9 countries where your money goes further than you’d expect in 2025

I love a good value hunt. Chalk it up to my years as a financial analyst: I can’t help scanning a menu or a metro map and mentally benchmarking prices.

And 2025 is full of pleasant surprises. Thanks to currency shifts, local cost dynamics, and a few under-the-radar gems, there are places where your money stretches a lot farther than you might expect.

Before we dive in, a quick note on how I think about “value.” I look for the sweet spot where exchange rates, on-the-ground prices, and quality of experience meet. I also cross-check broad indicators like cost-of-living indexes and currency valuation tools.

As The Economist’s foundation notes, the Big Mac Index was invented “as a guide to whether currencies are at their ‘correct’ level”—it’s a playful but useful lens for travelers, too.

Let’s get into the nine countries giving you surprisingly big travel (and living) value this year.

1. Japan

A few years ago, I would’ve called Japan a “splurge” destination.

This year, it’s shockingly good value. The yen has been weak relative to the dollar, which means your money translates into more bowls of ramen, more train rides, and more nights in spotless business hotels than you might have budgeted for.

Is everything cheap? No—Japan still does quality first—but when the currency is on sale, the whole trip feels discounted.

Even city transfers and convenience-store meals (which are great, by the way) feel gentle on the wallet. If you’ve been delaying a Japan trip because you assumed it was too pricey, 2025 is the year to rethink that assumption.

As Reuters has explained over the past couple of years, persistent interest-rate differentials put downward pressure on the yen, which shows up in traveler purchasing power. That macro story is why the sushi somehow “costs less” this year—without the chef changing a thing.

2. Türkiye

Istanbul is intoxicating—mosques glowing at sunset, ferries gliding down the Bosphorus, and a food scene that ruins you for lesser meze forever.

Türkiye’s lira has been volatile, but the knock-on effect for visitors is affordability, especially once you step outside the most touristed lanes.

What surprises most travelers here? Museum passes, regional flights, and intercity buses that are clean, reliable, and far cheaper than their Western European counterparts. If you’re a market person (same), get ready to barter for spices, towels, and ceramics at prices that feel like a throwback—in the best way.

3. Argentina

I have a soft spot for places where the coffee is strong and the bookstores are endless.

Buenos Aires delivers both. Argentina’s currency swings make headlines, but they also mean that day-to-day costs for visitors often come in well under expectations—think generous steak dinners, long-haul buses, and handsome Belle Époque apartments at startlingly low nightly rates.

Caveat: the situation changes fast. Use reputable payment options, follow current guidance on which rates you’re using, and pad your budget for fluctuation. Do that, and you’ll find Patagonia hikes and Mendoza tastings that feel like a steal.

4. Vietnam

When friends ask where to go for their first “value-forward” trip to Asia, Vietnam stays at the top of my list. You can ride modern trains, eat beautifully for pocket change, and splurge on a boutique hotel without guilt.

The country’s café culture is next level—try egg coffee in Hanoi and tell me that isn’t joy in a cup.

The value isn’t just in price; it’s in how far your budget carries you across experiences. One day you’re in the lantern-lit streets of Hoi An, the next you’re weaving through karst peaks in Ninh Binh. Even domestic flights are often cheaper than a dinner out in many Western cities.

5. Albania

If you’ve “done” Italy and Greece and want the Adriatic at a friendlier price, meet Albania. Tirana is young and creative; the Riviera towns deliver turquoise water without the sticker shock. I’ve paid less for a plate of grilled fish here than I would for a side salad in some European capitals.

Infrastructure is improving quickly, but it’s still wise to be patient with schedules. The upside? Fewer crowds, long beach days, and a culture that still feels personal and proud. Value, in my book, also means meeting locals who are genuinely happy you came.

6. Georgia

Georgia makes me giddy. Where else can you hike dramatic Caucasus trails by day and tuck into khachapuri and amber wine by night—all without burning through your budget? Tbilisi’s old town is as photogenic as it gets, yet a full day of eating, soaking in the sulfur baths, and museum-hopping can cost less than a single fancy brunch back home.

