Oct 1, 2026

6 Budget Travel Destinations Where $100 a Day Actually Works in 2026

If you’re planning a trip this fall or winter but want to keep your daily spending low, you’ll be happy to know that there are cities around the world where it’s actually possible.

MoneyLion reached out to Sarah Roman, communications manager, Americas at World Nomads, to get some of her top picks as well as researched various U.S. cities to find great budget travel destinations where $100 actually works.

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Tokyo, Japan

Roman recognizes that Tokyo is a surprising pick but said, “If you plan your trip the right way, you can have a great time for under $100 a day.” She based her trip around finding great food at affordable prices and said, “It was easier than expected due to the abundance of food halls, open air marketings and the sheer amount of restaurants to choose from.”

Public transportation is also extremely easy and cheap, and she recommends “the abundance of free parks to walk off all the food you're eating.” You can also spend your days sightseeing your way through the various neighborhoods on foot to keep costs down.

Dubrovnik, Croatia

Located along the Adriatic Sea in Croatia, Dubrovnik has an abundance of relatively inexpensive museums and an incredible ocean, according to Roman. Because it’s such a small city, you can walk everywhere you need to go, and Roman said that once you’re there, it has everything that you need.

On her visit, she said, “We did several free walking tours in the mornings and then spent the afternoons on the beach.” If you want to watch “brave souls dive into the ocean while you sip a cocktail,” she recommends one of the several cliffside bars.

She does caution that food might be a larger part of the daily budget, but “if you aren’t spending much during the day, then you can afford a bit more at dinner.”

Guatemala, Central America

Roman said that Central America, specifically Guatemala, is a developing vacation destination, so your money will go further than it will in the U.S.

“You can eat great meals, stay at beautiful hotels and enjoy the incredible scenery for relatively cheap,” she said, though she does caution that safety can be a concern. If you stick to tourist areas or hire a guide, however, you “can have a great time with basic precautions.”

When she visited, she said, “I hired kayaks for $10 a day and hiked through the jungles and lounged on Lake Atitlan’s shores for free.” Using public transportation will be difficult here, so she recommends calculating transportation costs first and then allocating the rest for food and activities.

Washington, D.C.

Washington, D.C. has a wealth of free attractions, including the United States Botanic Garden, the National Mall, the U.S. Capitol building and 17 Smithsonian Museums, galleries, and even a zoo. Sticking to free activities means you’ll likely be able to explore the city on $100 a day or less.

For food, multiple posters on a DC-focused Reddit thread said you can eat at a casual restaurant for about $15 per person. If you need to travel to different locations or back to your hotel, you can take the Metro Rail or Metro Bus which only cost between $1.10 and $6.75 depending on the day, time, and ride length.

Bloomington, Illinois

Bloomington, Illinois offers a great budget destination. You can eat at a range of affordable restaurants and then head to one of the city’s free museums that include the Eskenazi Museum of Art and the Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, both part of Indiana University.

For free outdoor fun, you can check out local parks — Lower Cascades Park even has a limestone waterfall. Bus fare in Bloomington is just $1 for the regular fare, so you’ll be able to get wherever you need to go while barely putting a dent in your daily budget.

Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Another Midwest destination that offers lots to do for under $100 a day is Milwaukee, Wisconsin. You can visit a variety of parks as well as the Urban Ecology Center that provides free nature programs and the Wehr Nature Center features trails, wildlife and exhibits.

Other free attractions include Latino Arts, Inc where you can see gallery exhibits and performances and Saint Kate - The Arts Hotel where you can take in a mix of public art and performances in a beautiful hotel. The downtown area is very walkable, saving you on transportation costs. You can even check out the Milwaukee RiverWalk that winds through downtown.

This article was provided by MoneyLion.com for informational purposes only and should not be construed as financial, legal or tax advice.

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Written by

Stephanie Mickelson

Edited by

Zuri Anderson