Magazine · Practical
Round-the-world trip budget in 2026: €12,000 to €25,000 per person by travel style. Spending categories, cost by region, RTW ticket, and ways to save money.
A one-year round-the-world trip costs between €12,000 and €25,000 per person depending on your travel pace. Plan for roughly €12,000 to €15,000 as a backpacker, €20,000 to €25,000 in comfort mode. The bill climbs fast if your route runs through Oceania or North America, and drops sharply if you stay in Southeast Asia.
The budget hinges on three variables: duration, regions crossed, and your comfort level. The same route can cost anywhere from single to triple. This article breaks down each spending category, puts numbers on the regional gaps, and compares the round-the-world ticket with tickets bought separately.
In short: for a one-year round-the-world trip, plan €12,000 to €15,000 per person as a backpacker, €20,000 to €25,000 in comfort. The three items that tip the whole budget are flights, accommodation and the regions you choose. Southeast Asia costs €35 a day; Australia and North America top €130.
The first question any future long-haul traveler asks is about budget. The honest answer comes with a caveat: it depends mostly on you, and on the map you draw. Here are the 2026 numbers, category by category.
A one-year round-the-world trip comes to €12,000-€25,000 per person, depending on pace and route.
The 2026 data converge: a year-long world trip typically runs $15,000 to $25,000 (around €14,000 to €23,000) for one traveler, according to Indie Traveller. A Southeast Asia-heavy route drops toward $9,000, while a route through Western Europe, Japan or Australia can easily double that figure.
Three profiles stand out:
For two people, plan around 1.7 to 1.8 times a single person’s budget, since accommodation is shared.
The budget splits across six main categories: flights, accommodation, food, activities, insurance and paperwork.
Often the first big cheque. A round-the-world trip of 6 to 8 international flights comes to €2,500-€5,500 in separate tickets, or via an alliance round-the-world ticket (see below). Domestic and regional flights add up along the way, €30 to €200 each depending on the zone.
The most elastic category. A dorm bed costs €8 to €15 in Southeast Asia, €25 to €40 in Australia. A private double doubles those figures. Over a year, accommodation often represents 35 to 45 percent of the total budget.
In Southeast Asia, you eat very well for €5 to €10 a day on street food. In Oceania or North America, the simplest restaurant meal tops €20 to €30. Cooking for yourself in a hostel sharply cuts the bill in expensive countries.
Diving, guided treks, safaris, site entries: this category runs away fast. A diving course costs €250 to €400, a multi-day trek in Peru around €300, and a Machu Picchu ticket must be booked months ahead. Budget €100 to €200 a month, more if you stack big experiences.
Essential on a long trip. Plan €40 to €90 a month for long-haul coverage, or €500 to €1,100 over the year. See our travel insurance comparison to choose by profile.
Over a year, plan €300 to €500 in cumulative administrative fees: e-visas, visa on arrival, international permit, vaccines. A detail that always surprises first-time travelers.
The cost gaps between regions are huge: the daily budget ranges from €35 to more than €130 depending on the country.
Southeast Asia remains the reigning region for budget travel. Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia sit around €22 to €32 a day, according to the Backpacker Cost Index 2026. Even the regional average of €32 hides wide gaps, from Siem Reap at €24 to Singapore at €65.
At the other end, Australia and the United States cost €140 to €150 a day for a backpacker. New Zealand follows closely: accommodation, fuel and activities are structurally expensive there. In plain terms, one day in Oceania equals four to six days in Cambodia.
This reality should shape your route. A year spent 70 percent in Asia and 30 percent elsewhere costs half as much as a year split evenly with Oceania and North America.
The alliance round-the-world ticket pays off on long multi-continent routes, but separate tickets often win on simple ones.
A Star Alliance round-the-world ticket starts around $3,500 in economy at the lowest mileage tier, climbing toward $10,000 at higher tiers, according to Upgraded Points. The oneworld Explorer fare follows a similar logic, priced by the number of continents visited, from $3,000 for three continents to $8,000-$10,000 beyond five.
Against that, a build of 3 to 4 well-connected flights in economy comes to $2,500-$5,000, often just as competitive or even cheaper, because you are not paying the full mileage of circling the globe. The balance flips on dense itineraries: a well-built 16-segment round-the-world ticket can save 25 to 40 percent over separate tickets.
My take after three long trips: if your route fits four or five logical stops, buy separately and watch the prices. If you are aiming for eight to twelve stops across several continents, the alliance ticket deserves a real calculation.
You can sharply lighten a round-the-world budget by playing on geography, accommodation and pace.
Plan €8,000 to €12,000 per person for six months as a backpacker, more if your route includes Oceania or North America. A route focused on Southeast Asia can drop below €8,000. The shorter duration cuts the total budget but not the cost of international flights.
It becomes worthwhile on routes of eight to twelve stops across several continents, where it can save 25 to 40 percent. On a route of three or four stops, tickets bought separately often cost less and leave more flexibility.
Around €35 to €45 a day as a backpacker, €45 to €60 mid-range, €60 to €80 in comfort, averaged over the year. But that figure hides considerable regional gaps, from €32 in Southeast Asia to more than €130 in Oceania.
Southeast Asia remains the cheapest, around €22 to €32 a day in Vietnam, Laos or Cambodia. Central America, India and some Balkan countries also rank among budget destinations. Australia, New Zealand and North America are the most expensive.
Yes, without hesitation. A hospital stay abroad can cost tens of thousands of euros. Plan €40 to €90 a month for long-haul coverage. Take it out before departure, ideally several months ahead to activate the cancellation guarantees.
Written by Marie L. Last updated: July 12, 2026.
Marie L. ✓
·Southeast Asia specialist
Southeast Asia specialist.
