Straw Poll: How Much Does a RTW Trip Cost?

This is a quick one.

How much do you think it would cost to do a round the world trip for one year (if you stay out of Europe since that’s a money sinkhole these days)?

Respond with a number in the comments and any further details you feel like adding. We’ll follow this up with a post detailing our budget plans and how they align with how the rest of you think.

14 Replies to “Straw Poll: How Much Does a RTW Trip Cost?”

  1. $ 2.92 an hour per person, based on the volitile dollar in the Asian market…
    Do you have a market escalater for the inflation of goods over the next year.

    $ 51,158.40 * 1.125% escalation = $ 57,553.20 including taxes and insurance.

    What does your rider cost on health insurance for two people plus life insurance?

  2. $50k for the two of you seems about right. I spent about $20k going solo to about a dozen countries across three continents (for perspective) last year. That’s staying mostly in hostels, eating modestly, the odd splurge here and there, and using points for most of my major intercontinental flights. While I was happy with what I did for my budget, in retrospect $25k or $30k would’ve provided a little more cushion to do those things that you can’t plan for until you get somewhere. Since you’ll be sharing a lot of things, namely lodging (the biggest expense), you should do well with $50k and have a little comfort room in your budget. Just don’t forget to build in some ‘return funds’ to help you ease into things once you get back.

  3. Per one person:

    All depends on how extravagant you live but….

    South East Asia is about 20 dollars per day.

    Australia about 80 per day

    China about 20 per day

    Japan about 80 per day

    Central america about 25-40 per day

    Airfare= 2000-3000

    I did 18 months through Europe, australia, asia, and America and it cost me about 23,000

  4. My guess is that you’ll need to budget about $50,000 for the year. I’m thinking $30,000
    for lodging, food and other necessities, $10,000 for travel expenses and another $10,000
    for splurges, insurance and unexpected expenses. Looking forward to seeing your budget
    estimate when time allows!

  5. I did it for about 13,000USD for 1 1/2 years but I traveled lived for almost free 7 months of that time (bar tending in South Africa and living with a family in Ecuador). I spent about $4000 on flights (which could be done cheaper with a round-the-world ticket). I went to Central and South America, South Africa, and Southeast Asia. Budget was roughly $30 per day Central and South America (varies country to country), $40 per day South Africa (Living it up), $20 per day Southeast Asia. Most days are cheaper then those prices listed but you have to budget in travel expenses and the occasional expensive activity. I traveled slow and didn’t do as many activities as some people. I lived like a backpacker (which gets tedious after awhile). Still the time of my life. My best experiences were from staying in areas for more than a month. I recommend working (or volunteering) in one area for three months to pay living expenses and then traveling for three months. I’ve been teaching in South Korea for a year and I have 13k in the bank again. It’s tempting..

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