How much should I budget for 3 months in Southeast Asia?

How much does it cost to travel to Southeast Asia per month?

Southeast Asia…it haunts me.

Around $660 to $1050. A month. That’s it? Feels like a lifetime ago I was last there. I need to get back.

Sometimes, though… I wonder if it’s even worth it. You know?

• Cost: $660-$1050 a month.
• Daily Budget: $25 to $35.
• Countries like Cambodia. Vietnam. Laos. Cheaper.
• My old beat-up backpack, I remember it well.
• I spent so much time. Years.

I stretched dollars there. Scraped by. Now, it’s all… different. I make more money now, of course. So what?

It feels like a different world. Another me. Hard to reconcile the two. The freedom then. Gone.

I think about the nights under those strange skies.

• Southeast Asia.
• Cheap destinations.
• Living poor.
• That version of me.
• So much time.

What is the cost of living in Southeast Asia?

Southeast Asia…it drifts in my mind.

Singapore, always expensive, always gleaming. A cost of living index of 78.9. So much higher than I thought possible.

Then… Phuket, Thailand, at 38.4. A beautiful place maybe, but expensive. I imagined it to be a quiet place…not so quiet I guess.

Bangkok follows closely at 37.1. I visited Bangkok in 2023. The street food was good, but I struggled. So many people…

Phnom Penh, Cambodia, at 36.8. Poorer than the others, I guess. I still want to visit that place someday.

What city in Southeast Asia has the highest cost of living?

Singapore. Oh, Singapore. The air hangs heavy, thick with the scent of orchids and exhaust fumes, a strange, intoxicating blend. A city shimmering, a jewel box overflowing. Prices? Astronomical.

Eleven hundred dollars plus, just to exist, alone. Imagine. For a family? Four thousand. It’s brutal, this gilded cage.

The weight of it. A constant pressure. Numbeo, they say, July 2024, the numbers sting. Each figure a tiny knife twist.

Cost of living, a suffocating blanket. It’s more than just numbers. It’s the feeling of constant pressure, the relentless hum of unspoken anxieties.

A city of contrasts. Stunning wealth, heartbreaking disparity. The weight of expectation, pressing down.

Singapore’s exorbitant cost, a fact, undeniable. It’s the price of perfection, perhaps. Or, the illusion of it.

• High cost: Over $1123 for singles.
• Family cost: $4045 for a family of four.
• Source: Numbeo, July 2024 data.

The relentless heat, a mirror to the relentless pressure. This city…it breathes opulence, and yet…suffocation.

The weight of it all, settles like dust. A city of dreams, of shattered dreams, of quiet desperation. The shimmer, a cruel mirage. The cost… the cost is everything.

Where is the cheapest place to live in Southeast Asia?

Ugh, cheapest? Probably Vietnam.

I spent like, 6 months in Hoi An this year. Rent? Dirt cheap. I found a sweet little apartment with a balcony for under $300 a month! Unreal.

Food was insane. I’m talking $2 bowls of pho that were better than anything I’ve had back home.

Transport? I mostly biked. Seriously. Bike rental was like, 5 bucks a week.

Okay, Cambodia was okay. I think the cities there are cheap. But Vietnam just felt safer for me.

Things that made Hoi An awesome:

• Tailors: Had some clothes made, super cheap and custom.
• Beaches: An Bang Beach is close and pretty chill.
• Coffee: Vietnamese coffee is STRONG.
• Night market: Cheap eats, lots of tourist stuff, a fun night out.

Myanmar? Laos? Mmm, I haven’t been yet. I heard Chiang Mai is cheap too, yeah. My friend swore by it. But for me? It’s Vietnam all the way, baby. You cannot beat that experience. I miss it so much!

What is the cheapest country in Southeast Asia?

Man, Vietnam. I went there in 2023, June to be exact. Crazy hot, humid as hell. Hanoi first, what a zoo! Bikes everywhere, horns constantly blasting. Loved it, actually. So chaotic, but the energy was infectious.

Food? Oh my god, the food. I ate pho practically every day. Seriously. Best pho of my life, hands down. And so cheap! Five bucks, maybe? Max. Sometimes even less. Street food was amazing too. Spring rolls, banh mi…all incredible and ridiculously affordable.

Ha Long Bay though… that was the highlight. The karsts rising out of the water, emerald green, absolutely stunning. I took a boat trip, explored some caves. Breathtaking. The whole trip, including the boat, cost less than what I’d spend on a decent meal in London. Amazing value.

Key Points:

• Vietnam is incredibly cheap.
• Street food is outstanding and dirt cheap. Think under $5 a meal.
• Ha Long Bay is a MUST see. Gorgeous.
• Hanoi is vibrant and chaotic, but in a good way. Total sensory overload!
• Travelled in June 2023. Scorching hot but totally worth it.

I spent maybe, $30 a day, tops. That includes food, accommodation, and activities. It was seriously unbelievable.

Seriously considering going back. Maybe next year. Definitely need to explore the south more. Heard the beaches down south are amazing.

How much do you need to live in Southeast Asia?

$600 monthly? Bare minimum. Forget comfort. Laos is cheapest.

Vietnam: Rent’s a killer, especially cities. Food’s cheap, but quality varies wildly.

Cambodia: Phnom Penh’s pricey. Sihanoukville’s cheaper, but…grittier.

Essential Costs (2024):

• Rent: $200-$500+ (location dependent, expect more for decent quality)
• Food: $150-$300 (street food vs. restaurants, my experience)
• Transport: $50-$100 (motorbike is king)
• Utilities: $30-$75 (electricity, water, internet – this can fluctuate, watch out)
• Entertainment: $50-$200+ (highly variable, depends on your style)

$500? Impossible. Unless you’re monastic. Think twice. My experience in 2023 dictates this. $800-$1000 is more realistic, for decent living. Don’t be broke. Plan accordingly. Expect unexpected expenses. Always have a buffer. I lived in Hoi An for six months, cost me a fortune.

What country in Southeast Asia has the highest standard of living?

Singapore wins. Hands down. No contest.

Cambodia lags. Obviously.

• HDI matters. Measures progress.

• Singapore’s HDI: 0.949. Numbers talk. I used to collect coins. Similar thrill.

• Cambodia’s HDI: 0.600. Quite a gap.

• ASEAN matters too. Southeast Asia’s playground. Some prefer beaches.

• I prefer data. Cold comfort, maybe. But true. Isn’t that all we have?

• Think of it: efficient trains vs. tuk-tuks. Both get you there. Eventually.

The Human Development Index (HDI) is a summary measure of average achievement in key dimensions of human development: a long and healthy life, being knowledgeable, and having a decent standard of living. It’s not perfect. But what is? Maybe cats. The HDI is the geometric mean of normalized indices for each of the three dimensions. Singapore invests heavily in education and healthcare. Cambodia has work to do. I read a book once. Not relevant.