I spent $34,563.38 traveling for 18 months: My budget breakdown

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 countries in Asia and 6 countries in South America cost $34,563.38.

I was meticulous about one thing from beginning to end: I recorded every penny I spent, from the $600 flight ticket to the 50 cents spent on a bathroom break.

I spend an average of about $1,920 per month, which is about my typical monthly budget living a frugal life in Los Angeles and previously in New York. To make ends meet and save money for my travels, I rented a house in an uncool part of town and lived in a small space with roommates for five years. I eat out a few times a week and only make coffee at home unless I work at a cafe.

Here’s everything I learned from my 18 months in South America and Asia, broken down by category.

Pre-trip supplies: $531, about 1.5% of budget

This category includes survival essentials that I stock up on before traveling, such as luggage, packing boxes, cargo pants, hiking boots, and water shoes.

In retrospect, I should have focused on packing items that were not easily found elsewhere, such as my favorite brand of mosquito repellent, rather than items that I could easily purchase abroad. For example, I regret that I have to lug the heavy burden of too many clothes in cars and planes around the world.

Siem Reap, Cambodia

Helen Zhao

Accommodation: $10,635.06, about 31% of budget

I could have paid $5 to $15 for a bed in a hotel, but at the end of a long day of exploring, I longed for the comfort of my own space. On average, I spend $20 to $25 per night for my room in a comfortable mid-range hotel, usually with breakfast included.

I think the accommodation at this price is great value Chandi Hotel Bali, Indonesia; Hoi An Central Villa Hoi An, Vietnam; and S2 Residential In Krabi, Thailand.

There are outliers too. For example, I only pay $9 a night Same quality hotel just one block from the beachin Da Nang, Vietnam.

In major urban centers such as Brazil, China, South Korea, Japan, and Singapore, hotels of similar quality cost closer to $50 to $100 per night. Luckily, my mom or husband went with me to all these places outside of Brazil and we split the bill.

Transportation: $8,074.67, about 23% of budget

flight: $4,885.14

Ground transportation: $3,189.53

I took 40 flights during my trip, flying economy and checking luggage. There are plenty of opportunities to catch night buses for a quarter to half the price. But I hate sleeping on the bus, using the bus toilet, or driving on narrow, winding roads in the dark.

Domestic flights typically cost between $50 and $100, twice as much as flying over very large countries like China or Brazil. Flights between neighboring countries cost me $100 to $200. Flights between non-neighboring countries cost me $100 to $300. The farthest distance I traveled was from Osaka, Japan to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, which cost $140.28.

I also used about 200,000 credit card miles to pay for some of my flights.

When I’m not flying, I’m riding a bus, van, or bullet train. Bus and van trips cost me $10 to $20 for three to seven hours. The bullet train ride, which runs about 860 miles from Xi’an, China to Shanghai, cost me $94. I bought a two-week unlimited bullet train pass to Japan for $224.

I’ve used a lot of rideshare services, and riding a motorcycle for two to three miles is usually only $1 or $2.

With her mother in rural Vietnam.

Provided by Helen Zhao

Catering: $7,078.36, approximately 20.5% of budget

coffee: $411.05

Alcohol: $557.95

Everything else: $6,109.36

I have never prepared my own food except for a few salads I made in Japan. Half the time, my hotels include breakfast. Otherwise, I usually eat at charming or trendy mid-range restaurants as well as lively night markets.

Including my favorite places Temple Coffee in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, and nukemilu In Bali. I usually spend $7 to $10 for an entree and a non-alcoholic drink. A meal usually costs $2.50 to $6 at many simple restaurants or night markets where locals dine. Night market snacks cost about $1 each.

I’ve tried fine dining restaurants a few times and it’s only $12 for lunch and $22 for dinner to enjoy an exquisite multi-course meal in Bolivia.

I often order a delicious latte at a trendy cafe for about $2. I was surprised to find that my iced latte habit only increased by $411 in 18 months.

I drink about once a week, spending about $5 at mid-range restaurants and bars and $10 to $12 at the highest end establishments.

Sightseeing: $2,567.24, about 7.5% of budget

Patagonia

Provided by Helen Zhao

Health care: $1,988.54, about 6% of the budget

I spent $1,263.72 travelers health insurancewhich can cover up to $100,000 in accident or illness expenses. This insurance came in handy when I had a case of food poisoning and a severe case of COVID-19.

I paid $563 for travel vaccines, including yellow fever, typhoid, hepatitis A and Japanese encephalitis vaccines. According to my research, the latter would cost $400 to $500 in the US, but I only spent $58 in Bangkok.

After I lost my retainers in Vietnam, I spent about $150 to have them remade in Korea.

Discretionary shopping: $1,927.01, about 5.5% of budget

clothing: $1,048.24

souvenir: $216.86

Gift: $661.91

I mostly shop in hole-in-the-wall boutiques or street vendors where there are no price tags, it’s all haggling. I immediately put off the purchase to avoid overpaying, remembering that the competition is often on my side.

I asked multiple vendors for pricing. This process helped me figure out the lowest price I would accept, or the last price a supplier would offer me before they let me go.

That’s how I knew I got a great deal on a custom-made Vietnamese silk dress in Hoi An. After asking around, I ended up spending $34 per item of clothing and leaving Vietnam with 14 pieces.

Sometimes I buy something on the spot when I think the price looks reasonable. I don’t mind if the supplier makes a few extra dollars because I still feel like it’s a good deal and the money is more important to them than it is to me.

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Helen Zhao

Visa: $847.54, about 2.5% of budget

In most cases, as a U.S. citizen, I do not need a visa, nor do I need to pay a visa fee upon arrival. These usually cost about $30 to $40.

However, there are outliers. The application and printing fee for a Chinese visa is US$205, and the fee for a Bolivian visa is US$160. I was surprised to learn about this requirement two hours before we arrived at the border from Peru, and scrambled to gather the necessary documentation before arrival.

Personal care: $745.57, about 2% of the budget

I occasionally indulge in luxuries that I almost never spend money on in the United States, where I often feel like I can’t justify the money spent. I spent about $15 for a gel manicure and $5 to $10 for a massage. I took yoga and meditation classes at a beautiful facility in Bali for $10 each. A haircut costs about $8. I also regularly stock up on toiletries, sunscreen, and mosquito repellent.

Tokyo

Provided by Helen Zhao

Entertainment: $168.40, about 0.5% of budget

This includes fun activities for escapism that don’t count as sightseeing or cultural experiences. This included entrance fees to several nightclubs I went to, arcade games, Spotify music subscriptions, and hookah sessions with friends.

I was surprised at how little I actually spent on escapism. You can party with other tourists from Southeast Asia and South America at very affordable prices, especially if you stay in a hotel. In my early to early twenties I would have jumped at the opportunity, but in my early thirties I didn’t feel attracted to it.

First thing I got with $35,000: ‘It reminds me how rich I am’

Abroad, I lived very comfortably on $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’m tired of living in an expensive American coastal city and feeling like I’ll never be able to Affording a house or kids and constantly comparing myself to people who have more than me. I felt poor, like I never had enough and never did enough.

Tracking my spending shows that I have tremendous buying power in most parts of the world. I am not a helpless victim of inflation and the soaring cost of living in the United States.

This experience helped me move from a mindset of scarcity and helplessness to a mindset of abundance and gratitude. It reminds me how rich I am and that I must be grateful. It helped me realize that I was—and am—enough.

Helen Zhao is a former video producer and writer for CNBC. Before joining CNBC as a news assistant, she covered residential real estate for the Los Angeles Business Journal. She is a California native and a proud USC Trojan and UCLA Bruin student.