When I was planning the world travel I thought that it was possible to spend an average of 1.000 EUR per month. Now that I’m into this thing I will take some notes and do the accounting at the end of each month. For February I’ve just finished the numbers.
The month isn’t over yet, but there’s not much that will be added to this. I divided the expense report in 6 basic categories.
The transfer category seems really expansive. But the 450 EUR flight from Germany to Thailand is responsible for almost 90% of that segment.
Pocket money
This is used to pay my daily live. This is cash I carry with me and that goes to things like food, beverages, drinks, local transportation like motor taxis or cabs, ferries, etc. This comes with a daily average with should give you a basic idea of the cost of living. This may vary based upon your mileage and personal preferences.
Transfers
Whenever I book transfers up front this will be accounted in this category. Here are the flights, booked transports from one destination to the other e.g. overland travel, etc.
Accomodation
In this category all expenses are summarized related to sleeping. This can be a single bed in a 12 bed mixed dorm as well as nice double with ensuite bathroom when more privacy is needed or deserved. The prices here come down what a single person would pay. This means when I shared a place with someone else this is only my personal rate.
Visa
Entering a country usually costs some extra money. In this category fall all costs regarding visas for the different countries I’m going to visit.
Unnecessary
Yes, I am an Idiot when it comes to loosing things. I do forget my phone, sunglasses or even my head on some days. Also on a travel scams do happen. I always try to avoid them or do my research upfront, but when you go out to the world sometimes it comes down to just being asked extra money, get ripped off, being robbed, etc. I see this money as an extra layer of education. When it comes to loss, I think of it as a decent way to remind me of the pain in the ass it means just being plain stupid sometimes.
Fun
The travel in itself means a lot of fun to me. Just being in a different culture, country and having the ability to try different drinks, food, modes of transportation etc. means a lot to me. But on some days you’re on to something fancy like learning to ride a motor bike, going to a guided jungle trekking tour, run a half marathon or whatever comes to my mind. Expenses for this fall in the category fun.
Communication
I am buying a local SIM card when I arrive at a new country. In Cambodia I received one with my new phone. In Thailand a bought a SIM Card that is good for 7 days of unlimited internet usage for around 2-4 EUR. So this is really not that much. Most Hostels and Guesthouses provide Wireless Internet free of charge. The speed is usually superior to what my local provider is supplying in Germany.
Amazon + Spotify + Dropbox
I do have some additional expenses like my Spotify Premium account, Dropbox Pro Account (daily Photo backup, important!) as well as buying books and magazines from Amazon. I would have these at home anyway, so I did not really take them into account. Only my Kindle Invoice shows increased activity when there are beach days involved. So far I calculate with ± 100 EUR a month for mental input + output storage.
The gritty Details
I am not the best accountant there is. But I hope these figures provide you a little insight to the financial aspects of being a world traveller.