The United States is not a cheap country to travel - but it’s a more flexible one than most. The gap between the budget tier and the mid-range tier is wider in America than almost anywhere else, which means the choices you make about where you sleep, what you eat, and how you get around determine your costs more than the destination itself. This guide covers the real strategies for keeping costs down without emptying a trip of its substance.
What “Budget Travel” Realistically Means in the USA
Let’s set an honest baseline. When travel writers say “you can do the USA for $60/day,” they usually mean: a hostel dorm, every meal from a supermarket or fast-food chain, no rental car, and free attractions only. That’s a valid way to travel, but it’s not what most visitors mean by budget.
A more realistic budget target for most travellers:
| Style | Daily spend (per person) | What it buys |
|---|---|---|
| Backpacker minimum | $75–100 | Hostel dorm, simple meals, public transport, free sights |
| Budget independent | $120–160 | Budget private room, mix of eating out and self-catering, some paid activities |
| Comfortable budget | $160–220 | Cheap 2-star hotel or Airbnb, mostly restaurant meals, occasional paid attraction |
These numbers hold in mid-size cities and rural areas. New York, San Francisco, and Honolulu all sit 30–60% above these figures.
Cheapest Cities and Regions to Visit
The USA’s internal cost variation is enormous. If you have flexibility in where you go, these destinations offer the best value:
South:
- Memphis, Tennessee: Blues and barbecue heritage, with budget hotels from $70/night and most music venues free or under $15. Some of the cheapest good food in the country - Beale Street ribs and pulled pork plates run $12–18.
- New Orleans, Louisiana: Outside Mardi Gras, hotel rates drop to $80–130/night. The French Quarter is free to walk, live music is everywhere, and po’ boys and beignets cost $8–14.
- Nashville, Tennessee: More expensive than Memphis but still cheaper than the coasts. Budget hotel from $90/night; many honky-tonk bars on Broadway are free entry.
Midwest:
- Chicago, Illinois: More expensive than smaller Midwest cities but cheaper than NYC or LA. Budget hotels $90–150/night; world-class free museums (Art Institute free on certain days, Museum of Science and Industry discounts); deep-dish pizza $15–22.
- Kansas City, Missouri/Kansas: One of the US’s most underrated food cities, with BBQ joint plates at $12–18 and hotel rooms from $70/night.
- Detroit, Michigan: Very cheap accommodation ($55–90/night), an emerging food scene, and genuinely interesting urban history. Not all areas are safe after dark - stick to Midtown, Downtown, and Corktown.
Southwest:
- Albuquerque, New Mexico: Budget hotels from $65/night, green chile in everything for $12–20 a meal, and Old Town and the Bosque trail are free.
- Tucson, Arizona: Often overlooked but excellent value - hotels from $75/night, Saguaro National Park right on the doorstep (entry $25 per vehicle), and strong Mexican food culture.
Pacific Northwest (lower cost options):
- Portland, Oregon: Cheaper than Seattle by 20–30%. No sales tax on goods. Budget hotels $90–130/night, excellent coffee for $4–5, food trucks serving full meals $10–16.
The Cheapest Ways to Get Around
Transport is the most controllable major cost in US travel.
Budget airlines
Spirit, Frontier, and Avelo offer fares of $29–79 each way on many domestic routes when booked 3–6 weeks out. Watch for bag fees: Spirit charges $42–69 for a carry-on bag at the gate (book it in advance and it’s $20–30). The fare is only cheap if you travel light.
Budget airline booking strategy:
- Book 4–8 weeks out for the best fares; last-minute prices spike
- Fly Tuesday, Wednesday, or Saturday for cheapest rates
- Search flexible date calendars - a one-day shift can save $30–80
- Consider nearby airports (Oakland instead of San Francisco; Fort Lauderdale instead of Miami)
Long-distance buses
- Greyhound: $25–60 for most intercity routes. Slow but reliable. New coaches on popular routes now have WiFi and power outlets.
- FlixBus: Often cheaper than Greyhound on overlapping routes, newer fleet, easier online booking. Runs major corridors: NYC–DC–Richmond, LA–San Francisco–Sacramento, Denver–Salt Lake City.
- Megabus: Good for Northeast corridor routes and some Midwest runs. Fares from $1 when booking far in advance (genuinely - but availability is limited).
For short hops under 4 hours, buses are a real money-saver. For anything over 6 hours, compare carefully with budget flights - the time cost starts to exceed the fare saving.
