I just got back from three months in Southeast Asia and wanted to share the actual numbers before I forget them.

Flights (round trip from NYC): $640. I used Scott's Cheap Flights and jumped on a mistake fare to Bangkok with a 6-hour window. That alone set the tone for the trip. From there I used budget airlines — AirAsia mostly — to hop between countries. Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, back to Thailand for the flight home. Internal flights averaged $35 one-way if booked 2-3 weeks out.

Accommodation: $18/night average. This includes a mix of $8 dorm beds in Chiang Mai, a $12 private room in Kampot (Cambodia), and one splurge night at a $45 guesthouse in Luang Prabang that had a pool. The hostels in Southeast Asia are legitimately excellent at the low end — air conditioning, lockers, common areas that actually feel social.

Food: $12-15/day. Street food is the way. A bowl of pho in Hanoi is 30,000 VND (about $1.20). Pad see ew from a night market stall in Chiang Mai is 60 baht ($1.70). I ate restaurant meals probably twice a week when I wanted to sit down, and those rarely exceeded $6-8. The only days I blew the food budget were days I drank too much cheap beer.