Hit 50 nights in hostels this year and finally did the math

I added up my accommodation costs for 2024 and realized I spent under $1,800 for 50 nights total. That includes a mix of dorms and private rooms across Southeast Asia. Has anyone else tracked their nightly average and been surprised by the numbers?

2 comments

2 Comments

christopherwilliams1mo ago

That's wild, I did a similar thing last year and was shocked at how cheap it actually was. I stuck mostly to dorms in Vietnam and Thailand and averaged like $12 a night total including booking fees. Definitely changes how you look at travel budgets when you see it all laid out like that.

simonp401mo ago

Oh man, tell me about it! I did the math on my hostel stays once and realized I was spending like $8 a night on a bunk in some random Cambodian town, and I thought "wait, I pay more for a sandwich back home." It's honestly humbling in a funny way, like you're bragging about being cheap but also realizing how much money you burn on dumb stuff when you're not traveling. I ended up staying in a place with a broken fan and a gecko roommate and still felt like I was living the high life at that price. It really messes with your head when you get back and see a $15 cocktail on a menu and think "that's a whole night's sleep in Bangkok.