In 2022, I quit my job to fulfill my long-held dream of traveling the world full-time for a year and a half. My trip through 12 Asian countries and six South American countries cost exactly $34,563.38.
I I remained meticulous on one thing From start to finish: I tracked every penny I spent, from a $600 theft to a 50-cent trip to the bathroom.
I spent on average about $1,920 per month, which is my typical monthly budget for living very frugally in Los Angeles and previously in New York. To make ends meet and save for my trip, I rented in uncool parts of town and lived with roommates in small spaces for five years. I ate out a few times a week and only made coffee at home unless I worked at a coffee shop.
Here's everything I spent during my 18 months in South America and Asia, broken down by category.
Pre-trip supplies: $531, or about 1.5% of the budget
This category includes survival essentials that I stocked before the trip, like a suitcase, packing cubes, cargo pants, hiking shoes, and water shoes.
In retrospect, I should have focused on packing items that were hard to find elsewhere, like my favorite brand of mosquito repellent, instead of items I could easily purchase overseas. I missed, for example, being weighed down by the dead weight of too many clothes that I had to lug around in cars and planes all over the world.
Siem Reap, Cambodia
Helene Zhao
Accommodation: $10,635.06, or approximately 31% of the budget
I could have spent $5 to $15 for a bed in a hostel, but I wanted the comfort of my own space at the end of a long day of exploring. On average, I spent between $20 and $25 per night for my own room in a comfortable mid-range hotel, usually with breakfast.
Stays which I considered to be excellent value for money at this price, inclusive Hotel in Chandi in Bali, Indonesia; Central Hoianian Villa in Hoi An, Vietnam; And Residence S2 in Krabi, Thailand.
There were also outliers. For example, I paid only $9 per night for a Similar quality hotel a block from the beachin Da Nang, Vietnam.
Hotels of similar quality cost between $50 and $100 per night in the major geographic centers of Brazil, China, Korea, Japan and Singapore. Luckily, my mom or husband joined me in all of these places except Brazil, and we split the bill.
Transportation: $8,074.67, or approximately 23% of the budget
Flights: $4,885.14
Ground transportation: $3,189.53
I took 40 flights during my trip, economy class with checked bags. There are plenty of options to take a night bus for a quarter or half the price. But I hated the idea of sleeping on a bus, using bus bathrooms, or driving on narrow, winding roads in the dark.
Domestic flights generally cost between $50 and $100, and double that to cross very large countries like China or Brazil. Flights between neighboring countries cost me between $100 and $200. Flights between non-neighboring countries cost me between $100 and $300. The longest 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 taking buses, vans, or high-speed trains. Three to seven hour trips by bus and minibus cost me between $10 and $20. The high-speed train crossing about 860 miles from Xian to Shanghai in China cost me $94. A two-week unlimited bullet train pass in Japan cost me $224.
I've used many ride-sharing services, which often only cost $1 or $2 for a two- or three-mile motorcycle ride.
With his mother in the Vietnamese countryside.
Courtesy of Helen Zhao
Food and drinks: $7,078.36, approximately 20.5% of the budget
Coffee: $411.05
Alcohol: $557.95
Everything else: $6,109.36
Other than a few salads I made in Japan, I have never prepared my own food. Half the time breakfast was included at my hotel. Otherwise, I usually ate at charming or trendy mid-range restaurants as well as bustling night markets.
My favorite places included Temple Cafe in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, and Milu by Nook in Bali. I usually paid between $7 and $10 for an appetizer and a non-alcoholic drink. Meals at no-frills places or night markets where lots of locals eat usually cost me between $2.50 and $6. Night market treats cost around $1 per serving.
I tried gastronomy many times, paying just $12 for lunch and $22 for dinner for exquisite multi-course meals in Bolivia.
I often ordered fancy lattes at trendy cafes for around $2. I was surprised to learn that my iced latte consumption only amounted to $411 in 18 months.
