A cheap country does not always make a cheap holiday. Accommodation and food may cost little in Vietnam, but the flight can consume half the budget. Bulgaria may work out better for a short trip from Europe even when a room near the beach costs more. In Tunisia, meanwhile, a package can sometimes cost less than booking the flight, transfer and hotel separately.
This is why the countries below are not ranked from “cheapest” to “most expensive”. Instead, we compared five destinations by the cost of the whole trip rather than an abstract daily figure.
How to read the figures
The indicative daily budgets are per person, assuming that two adults share a simple double room. They cover one person’s share of accommodation, ordinary meals, public transport, inexpensive sights and one or two paid activities during the trip.
International transport, insurance, visas and personal shopping are separate. Prices were checked in August 2026, but these are planning ranges rather than quotes: season, city and booking date can all change the result.
- Bulgaria · €40–65 a dayFive to eight days. Best value when overland or short-haul travel is inexpensive.
- North Macedonia · €45–65Six to nine days. Suits a Skopje–Ohrid itinerary without a hire car.
- Albania · €45–70Seven to ten days. Most realistic outside peak season and the priciest resorts.
- Tunisia · €40–70 on the groundSeven to ten days. Compare a complete package with booking independently.
- Vietnam · €30–55At least 12–14 days, allowing lower local costs to offset the long-haul flight.
Bulgaria: the journey can be the biggest saving
Bulgaria remains one of the more affordable destinations in the EU. Eurostat found that its overall household-consumption price level in 2025 was 63% of the EU average. That does not mean every resort is cheap, but it helps explain why transport, cafés and everyday purchases often cost less than in Western Europe.
For a short holiday, Bulgaria’s advantage is not only what you spend after arrival. Travellers based in Central or Eastern Europe may be able to reach it overland or on a short flight, so a week in Bulgaria can cost less overall than a few days in a nominally cheaper destination in Asia.
Look beyond Sunny Beach for a quieter trip. Sozopol, Pomorie, Varna and areas around Nessebar provide a wider choice of accommodation and make it possible to combine the coast with time in town.
July and August can quickly push up the total through beachfront rooms, promenade restaurants, sunbeds and family attractions. June and the first half of September usually provide more choice when school-holiday dates are not essential.
Best for: a five-to-eight-day seaside break where keeping the journey affordable matters as much as local prices.
North Macedonia: two bases instead of constant transfers
North Macedonia offers value not because everything costs next to nothing, but because a first trip needs only two bases: Skopje and Ohrid. There is no need to change hotels every day, rent a car or buy domestic flights.
Spend one or two days in Skopje and Matka Canyon, then devote the rest of the trip to Ohrid, the lake and nearby villages. Buses connect the two cities, while Ohrid’s historic centre is easy to explore on foot.
A working budget of €45–65 a day assumes simple accommodation, local restaurants and a moderate number of paid excursions. Taxis, private boat trips and daily meals on the waterfront can move the total beyond that range.
Check the journey into the country before booking accommodation. A low room rate in Ohrid may not compensate for an awkward or expensive itinerary with several connections.
Best for: travellers who want a city, nature and a lake in one unhurried trip.
See The LINES’ complete North Macedonia itinerary for a closer look at the route.
Albania: affordable Adriatic travel, with qualifications
Albania’s reputation as an exceptionally cheap beach destination needs updating. Reported traveller spending suggests that a budget trip in 2026 starts at roughly $49 per person per day—already well above the figures repeated in many older lists.
The costliest version is Ksamil or Sarandë in July and August, with accommodation near the water and frequent private transfers. May, June and September are more realistic for a tighter budget, as is an itinerary through Tirana, Berat, Gjirokastër and Vlorë.
Albania does not have a passenger rail network that works for a normal tourist itinerary, so journeys need to be planned around buses and minibuses. They are inexpensive, but departure points and schedules are worth confirming. Replace them with private transfers and much of the saving disappears.
Best for: travellers who can avoid peak season and are comfortable arranging their own connections.
