This tracker will continue to be updated as I travel, with new information and relevant expenses added along the way. Last Update: April 8, 2026
I’m not even going to fake the funk, y’all. I dropped the ball on this financial tracker series (a symbol of a greater issue, perhaps? lol). Regardless, while I kept this series essentially up-to-date through my time in Phuket last year, I am missing the details for my week-long trip to Bali, and my second appearance in Phuket, from January 5 through February 25, 2026.
Now settled in Da Nang, Vietnam, moving forward, I’ll do my best to track every penny (ie: Dong) spent while on this journey, including food, transportation, lodging, attractions, self-care, gym fees, etc, etc, etc. You know, the usual.
Below is a breakdown of my expenses during this now two-year-long journey. I’ve categorized everything to give you a clear picture of what it really costs to solo travel full-time, whether you’re a budget traveler, digital nomad, or just curious about the financial reality of long-term travel.
Da Nang, Vietnam (February 25 - May 21):
While Vietnam wasn’t on my original list of locales when I started this journey two years ago, my extended time in Phuket (during high season) quickly became a strain on my increasingly limited (by choice) budget. With another 60 days in Thailand almost up, I decided it was time to get back to the basics and start exploring more of the world. And given my budgetary challenges, starting in the Land of the Blue Dragon was an absolute no-brainer.
- Lodging: $1,778.95 (avg. $20.68 per day)
- Airfare: $1,166.69 (This total is waayy higher than it needed to be. But my change of plans in leaving Phuket early and having WAY too much luggage resulted in the increased cost)
- Transportation: $83.80
- Food: $1102.54 (avg. 25.64 per day)
- Gym & Supplements: $80.70
- Beauty & Selfcare (incl. Tattoo Removal): $346.70
- Adventuring: $19.04
- Visa Fees: $145 (This includes the $120 rush fee I had to pay to get my visa processed in time. I’ll post the proper way to avoid this in my Shit You Should Know… guide).
- Laundry: $43.75
- Presents: $33.83
- Everything Else: $193.68
Total Expenses: $4,994.68
- Daily Average: $82.01
- Monthly Cost of Living: $2,460.26
Vietnamese Coconut Coffee – Literally the yummiest coffee I’ve had in my LIFE!
No clever caption… this pic just screams Vietnam to me 🙂
My Khe beach is possibly my FAVORITE beach since Barbados 🙂
featured gear
FCK FEAR | Gym Crop Tank
I made this crop because fear has never done me any favors. It never made me stronger, never pushed me forward… quite honestly, it just kept me stuck. There’s always a reason to hesitate, to wait, to play it safe… but I’ve learned the hard way the only way through is to show the fuck up and do the damn thing. So this is my reminder… to myself and anyone who needs it: FCK FEAR.
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This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product pageFCK FEAR | Gym Crop Tank
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Previous Trips:
To make comparisons easier, I’ve included the daily and monthly averages for every major destination I’ve called home since embarking on this grand adventure.
As a reminder, the totals below include things like lodging or rent, food, transportation or gas, gym fees, supplements, beauty products, mani/pedis, etc. Standard bills/debt payments that I have, no matter where I travel, like phone, business expenses, insurance, storage, etc, are not included. The full breakdowns with category details for 2024 locations can be found here, and here for 2025 locations.
Now that this journey is two years deep, I’ve chosen to include only the locations where I stayed at least one month. For precise figures—regardless of destination or length of stay—please refer to the individual tracker links above.
Barcelona (Two Months):
- Total Spent: $6,046.50
- Daily Average: $102.48
- Monthly Average: $3,023.25
South Korea (Two Months):
- Total Spent: $4,928.98
- Daily Average: $82.15
- Monthly Average: $2,464.50
Barbados (2.5 Months):
- Total Spent: $6,598.85
- Daily Average: $94.27
- Monthly Average: $2,828.08
Bangkok (4.75 Months):
- Total Spent: $11,342.61
- Daily Average: $86.19
- Monthly Average: $2,585.16
Pattaya (2 Months):
- Total Spent: $3,815.30
- Daily Average: $68.13
- Monthly Average: $2,043.91
Phuket (1.5 months reflected here/3 months total):
- Total Spent: $5,913.12
- Daily Average: $113.71
- Monthly Average: $3,411.30
- This only accounts for one extended stay in Phuket (Sept-Nov 2025). As mentioned above, I lost track of this for a few months and was in Phuket for the second time during high season (Jan-Feb), so these numbers should be at least 25% higher on average. In case its not clear, Phuket is EXPENSIVE any time of the year compared to other locations in Thailand.
Upcoming Trips:
It feels like there are more places to eat per capita in Da Nang than anywhere I’ve been… including Bangkok!
June 2026: Puerto Rico
August 2026: Back to Vietnam with my babies!
I am working on a few things that I am going to keep under wraps for now. Needless to say if they come through, this space will become VERY FULL 🙂
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This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page
FCK FEAR | Gym Crop Tank
$36.00 -
This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product pageeat… pray… gym. | Staple Tee
$27.00 -
This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page
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This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page#OGMILLENIAL | Staple Tee
$27.00
Phuket to Da Nang: On Waves, Writing, and Worrying Less
Well, I’ve certainly dropped the ball on this whole “blog my way through my travels and slow descent into madness” thing, haven’t I? I think the last time we “spoke,” I had just returned to
Phave Phood Phinds: Phuket
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Midlife Sidequests & Hong Kong Clarity
Where Bangkok and Seoul feel like sisters, as I took my first steps into the Pearl of the Orient, it became clear I was in another world altogether. Holy Shit. I’m in China.
