartment for under $50 or rent the whole apartment for under $100. A hotel in the city center is going to cost you around $90.
Food: You can get torrada (traditional breakfast), bacalhau a bras (shredded cod), or caldeirada (fish and veggie stew) for under $10. Don't forget to grab a bottle of wine at the grocery store for just $5.
Attractions: In addition to the free walking tours offered in the city, there are many museums that you can visit for under $10. If you really want to splurge, you can rent a bike and tour the coast for $35.
Transportation: There are many options for public transportation. When in the city, you can grab a 24-hour metro card for around $7.50.
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Boracay, Philippines
Lodging: Stay in the cheaper, less crowded area of the island, Boat Station 3, where you can book a room at a three-star hotel for around $95 or a two-star hotel for around $75.
Food: For food, stick to inland restaurants rather than beach spots to save money. For lunch, enjoy the local cuisine rather than fast-food options for around $6. For dinner, you can try for a beach buffet for under $15.
Attractions: It's very popular for people to get a massage on the beach. You can snag one of your own for under $10. If you want to get off the island, take a snorkeling or fishing boat tour for a couple of hours for $5-15.
Transportation: Take a tuk-tuk around town for just over $1.
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Athens, Greece
Lodging: To secure a bed in a decent hostel, expect to pay around $25, or you can book a private room for around $100. Hotels tend to be on the pricey side, so the next best option would be renting a private apartment for around $75.
Food: You can grab a pastry from a local bakery for around $2.50. You can also enjoy traditional souvlaki with gyro meat for around $5, or grab moussaka for around $12.
Attractions: Besides the free walking tours that you should take advantage of, go see the famous Acropolis. You can purchase a five-day ticket for around $35. This will allow you to see the majority of the major archaeological sites in Athens throughout your stay.
Transportation: The bus, tram, and, subways all operate off of the same affordable ticket, so getting around Athens is cheap and easy. You can get a daily pass for $5.40 or a three-day unlimited pass, including airport transport, for $26.40.
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Krakow, Poland
Lodging: Krakow has awesome and inexpensive hostels where you can rent a bunk for around $20 or a private room for around $25. Hotels aren't too expensive either, and you can get a nice room for around $55. A private apartment can be over $100, but if you're traveling with a group it might be the most cost-effective option.
Food: Enjoy a traditional obwarzanek (bagel/pretzel type food) for under $1 or a plate of pierogis for around $3.50. For dinner, you can get a three-course meal with wine at a restaurant for around $18.
Attractions: Krakow offers free walking tours of the city. You can also secure a day trip bus tour to Auschwitz-Birkenau for $35. Also many of the museums, cathedrals, and castles can be toured for under $10.
Transportation: Krakow has a great bus and tram system. For your stay, you can purchase a three-day zone pass ~$10.
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Willemstad, Curacao
Lodging: You can book a bunk in a hostel for about $20 or a private room for about $60. You can also rent a hotel room for around $60 or a private apartment for around $50.
Food: Head to the local food markets to grab meals for $10-15.
Attractions: Enjoy the beautiful Christoffel Park for $10 or the Sea Aquarium for about $20.
Transportation: You can use a taxi to get around and a ride shouldn't cost more than $10.
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Lima, Peru
Lodging: You can book a bed at a hostel for around $15 or a private room for $45 or less. You can also stay at a two-star hotel for around $15 or you can rent a private home starting at around $40.
Food: For the cheapest and most authentic meals, stick to local street markets where you can get food for around $2. If you'd like to sit down at a restaurant, meals will cost you around $6.
Attractions: You can rent a bike for $12 and ride around the city or up and down the beautiful cost. You can also tour the Temples of the Sun and Moon for $35.
Transportation: You can use the bus system to get around the city for $1 or less. There are taxis, but fare prices aren't set and can cost up to $20 a ride depending on your destination. The city of Lima does have Uber as a regulated taxi alternative.
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Los Cabos, Mexico
Lodging: You can book a room at a hostel or hotel for less than $50.
Food: Enjoy $2 fish and shrimp tacos or $5 lobster tacos on Zaragoza Street or grab a half-chicken meal from Pollo de Oro for around $8.