Tunisia: compare the package, not the room rate
Tunisia is difficult to compare fairly with European destinations using a simple “euros per day” figure. For a resort holiday, the package is decisive: flight, transfer, hotel, meals and baggage together can cost less than buying the same components separately.
Instead of relying on an advertised “from” price, open an offer for your actual dates and check:
- the departure airport;
- whether checked baggage is included;
- whether the hotel transfer is included;
- the exact meal plan;
- any tourist tax;
- insurance and the journey to the departure airport;
- excursions that must be paid for separately.
A package may be good value for a hotel-based holiday. If you want to explore Tunis, Carthage, Sidi Bou Said and several other towns independently, compare the total price of that itinerary instead.
Nor should Tunisia be described as an automatically “safe introduction to North Africa”. Check current travel advice and the situation in the specific regions on your itinerary before departure.
Best for: travellers who want a week by the sea and are prepared to compare complete packages rather than assemble every component separately.
Vietnam: inexpensive after arrival, better for a longer trip
Vietnam remains the least expensive destination in this selection once you are on the ground. Reported 2026 spending is around $24 a day for a strict budget style and roughly $65 for a mid-range trip.
However, a long-haul flight, airport travel, baggage, insurance and a visa can cost more than a week of accommodation. Flying to Vietnam for five or seven days purely to save money makes little sense. A trip of at least two weeks gives the lower local costs time to offset the journey.
Choose one region instead of paying for constant transfers:
- Hanoi and Ninh Bình;
- Da Nang and Hội An;
- Ho Chi Minh City and the Mekong Delta;
- Nha Trang and its surroundings for a coastal stay.
In 2026, Vietnam’s official portal lists an e-visa fee of $25 for single entry and $50 for multiple entry. Eligibility and entry rules depend on nationality, so check them immediately before applying.
Best for: travellers with at least two weeks who can balance a more expensive journey against lower daily spending.
What about Montenegro?
Montenegro remains beautiful and compact, but it is no longer accurate to present it as one of Europe’s cheapest countries. Reported traveller spending puts even a budget trip at roughly €52 per person per day, with mid-range travel costing considerably more.
In Budva and Kotor during high summer, accommodation, parking, restaurants and boat trips can match the prices of more established Mediterranean resorts. Bar, Ulcinj or Cetinje—and travel in May, June or September—can cost less, but that does not make Montenegro a universally cheap destination.
Choose it for the scenery and short distances, not for a promise of exceptionally low prices.
Calculate the real cost of your trip
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What will the journey actually cost?
This is a planning estimate. Before paying, check the billing currency, baggage, tourist taxes and cancellation terms.
What usually breaks the budget
Peak season
A low national average says little about a particular resort in August. Compare the same dates rather than annual averages.
An overfilled itinerary
Every additional city brings another ticket, station transfer, possible baggage fee and lost time. One or two bases often produce a better trip for the same money.
A fare without baggage or airport transport
A cheap flight may stop being cheap after adding a suitcase, seat selection and the journey from a distant airport.
Assuming every room is shared
A room looks inexpensive per person when two people divide the cost. For a solo traveller, accommodation is often the largest expense.
Depending on a last-minute deal
Last-minute offers exist, but they are a weak foundation for an entire plan. Decide what you can spend first, then look for a destination within that total.
Which country will be cheapest for you?
For a short seaside break from Central or Eastern Europe, Bulgaria often wins because the journey does not erase the savings on the ground. North Macedonia works well for a compact route combining a city, a lake and nature. Albania offers good value outside peak season. Tunisia should be judged by the complete package price, while Vietnam makes financial sense when there is enough time for a longer trip.
The main point: there is no universally cheapest country. The best-value destination is the one where affordable transport, suitable accommodation and an itinerary without unnecessary transfers come together for your actual dates.
Sources
- Eurostat: household-consumption price levels in the EU in 2025
- Budget Your Trip: reported traveller costs in Albania
- Budget Your Trip: reported traveller costs in North Macedonia
- Budget Your Trip: reported traveller costs in Vietnam
- Budget Your Trip: reported traveller costs in Montenegro
- Official Vietnam e-visa portal
