Just wrapped up 9 months across Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, and Thailand. Tracked every single expense from day one. Here's the real data, no rounding:

Vietnam: $22.40/day (includes buying a $280 motorcycle — strip that out and it's substantially cheaper)

Cambodia: $14.88/day (spent a month volunteering at a hostel on Koh Rong — accommodation near zero)

Laos: $19.65/day

Thailand $13.82/day (includes hitchhiking and hammock camping)

Real average stripped of one-offs: ~$17 USD/day

A few things that actually move the needle on costs that don't get talked about enough:

Volunteering at hostels is underused. I walked into The Lost Boys on Koh Rong after someone mentioned it at a hostel one city over. They said they didn't need anyone. I stayed two days, made myself useful, and they changed their mind. Free bed, free food, one of the best months of the trip.

Temple stays in Thailand are completely free and almost nobody does them.…