Cheap countries to visit
 

We spent Christmas week in Ubud, Bali and rented an amazing villa for 8 people with a staff and 6 and it was very inexpensive. I am starting to plan our 2016 family vacation and wonder what other countries might be cheap like Bali.

Note that Bali is not so cheap if you stay in hotels, eat in the fancier restaurants, and consume wine or alcohol. A lot depends on the style of travel that you're willing to do in some particular location.

New York City has a policy where nobody can be turned away from the shelter. That means free housing though you might have to guard your shoes and luggage while sleeping (with one eye open).

Cheap countries to visit probably mostly means finding a cheap hotel. You can then buy food from the grocery store or market.

Cheap countries to visit
 

My personal experience is that Indonesia, Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, Myanmar, Malaysia, and Philippine were pretty cheap compared to European or American cities.
If you need information about any particular country then please PM me.

Caracas was quite cheap...but will you be planning a family vacation there? Let's go with no. Can't comment about the rest of the country.

As for usual suspects, depends what you consider expensive. I've found Indonesia, Malaysia, less well-known Chinese cities, and Bolivia to be kind on the wallet too.

As people have said, it depends on how you want to live and where you're coming from. I was in South Africa last month. 17 Rand per Pound....everything to make my trip great was cheap; busses, wine, steak, food, tours, petrol, car hire and hotels...

A £25 bottle of wine was £4 down there. A £25 steak was £8.

Malaysia and Philippines are cheap to visit. I always feel like a god going there.

Argentina is cheap if you use the blue exchange rates and pay in cash.

Cheap countries to visit
 

Vietnam is very inexpensive (beer is 20.000 VND!). Nice hotels can be found in central Vietnam (Hué, da nang) for $25-40/night.

Don't forget the 2 hour massage for $18... No shenanigans.

Last year, my wife and I found Sri Lanka to be quite inexpensive, even fairly good hotels on the water. After the end of the civil war, they are quite eager for tourists.

Switzerland and Norway. Just kidding :D

Yes but also only stay in hotels off the tourist radar and avoid all internal flights unless you buy a ticket aimed at residents (and can prove you are one if asked).

Czech Republic
Hungary
Greece

I wouldn't have thought of any of these.

I'm in Budapest right and can confirm, this place is CHEAP! A good meal cost 10-20$ in the city-center (per person), a ticket to the opera is less than 10$, drinks are also cheap, taxis are less than a $/km...

Not a country usually thought as cheap but I have found the USA to be kind of the wallet too, depending on where you go. Steer clear of the major cities and tourist areas and it can almost be as cheap as Asia.

My (infrequent) leisure travel is mainly in non-safari, non-tourist Africa. Since there are no hotels, nor proper "stores" - not to mention no restaurants - travel can be relative cheap. Bicycles are inexpensive for short-distance travel and taxi brousse for longer distances. It's not for everyone, but it's the only way to see Africa.

Airfares can be expensive, particularly since there aren't many low cost carriers providing international/intercontinental coverage.

Malaysia is very cheap if you want high quality.

If you want really cheap look into India/Nepal - though quality comes at a high price.

Armenia.

India and Nepal are inexpensive for what you get, but the need to (usually) hire drivers and guides probably moves them out of the cheapest of the cheap destinations. You generally can't self-drive rental cars in either location, and most visitors wouldn't want to if they could.

We did a non-technical trek when we were in Nepal...we had a great time and met a lot of interesting people along the way and felt like it was great value, even though we were sleeping in the most bare-bones teahouse bunks imaginable. I've been told that higher-altitude and more technical treks get a lot more expensive.

We did a Golden Triangle tour in India. I first approached it thinking we could do it without a guide...use trains and internal flights between the cities. But the timing and hassle factor of all of that led us right back to hiring a private driver, which worked out fine.

We also did 11 days in Egypt rather inexpensively in 2009, thanks to Hilton and Marriott awards in Luxor and Cairo. The only modestly expensive part was a daytrip out to Abu Simbel, which is a short flight from Aswan. We hired a driver to take us around Aswan and then back up to Luxor, stopping at a camel market and a couple temples along the way. Very much worth it...

Thailand..Hotels at all levels are inexpensive by US standards and great food can be had on the street

Cheapest places I've been to are probably Cambodia (I bought a horrendous bottle of vodka for about $1), India (some great value hotel rooms) and Vietnam (as someone else mentioned very cheap, but awful, beer)

No place is going to be as cheap as you remember from the last time as you need to pay double to triple the price for accommodations. Based on your budget select the place start enjoying your vacations. Some suggestible locations are: Costa Rica, Albania, Turkey, Greece, Philippines

That doesn't sound cheap at all when compared with Laos, Iran or Sri Lanka where good meals can be had for $3-4.

Costa Rica is not that cheap compared to other countries in Central America. However, Albania is great for food and accommodation. There's lots of meat and produce available locally and serving sizes are generous. I had trouble finishing meals on my trip there in 2013.

In Sri Lanka last summer I found food and accommodations not so cheap unless you get off the tourist path. Lots of resort hotels on the coast charge a lot for meals (like resorts in other countries) because there is nothing else around. To get off the resort into town even costs a lot for the tuk tuk rides.

I would imagine Russia isn't so bad about now- if you're paying in Rubles.

+1

There are even cheaper regions of the world to visit. But I'd say that SE Asia is the best value region in terms of the combination of quality of service, accommodations hygiene, and, in many parts of the region, infrastructure. Much cheaper than the Caribbean, Central and Eastern Europe and much of Latin America, for instance. I'm sure that parts of South Asia and Africa are cheaper than SE Asia; but no matter what your price point is, it will cost less for a given quality hotel or meal in much of SE Asia in comparison with the rest of the world.

+1 again.

And I'd say that Thailand is the best value of all. There are less expensive countries in SE Asia (and again, in other regions). But the combination of good quality at a relatively low price in Thailand is the best. That's why it's one of the few countries my wife and I repeatedly go back to on our vacations.

Right now - Russia...

Vietnam in South East Asia. I suppose Vietnam is worthy for you to enjoy sightseeing and relaxing as well. This country has both moutainous and coastal areas. It is not only cheap but also very safe and friendly, a good choice for your plan. Good luck!

Obviously not as cheap as other places mentioned here but cheap for Europe in case OP feels like going to Europe.

I just booked a hotel in Moscow for a stay in September. I paid about half of what I paid for a stay in the summer of 2013 (same hotel).
I am strongly considering buying Rubles already now for the trip.