I drank alcohol about once a week, paying around $5 at mid-range restaurants and bars, and between $10 and $12 at the more upscale places.A
Sightseeing: $2,567.24, or approximately 7.5% of the budget
Patagonia
Courtesy of Helen Zhao
Health care: $1,988.54, or approximately 6% of the budget
I spent $1,263.72 on traveler health insurancewhich would cover up to $100,000 in expenses in the event of an accident or illness. This insurance came in handy when I had a case of food poisoning and a very serious case of Covid.
I paid $563 for travel vaccines including yellow fever, typhoid, hepatitis A and Japanese encephalitis. The latter would have cost between $400 and $500 in the US, according to my research, but I only paid $58 in Bangkok.
After losing my minions in Vietnam, I had them rebuilt in Korea for about $150.
Discretionary purchases: $1,927.01, or approximately 5.5% of the budget
Clothes: $1,048.24
Memories : $216.86
Gifts : $661.91
I've mostly shopped in hole-in-the-wall stores or from street vendors, where there are no price tags and it's all about haggling. To avoid paying too much, I hesitated to buy right away and kept in mind that the competition was often on my side.
I inquired about prices from several suppliers. This process helped me determine the lowest acceptable rate, or the last price I was offered before the sellers let me go.
That's how I knew I'd get a good deal on custom-made Vietnamese silk dresses in Hoi An. After inquiring, I ended up paying $34 per dress and left Vietnam with 14.
Sometimes I bought things locally when I found the price seemed very reasonable. I didn't mind if the seller made a few extra dollars, because I still thought it was a good deal and the money would mean more to him than it would to me.
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Helene Zhao
Visas: $847.54, or approximately 2.5% of the budget
For the most part, as a US citizen, I did not need a visa or pay for a visa upon arrival. These usually cost between $30 and $40.
There were some outliers, however. The visa for China cost me $205 in processing and printing fees and the visa for Bolivia cost $160. I was surprised to learn of this requirement two hours before reaching the Peruvian border and hurried to gather the necessary documents before my arrival.
Personal care: $745.57, or approximately 2% of the budget
I have sometimes indulged in luxury goods that I almost never spend money on in the US, where I often feel like I can't justify the cost. I've had gel manicures for around $15 and massages for $5-10. I took yoga and meditation classes at beautiful facilities in Bali, which cost $10 each. Haircuts cost around $8. I also regularly stocked up on toiletries, sunscreen and mosquito repellent.
Tokyo
Courtesy of Helen Zhao
Entertainment: $168.40, approximately 0.5% of the budget
This encompasses fun activities intended for escapism that do not count as tourist or cultural experiences. This includes entry fees to the few nightclubs I visited, arcade games, a music subscription to Spotify, and hookah with friends.
I'm surprised how little I actually spent on the escape. You can party inexpensively with other tourists in Southeast Asia and South America, especially when you stay in hostels. In my early 20s I would have jumped at the chance, but in my early 30s I didn't feel attracted to it.
The #1 thing I got for my $35,000: “It reminded me how rich I am.”
Abroad, I lived extremely comfortably on about $1,920 a month – more than the average backpacker I met. I never cooked for myself, regularly ordered fancy iced lattes, and splurged on 14 custom silk dresses in one week.
I had become very jaded with living in expensive American coastal cities, feeling like I could never afford a house or children and constantly comparing myself to people who have more than me. I felt poor, like I never had enough and never did enough.
Track my expenses showed me that I had enormous purchasing power in most countries around the world. I am not a helpless victim of inflation and the soaring cost of living in the United States. In fact, I am extremely privileged and lucky.
This experience helped me move from a mentality of scarcity and helplessness to that of abundance and gratitude. It reminded me how rich I am and how grateful I have to be. It helped me realize that I had – and I do – more than enough.
Helene Zhao is a former video producer and writer at CNBC. Before joining CNBC as a news associate, she covered residential real estate for the LA Business Journal. She is a California native and a proud USC Trojan and UCLA Bruin.A
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