10 Most Affordable Asian Cities to Visit Right Now

These are the most affordable places to travel in Asia, according to Kayak.

Trips to Asia can seem expensive at first glance, with some flights double what you’d pay to get to Europe. But as with any travel destination, you can find a great deal — if you know where to look. Flights to Asia are actually nine percent cheaper than they were this time last year, according to Kayak. For bigger savings, Kayla Inserra DeLoache, Kayak’s consumer travel trends expert, recommends travelers “plan your trip during shoulder season this fall (October-November) and save up to 12 percent on flights compared to peak travel season (May-July).”

Kayak lended their expertise (and database) to Travel + Leisure to provide a data-backed peek at what destinations in Asia are the cheapest to visit. To come up with their list of the 10 most affordable cities in Asia, they considered searches on Kayak between January and June 2024 for travel to Asia between June and December 2024. They combined the average round-trip economy airfare with the average rate of a one-night stay in a standard double hotel room to determine the 10 most affordable Asian cities for travelers to visit right now.

Taipei City, Taiwan

Average total cost for a round-trip flight + one night at a hotel: $1,411

If Taiwan’s beef noodle soup and pineapple cake are calling your name, now is the time to book. Kayak reported that for travel between June and December 2024, Taipei City is the most affordable place to visit in Asia (based on flight and hotel prices).

You can find highly rated hotels for under $100 per night; many recent travelers to Taipei on Reddit report that they were able to find nice, but simple hotel rooms for $45 a night, along with plenty of amazing street food like xiao long bao (Chinese steamed dumplings), bubble tea, and mango shaved ice. The city’s many night markets are a great place to find cheap eats and souvenirs.

Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Average total cost: $1,452

“Vietnam Airlines now has direct flights from San Francisco to Saigon, which can be really good value,” said Ethan Crowley, a trip planner with Asia Desk. The cost to book this flight directly with Vietnam Airlines starts at just $660 round trip, according to their flight schedule, plus, this is currently one of the only direct nonstop flights from Southeast Asia to North America. In addition to affordable flights, Crowley says food and lodging is affordable. He considered Vietnam to likely be “the lowest-cost country for travelers” in all of Southeast Asia.

Jakarta, Indonesia

Average total cost: $1,478

The Indonesian island of Bali gets all the attention, but its neighbor, Java, is significantly more affordable. It’s home to the country’s massive capital city, which has every amenity you could imagine — at a low price.

According to Jarrod Hobson, a travel specialist with ATJ and a T+L A-List travel advisor, in terms of cost, “I would say Indonesia and Vietnam are the best values. The prices for hotels seem like they're trying to [attract] more visitors after Covid.”

Services like manicures, massages, and haircuts also tend to be high quality but much less expensive than you'd find at home.

New Delhi, India

Average total cost: $1,490

There are several direct flights from major U.S. cities (NYC, Chicago, Washington, D.C., etc.) to New Delhi, making flights not only less daunting, but also more affordable. Plus, you can find simple, but clean and pleasant hotel rooms for as low as $15 a night. As an added travel tip, Hobson notes that “It's best to exchange money at the hotels and not at the airport once you get to the destination.”

Bangkok, Thailand

Average total cost: $1,493

Once the affordable darling of Southeast Asia, Bangkok’s prices have risen with its popularity. However, it remains one of Asia’s most affordable countries to visit, thanks in part to the many direct flights into Bangkok from the U.S., along with the many local flights that operate to neighboring countries (Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia) from Bangkok.

If you’re willing to spend a bit extra, you can live large without totally blowing your budget. Crowley said, “the Mandarin Oriental in Bangkok (which is one of the two original hotels in the famed hotel chain) is excellent value when compared to other similar accommodations around the world.”

Manila, Philippines

Average total cost: $1,495

The Philippines coastal capital city of Manila came in at No. 6 on Kayak’s affordability ranking, primarily thanks to affordable flight options. In October 2023, United Airlines became the first U.S. carrier to fly direct to Manila from the U.S. with a flight from San Francisco. Hotels across the city are pretty affordable, too, with plenty offering rates at or below $20 a night.

Tokyo, Japan

Average total cost: $1,499

Japan tends to be more expensive than the nearby countries in Southeast Asia. That said, Toyko is a large, sprawling city with lots of lodging options (including basic hotels for just over $25 a night) and two international airports with several flight options, which help bring flight prices down. If you can snag an affordable flight and a cheap place to say, you can rely on the affordable, but delicious food doled out at convenience stores like 7-Eleven and Lawson. Plus, the Japanese yen offers a favorable exchange rate for U.S. travelers right now.

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Average total cost: $1,505

Kuala Lumpur, often shortened to “KL,” is the land of mamaks, tiny food stalls serving up handmade local dishes, where you can experience fantastic local flavors on a budget. Favorite dishes include Hakka-style beef noodles and chilli pan mee, noodles topped with pork, egg, and chili. There are several one-stop flights to KL from the U.S., along with plenty of hotels that charge $20 a night or less.

Hanoi, Vietnam

Average total cost: $1,546

Vietnam is one of two countries to show up twice on this list, a fact that’s not surprising to people who are well versed in travel to Asian countries.

“[In Vietnam] you have a country with great cheap food, great value hotels, and great transport. Accommodation, from the low end up through luxury, is much cheaper than the surrounding countries. Business-class domestic flights in Vietnam are excellent value and also make the experience in the country's crowded airports much more enjoyable; even economy flights are far cheaper than similar routings in the U.S.,” said Crowley, who adds that Vietnam’s “street eats are some of the cheapest in the region.”

Osaka, Japan

Average total cost: $1,567

Japanese food is replicated all over the world, but the heart of Japan’s foodie culture is widely considered to be Osaka. The city shines when it comes to street food. Hearty favorites include mitarashi-dango, skewers of grilled sticky rice dumplings covered with a soy glaze; takoyaki, fried balls filled with diced octopus, ginger, and onion; and okonomiyaki, a savory pancake typically made with egg, meat, seafood, and cabbage. Additionally, Osaka has two airports for ample flight options and can be reached from Tokyo via a 2.5-hour bullet train.

For more Travel & Leisure news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!

Read the original article on Travel & Leisure.