Cheapest destinations, ranked by total trip cost
Per-day cost is only half the picture. A $150-per-day retreat with a $900 flight is more expensive than a $200-per-day retreat with a $120 flight. Ranked for a traveller flying from Western Europe:
| Country | Per day | 7 nights | Typical flight from W. Europe | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Morocco | $150–280 | $1,050–1,960 | $80–200 | $1,130–2,160 |
| Türkiye | $150–280 | $1,050–1,960 | $120–260 | $1,170–2,220 |
| Portugal | $250–400 | $1,750–2,800 | $60–160 | $1,810–2,960 |
| Sri Lanka | $150–280 | $1,050–1,960 | $550–900 | $1,600–2,860 |
| Thailand | $150–280 | $1,050–1,960 | $600–1,000 | $1,650–2,960 |
| Bali | $200–380 | $1,400–2,660 | $700–1,200 | $2,100–3,860 |
Where cheap stops being good value
Below about $130 per person per day, in any country, the saving is coming out of something. The most common cuts are a shared dorm instead of a private room, one meal a day instead of three, groups above sixteen, and teachers working unpaid in exchange for board. None of those are scandals, but they should be on the page, not a surprise.
The cheapest month matters as much as the country
Shoulder season typically saves 20–35% on the same retreat with better weather than peak. Greece in May or late September, Bali in April or October, Portugal in May or October, and Morocco in March or November are all materially cheaper than their peak weeks for a near-identical experience.