Southeast Asia
Malaysia
Hawker-stall feasts, jungle-covered highlands, and island hopping with modern, English-friendly infrastructure — Malaysia is Southeast Asia made easy.
Malaysia mixes Malay, Chinese, and Indian cultures into one of Asia’s best food scenes, with infrastructure that feels a step more polished than its neighbours.
Why it’s cheap
A plate of nasi lemak, char kway teow, or roti canai at a hawker centre costs $1.50–3, dorm beds run $8–12, and Kuala Lumpur’s LRT gets you around the city for under $1 a ride.
Getting around
Comfortable express buses connect KL, Melaka, Penang, and the Cameron Highlands for $5–15, and the ETS train runs fast along the west coast. AirAsia is based here, so flights to Borneo and the rest of the region are some of the cheapest anywhere.
Where budget meets comfort
George Town in Penang has heritage shophouse guesthouses for $20–30 a night, and the Perhentian Islands offer beach huts that are still cheap by Thai-island standards.