Attractions: Enjoy a glass-bottom boat tour for about $20 or rent a paddle board for $25.
Transportation: You can take a bus around the tourist corridor for around $2.50 per person. Taxis are reasonably priced, but make sure you negotiate a price before heading toward your destination.
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Denpasar, Indonesia
Lodging: You'll be able to ~splurge~ when traveling to the Bali capital, Denpasar. You can rent a private villa for as little as $11 a night.
Food: Food is very cheap in Denpasar and you will only need a few dollars for most meals. You can get a plate full of chicken for dinner for only $1.30. Be sure to check out warungs, which are local restaurants with fixed prices, for your meals.
Attractions: Enjoy a one-hour traditional massage for only $10 or go parasailing for $15.
Transportation: Taxis are usually expensive. The best way to get around the area is by renting a motorbike for under $10 a day.
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Berlin, Germany
Lodging: Berlin has no shortage of affordable hostels. Depending on your preferences, you can snag a bed for $25 or a private room for $75. You can also book a hotel room for around $75. For a larger group, you can rent an apartment for under $125.
Food: You can opt for a hearty breakfast for around $7. You can also grab a currywurst or bratwurst from a takeaway shop for around $3. Traditional German meals should cost you around $12 or less. You can grab wine from the grocery store for around $6.
Attractions: Berlin is a large city, so take advantage of a free walking tour to get your bearings first. Many of the museums are under $15 and the Topography of Terror is free to enter.
Transportation: The U-Bahn, S-Bahn, bus, tram, and regional rail, for zones A, B, and C, all use the same ticket, so get a day card for around $9.
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Phuket, Thailand
Lodging: Lodging can be a bit tricky, but if you visit during the off-season (April through November), or stay inland rather than on the beach at a resort, you can save a lot of money. If you want to stay at a resort during the off-season, you can get a room at a five-star resort for around $100. Another option, stay at a two-star hotel inland for under $50 a night.
Food: Food at a resort is naturally going to be more expensive, so stick to local authentic places and expect to pay around $5 for breakfast, $7 for lunch, and $10 for dinner. Be sure to check prices first before ordering a meal.
Attractions: You can find cheap snorkeling boat trips for around $30 a day. If you wish to stay on land, then you can visit the Phuket Aquarium for around $5.
Transportation: While in the city, just hop on the bus for a small fare of $1.25.
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Sipadan, Malaysia
Lodging: You can stay in a hostel for around $12.75 or book a private room for around $20. You could also book a hotel for around $20 or a private apartment for around $60.
Food: Street vendor food is very inexpensive. Expect to pay around $4 for most meals, but a mid-range restaurant costs only around $7.
Attractions: Enjoy a day of white-water rafting for ~$60 or snorkeling for ~$45 off the island in Sabah.
Transportation: A bus to the island will cost about $2-4 per hour. Taxis are not regulated so they can be a bit pricier since they don't have a fixed rate. Be sure to negotiate a price ahead of time.
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Pokhara, Nepal
Lodging: You can book a bed in a hostel for around $6. But you can also stay at a four-star hotel for around $85 a night or a three-star hotel for around $55 a night.
Food: Grab your free breakfast at the hotel or hostel you're staying at. For lunch, grab a traditional dahl bhat combo platter or Tibetan mo mos for $2. For dinner, stop at a traditional, non-touristy restaurant for a filling meal around $6.
Attractions: Many of the attractions in the city are free or very, very cheap. Be sure to check out Devi's Falls during the spring and summer with a guided tour for $10.
Transportation: To get around the city, many taxi rides will only cost you a couple of dollars, or you can rent a bike for the day for only $4.
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Plovdiv, Bulgaria
Lodging: You can book a bunk for yourself at a hostel for under $15 or a private room for around $33. Hotel prices start around $30, but you can rent an apartment for around $40.
Food: You can grab a kebab for lunch for $6. For a full course meal you can expect to pay under $12.
Attractions: Start your visit by taking the free walking tour of the old city. Then go to wine alley for a wine tasting tour with a charcuterie plate for around $14.
Transportation: Taxi rides within the city are very cheap and should never really exceed $4.
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Prices for lodging are per night, and prices for attractions are per adult unless noted otherwise.
via BuzzFeed/Travel
