Before setting off on our extended travels, we defined a clear budget framework to keep ourselves grounded.

We’re not budget travelers in the sense of chasing the cheapest option or cutting corners for the sake of saving money. Comfort, good food, and meaningful experiences matter to us. At the same time, we do have a travel budget — one that reflects the reality of early retirement and the fact that this isn’t a one-off trip, but an open-ended lifestyle.

Staying within that budget sometimes means making trade-offs. We’re happy to splurge on experiences that feel truly worth it and balance that by saving elsewhere — for example, choosing simpler accommodation in order to prioritize what matters most. Having this flexibility helps us travel comfortably without losing sight of the bigger picture.

Our long-term travel budget goals

• CAD 6,000.00 total for intercontinental flights for the year
• CAD 4,000.00 per month while traveling
  • including accommodation, food, local transport, sightseeing, and all day-to-day expenses

November was our first full month of travel, so this was the real test: could we actually stick to it?

Currency note: All amounts below are shown in Canadian dollars (CAD) and reflect conversions at the rate used by our card providers at the time of purchase.

Where we were

• 3 days in Vancouver, Canada
• 27 days in the Philippines

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At a glance

• Total spent: CAD 3,687.96
• Monthly budget: CAD 4,000.00
  • Under budget by: CAD 312.04

All expenses below are for two people.

In the Philippines, we changed accommodation every week, using each place as a base for short side trips. Overall, it was a fairly fast-paced month.

Expense breakdown for November

Accommodation — CAD 1,289.86 (37%)

• Average per night: CAD 44.48
  • Vancouver:
    • 2 nights — CAD 187.88
    • CAD 93.94 per night
  • Philippines:
    • 27 nights — CAD 1,101.98
    • CAD 40.81 per night

Accommodation costs were on a higher side for the Philippines because we moved bases weekly and mostly chose rooms with kitchens and A/C.

Eating out — CAD 760.01 (22%)

• Canada: CAD 133.63
• Philippines: CAD 621.15

In the Philippines, we ate all our meals out, which is unusual for our travel style. Normally we cook at least one meal a day, but eating at local carinderias was consistently cheaper than buying groceries — and we still managed to stick to healthy meals.

Using airport lounges for meals during flights was a good budget tool for us. Regular restaurants in the airports are expensive while food quality is not very high.

Flights (regional) — CAD 558.76 (16%)

• Toronto → Vancouver: CAD 442.72 for two people
  • Includes an unexpected CAD 114 checked-bag fee at the gate
• Manila →Dumaguete: CAD 129.34 for two people

We planned the trip to minimize flights and use ferries between islands whenever possible.

Local transportation — CAD 402.50 (12%)

• Canada: CAD 70.10
• Philippines: CAD 332.40

This includes buses, trains, taxis, ferries, and hired tricycles for day trips. Pretty high cost as we moved around a lot.

Sightseeing & activities — CAD 287.97 (8%)

• Canada: CAD 73.30
• Philippines: CAD 214.67

We only did one organized tour, so most costs were entry fees. It was a low-expense month for experiences, but we still saw and did plenty.

Other expenses — CAD 194.43 (6%)

• Groceries: CAD 140.47
  • Canada: CAD 28.48
  • Philippines: CAD 111.99
  • We did not cook, just bought fruit, snacks, tea, and water.
• Laundry: CAD 10.25
  • None of our accommodations had washers, but laundry in the Philippines is thankfully inexpensive.
• Coffee: CAD 12.84
  • Definitely November was a low-caffeine month for me.
• Shopping (non-food): CAD 7.50
  • Small necessities like mosquito lotion and disposable plates / cutlery.
• Fees & charges: CAD 23.37
  • Included the eSIM and other small miscellaneous expenses.

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Budget surprises

Eating out for every meal in the Philippines turned out to be both cheaper and easier than grocery shopping — a shift from our usual travel routine that significantly shaped this month’s spending.

Our total food spending was only about 20% lower than at home in Canada, which was less of a drop than we expected and reinforced how much we prioritize food quality while traveling.

The checked-bag fee at the gate in Toronto was an unpleasant reminder that the cheapest flight isn’t always the best value.

What we’d do differently

Pay more upfront for flight tickets that include seat selection and checked baggage to avoid last-minute fees and stress.

November was a fast-travel month, and by the end we definitely felt it. Going forward, we plan to stay four weeks in one place to slow the pace and reduce both the physical fatigue and mental strain of frequent moves.

More broadly, our plan for this extended trip is to stay in each country for as long as visa rules allow, rather than moving frequently between countries. This helps reduce international flights and keeps overall transportation costs lower, while also making it easier to settle into a routine.

Longer stays mean larger apartments, so accommodation costs will likely rise slightly — but with better comfort and overall value.

With fewer moves and day trips, transportation and sightseeing costs should be lower than during this fast-paced month in the Philippines.

Who this budget works for

This budget is most realistic for couples and slow travelers spending longer periods in Southeast Asia. It assumes comfort with local food, simple accommodation, and minimal organized tours. It may be less representative for fast-paced itineraries, luxury travel, or destinations where accommodation costs are significantly higher.

Final thoughts

November was our first real test month, and finishing under budget felt like a strong start. More importantly, it showed that our approach — spending intentionally, making trade-offs, and prioritizing what matters most — is working. With slower travel ahead, we’re curious to see how the balance shifts in the coming months.