If you’re a digital nomad or slow traveler, Georgia’s long-stay friendliness and relatively low costs are a winning combo. Even craft coffee and natural wine—two categories that usually drain a wallet—are pleasantly affordable here.

7. South Africa

South Africa is “value-max” if you want a trip that swings from world-class wine to wildlife in the same week. The rand’s relative weakness means your hard currency buys a lot: exceptional restaurants in Cape Town, tastings in Stellenbosch, and guesthouses with serious design chops.

Safaris can be expensive everywhere—no sugarcoating that—but South Africa offers self-drive and regional options that keep costs in check. And the quality-to-price ratio for food and wine? Honestly unmatched. If you’re the kind of traveler who equates value with memorable per dollar, this is your playground.

8. Egypt

Do you know that moment when ancient history slams into your modern life and makes you go quiet? The pyramids do that, and then Cairo hands you a perfectly made mint tea for the equivalent of a few coins. Egypt’s pound has undergone big shifts, and while inflation has been a challenge for locals, visitors often find their budgets go far for hotels, guides, and transport.

Tourism infrastructure is extensive, so you can customize: go luxe on a Nile cruise and go simple on street food, or the reverse. Either way, the numbers will likely come in well below what you imagined. When currencies reset, price tags don’t always keep up in the short term—travelers feel that lag as value.

9. Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka is my “how is this still under the radar?” pick. You get beaches, tea country, wildlife, and a tiny train-car’s worth of charm, compressed into an island that’s easy to traverse. Guesthouses with homemade curries, scenic rail rides, national parks, and Ayurvedic treatments all price out gently compared to similar experiences elsewhere in Asia.

It’s also a place where upgrading costs less. Want a room with a sea view? A driver for the hill-country switchbacks? A special-occasion dinner? In Sri Lanka, those choices often land comfortably inside a modest budget.

How I sized up “value” (and how you can, too)

When I built this list, I combined lived experience with a couple of practical yardsticks:

• Cost-of-living comparisons. Sites like Numbeo aggregate crowdsourced price data across countries. They’re not perfect, but they’re directionally useful for seeing where everyday costs (groceries, restaurants, transit) land lower relative to the U.S. or Western Europe. You can scan the 2025 country rankings to spot trends before you book.

• Currency sanity checks. Light-hearted as it is, “burgernomics” is a handy cross-check on whether a currency looks under- or overvalued in practice. As noted by The Economist’s foundation, the Big Mac Index exists “as a guide to whether currencies are at their ‘correct’ level.” That helps explain why Japan, for example, feels cheaper at the cash register this year than it did a few years back.

• Macro context. I keep an eye on trusted financial reporting. For example, Reuters’ explainers and graphics have documented the yen’s pressure from rate differentials—useful context for why Japan currently offers “more” for the same dollar. If the narrative shifts, so does the value equation.

Smart ways to lock in the value

Value isn’t just where you go; it’s how you travel there. A few strategies I use:

• Pay attention to the “big three”: lodging, intercity transport, and food. Shave 20% off each and you’ve transformed your total spend—without sacrificing joy.

• Book cancellable rates in volatile markets. If a currency moves in your favor, you can reprice. If it swings the other way, you’re not stuck.

• Go one neighborhood over. Even in the “value” countries above, the most famous blocks carry premiums. Two tram stops out? Whole new math.

• Mix your splurges. Save on breakfast and transit, then invest in the experiences that will make the trip—a cooking class in Hanoi, a guided hike in Georgia, a night safari outside Kruger.

• Respect local realities. Currency volatility is a windfall for visitors and a stressor for residents. Tip well, support small businesses, and be a gracious guest.

Final thoughts

What I love about this list is that it’s about possibility. If you’ve been telling yourself travel is off the table this year, these countries poke holes in that story.

They say, “Choose me, choose a shoulder season, and choose a neighborhood with a morning market—and you’ll be surprised how far your money takes you.”

If you’re a curious self-observer and a practical optimist (my VegOutMag people), use 2025’s quirks to your advantage. Pick one destination from this list, give yourself a reasonable budget, and go collect moments per dollar at a rate you didn’t think possible.

Happy planning—and happier spending where it counts.