Amtrak
Amtrak is not the bargain it appears. Most long-distance trains are 2–3× slower than driving and $80–200 for routes where budget flights cost $59–99. Exceptions:
- Northeast Regional (Boston–NYC–Washington DC): $29–69, fast, reliable, no checked bag fees. The best-value train in the country.
- California Zephyr or Empire Builder: Worth taking for the scenery experience, not the economics.
Road tripping (best value for groups)
A rental car splits costs and opens up national parks, small towns, and rural routes that public transport doesn’t reach. For 2+ people:
- Economy car rental: $35–55/day
- Fuel: approximately $0.12–0.16 per mile (economy car)
- A 1,500-mile road trip costs roughly $350–450 total for fuel in an economy car
See our USA road trip costs breakdown for full numbers by route type.
Free and Low-Cost Attractions
The USA has an enormous number of things to see that cost little or nothing:
National Parks (one pass covers all): The America the Beautiful Annual Pass costs $80 and covers entrance to all 420+ US national parks and federal recreation areas for 12 months. Yellowstone alone charges $35 per vehicle; the Grand Canyon is $35. If you’re visiting two or more national parks, the annual pass pays for itself immediately.
Free museums:
- Smithsonian Institution museums (Washington DC): All 19 museums, including the National Air and Space Museum, Natural History, and American History - all free, always
- Many city art museums have free days or pay-what-you-wish admissions (Metropolitan Museum of Art NYC, Cleveland Museum of Art is free always)
- Most presidential libraries charge $12–20 admission but are often free on certain days
Free urban experiences:
- Brooklyn Bridge walk and DUMBO neighbourhood (NYC)
- The National Mall and memorials (Washington DC)
- The Riverwalk (San Antonio, Chicago, and other cities)
- Pike Place Market (Seattle) - free to visit, buy as little or as much as you want
- French Quarter (New Orleans) - free to walk
- Balboa Park gardens (San Diego)
Budget Accommodation Strategies
Hostels: Still the cheapest option in major cities. Most US hostel dorms run $35–75/night per person in a 4–12 bed room. Private rooms in hostels are $80–130/night - often cheaper than a budget hotel in the same city.
Camping: National park campgrounds cost $25–35/night for a tent site. BLM (Bureau of Land Management) land across the West allows dispersed camping for free. State park campgrounds are $20–40/night. This is the cheapest way to see national parks by a wide margin.
Motels: US Route motels (Days Inn, Super 8, Motel 6) range from $55–100/night outside major cities. In rural areas on the interstate, $45–70/night is common. Not glamorous, but clean and functional.
Airbnb and VRBO: Better value when a group shares; often comparable to or slightly cheaper than mid-range hotels for a private room in a home. Watch for cleaning fees ($50–150) that inflate short stays.
Where Costs Sneak Up
These are the line items that regularly blow out USA travel budgets:
- Tipping: 18–20% on all sit-down restaurant meals, $1–2 per drink at bars, 15% on taxis. Budget 15% on top of all food and service costs.
- Sales tax: Added at the till (not included in advertised prices), ranging from 0% (Oregon, Montana) to 10.25% (Chicago). Always mentally add 6–10% to posted prices.
- Resort fees: In Las Vegas, these add $35–50/night to hotel bills. Some Florida and Hawaii hotels charge resort fees of $30–50/night even on budget properties.
- Parking: If you have a rental car, city parking is $25–60/day in most major cities. Budget this explicitly.
- Data/phone costs: US carriers don’t honour international plans from most countries. Either get a local SIM card (T-Mobile tourist plans from $35/month) or rely on WiFi.
A Realistic 10-Day Budget Road Trip (2 people)
This uses the Southeast as an example - Washington DC → Charlotte → Nashville → Memphis → New Orleans:
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Car rental (10 days × $45/day) | $450 |
| Fuel (~1,500 miles, economy car) | $200 |
| Accommodation (mix of motels and budget hotels, $100/night avg) | $1,000 |
| Food ($60/day × 2 people) | $1,200 |
| Attractions (Graceland $45/person, music venues, entry fees) | $250 |
| Miscellaneous (parking, tolls, snacks) | $200 |
| Total (2 people, 10 days) | ~$3,300 |
That’s approximately $165/person/day - genuinely budget territory for the USA, covering a rich range of music, food, and history without staying in dormitories.
For destination-specific cost breakdowns, see our guides on New York City trip costs and Las Vegas trip costs. For a full daily budget comparison across all US cities and regions, our USA travel costs guide has the numbers.
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